Word Processing and Spreadsheets with LibreOffice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Introduction to LibreOffice — Overview and Navigation

Siena introduced LibreOffice as a free, open-source office suite comparable to OpenOffice but more accessible on both Mac and Windows (and Linux). She demonstrated the LibreOffice Start Center, navigating through its components using the Tab key.

• Details
  • Siena: Described LibreOffice as similar to OpenOffice but more accessible; noted a sighted friend uses it on Linux.
  • Siena: Navigated the Start Center, identifying components: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentations), Draw, Math Formula, and Base (database).
  • Siena: Demonstrated filtering recent documents and clearing the recent documents list.
  • Siena: Noted that LibreOffice occasionally shows a “not responding” state on startup and may prompt about default file format registration.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice is a robust, free office suite with components covering word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing, math, and databases.
  • It is accessible with JAWS on Windows and VoiceOver on Mac.

LibreOffice Writer — Document Creation and Formatting

Siena opened LibreOffice Writer, typed a sample document, and explored the menu bar structure, demonstrating how to navigate menus using the ALT key and arrow keys.

• Details
  • Siena: Typed a title (“Test LibreOffice Writer Document”) and a sample sentence (“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog…”) to demonstrate basic text entry.
  • Siena: Navigated the File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, and Styles menus, describing available options such as page breaks, image insertion, comments, line spacing, bullets and numbering, watermarks, alt text for images, and more.
  • Siena: Noted that keyboard shortcuts in LibreOffice are largely equivalent to Microsoft Word.
  • Liz: Asked how formatting options are accessed without clicking, as she had only used visual interfaces before.
  • Siena: Explained the ALT key activates the menu bar, and arrow keys navigate through menus and submenus.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice Writer’s menu structure is navigable via keyboard and screen reader in a manner very similar to Microsoft Word.
  • Standard shortcuts (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+P, etc.) function as expected.

LibreOffice Writer — Saving, File Formats, and Export Options

Siena demonstrated saving a document for the first time, exploring the wide range of available file formats in both the Save As and Export dialogs.

• Details
  • Siena: Saved the document as an ODT (Open Document Text) file by default, explaining ODT stands for Open Document Format Text.
  • Siena: Demonstrated the Save As dialog, listing 18 available formats including ODT, DOCX (Word 2010–365), DOC (Word 97–2003), RTF, HTML, Markdown, plain text, EPUB, PDF, and XML.
  • Siena: Highlighted the password protection feature when saving, noting Google Docs does not recognize password-protected files.
  • Siena: Demonstrated the Export dialog, showing formats such as EPUB, PDF, XHTML, and MediaWiki.
  • Liz: Asked whether ODT files are widely accepted and whether PDF would be safer for sending documents.
  • Siena: Recommended saving as Word 2010–365 (.docx) for maximum compatibility, or PDF for universal readability.
  • Lily: Asked whether LibreOffice could save documents as Word files, which Siena confirmed.
  • Lily: Noted this would be very useful for her volunteer work at a church library, where cross-platform formatting issues between Mac and Windows have been a problem.
  • Siena: Confirmed LibreOffice is accessible on both Mac and Windows, making it a strong cross-platform solution.
  • Ali: Noted the GPG key encryption option visible in the Save dialog and offered to explain it.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice Writer supports 18 save formats and multiple export formats, including full compatibility with current Microsoft Word (.docx).
  • For sending documents to others, .docx or PDF are the recommended formats.
  • Password protection is available natively in LibreOffice.

Explanation of GPG Key Encryption

Ali explained the GPG key option that appeared in the LibreOffice Save dialog.

• Details
  • Ali: Defined GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) as a cryptographic key used to encrypt, decrypt, and digitally sign data, ensuring files can only be read by their intended recipient and verifying the content genuinely originates from the claimed sender.
  • Ali: Read the definition from his Braille display.
• Conclusion
  • GPG encryption is an advanced security feature available in LibreOffice for protecting sensitive documents.

LibreOffice as a Free Alternative to Microsoft Office 365

A broader discussion emerged about the value of LibreOffice as a subscription-free alternative to Microsoft Office 365.

• Details
  • Ali: Stated he uses a PC but dislikes the Microsoft suite of products and does not want to pay for Office 365.
  • Siena: Shared that her vendor suggested installing Microsoft 365 on her new computer, but she declined, preferring Google Docs and LibreOffice.
  • Ali: Expressed frustration with the accumulation of subscription costs across multiple services.
  • Siena: Noted LibreOffice works on both Windows and Mac, eliminating the need for separate licenses, and is less of a memory hog than Word.
  • Lily: Agreed LibreOffice is powerful for a free tool and relevant to her volunteer cataloging work.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice is a viable, cost-free alternative to Microsoft Office 365 for users on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • Cross-platform compatibility and accessibility make it particularly attractive for blind and low-vision users.

Braille Literacy and Assistive Technology Workflows

A candid discussion arose about the role of Braille displays in productivity and whether working without one is feasible.

• Details
  • Ali: Expressed that he could not imagine working efficiently without a Braille display, and wondered how users who never learned Braille manage complex tasks.
  • Lily: Explained she works effectively with a screen reader only, noting the only challenges were math equations and French pronunciation.
  • Siena: Agreed French is better read on a Braille display unless a French voice is installed.
  • Macara: Affirmed Lily’s point, noting it is a very human tendency to find it hard to imagine ways of doing things outside one’s own experience; also confirmed Braille was essential for math.
  • Siena: Shared she began using Braille displays around Grade 11 and finds them most valuable in meetings where she needs to turn off speech.
  • Ali: Acknowledged he may be viewing the issue through his own lens and appreciated the perspective.
  • Lily: Drew a parallel to navigation — she could not imagine traveling in Toronto the way Ali does, just as he cannot imagine working without a Braille display; both approaches stem from lived experience.
• Conclusion
  • Both Braille-display-assisted and screen-reader-only workflows are valid and effective depending on the individual’s background and needs.
  • There is no single “right” way to use assistive technology.

LibreOffice Calc — Spreadsheet Exploration

Siena opened LibreOffice Calc and collaboratively built a sample monthly budget spreadsheet with participant input, exploring accessibility with JAWS.

• Details
  • Siena: Opened Calc from the LibreOffice Start Center and navigated the spreadsheet using arrow keys, explaining columns (letters) and rows (numbers).
  • Siena: Created a “Monthly Expenses” spreadsheet with columns for Month, Phone Bill, Credit Card Bill, Gas, Electricity (Hydro), Phone/TV/Internet, Tim Hortons, Food Orders, Monthly Subscriptions, and a Total column.
  • Liz: Requested a simple budget example with a total at the bottom, noting she had not used a spreadsheet in 15 years.
  • Liz: Asked about defining field types (text vs. numeric) and how to create a SUM function.
  • Siena: Entered sample values for January across all expense categories.
  • Siena: Looked up the SUM formula syntax and successfully used =SUM(D4:L4) via Alt+= to calculate the January total, arriving at $1,460.57.
  • Participants contributed sample expense figures and discussed real-life costs (hydro, Tim Hortons, Uber Eats, subscriptions).
  • Liz: Noted she saves on hydro by keeping lights off.
  • Ali and Lily: Shared they also do not turn on lights, as they do not need them.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice Calc functions similarly to Microsoft Excel, including SUM formulas using the same syntax.
  • The Alt+= shortcut auto-generates a SUM formula in LibreOffice Calc.
  • The spreadsheet is navigable and usable with JAWS.

Downloading and Installing LibreOffice on Mac

Lily asked about how to obtain LibreOffice on a Mac.

• Details
  • Lily: Asked whether LibreOffice can be downloaded from the Mac App Store or must be obtained from the LibreOffice website.
  • Siena: Confirmed it must be downloaded from the LibreOffice website (libreoffice.org), not the App Store.
  • Siena: Noted that Mac security settings must allow apps from “App Store and identified developers,” which is the recommended setting.
  • Ali: Confirmed LibreOffice qualifies as an identified developer, so there should be no installation issues.
• Conclusion
  • LibreOffice for Mac is downloaded from libreoffice.org.
  • Mac security settings should be set to “App Store and identified developers” to allow installation.

Upcoming Sessions and Closing Remarks

Siena wrapped up the session and announced upcoming events.

• Details
  • Siena: Announced an afternoon workshop on June 10th and Techstravaganza 2.0 on June 11th.
  • Siena: Mentioned she plans to cover LibreOffice on Mac in a future Techstravaganza 2.0 session.

Find out What’s Coming Up on Future Workshops at the Following link: https://techstravaganza.ca/2026/05/13/updated-as-of-may-13-2026-whats-coming-up-on-techstravaganza/

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