What's New? New Users Start Here! Using JAWS Help Keyboard Commands

JAWS 16

What's New? New Users Start Here! Using JAWS Help Keyboard Commands

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of JAWS for Windows, the international standard for screen reading software. As Windows software has evolved, JAWS has risen to meet the challenge to allow blind and low vision users access to the same information that others have on the World Wide Web, in popular applications, and when reading specialized document formats such as PDF or HTML.

Furthermore, JAWS is part of a family of products for blind and low vision computer users, which includes screen magnification software, scanning and reading software, a PDA for the blind, Braille displays, and notetakers. The newest versions of Freedom Scientific's products not only work with each other, but also do not interfere with other accessibility products on the same PC.

Your decision to use JAWS as your computer screen reader is an excellent choice. With JAWS you'll find that your access to the Internet is unparalleled. Using JAWS with Microsoft's Internet Explorer is easy, so you'll be surfing in no time. Additionally, JAWS supports the most popular office software products so that you'll be able to work in the same software environment as other Windows computer users. There are numerous other applications that are supported in JAWS, including word processors, encyclopedias, financial and spreadsheet packages, e-mail and messaging applications, and more.

For Braille users, JAWS provides functionality that improves the efficiency and quality of your work when using a Braille display. It also provides an accurate representation, in Braille, of what's displayed on your computer's screen.

There are numerous settings that allow you to customize JAWS to meet your individual needs, including how much information is provided globally and in individual applications. Dozens of other options allow you to set your own voices, keystrokes, HTML preferences, verbosity levels, and more. With JAWS scripting, you can customize JAWS to work with any application, such as proprietary software developed by large employers. This feature provides ultimate flexibility and expandability, making JAWS an excellent investment for the present and future.

The links below will help you get started with JAWS:

What's New in JAWS?

New Users Start Here

Reading Screens and Documents

Using JAWS with Internet Explorer

Keyboard Commands

Back Next

What's New in JAWS?

JAWS 16 offers several new features and improvements as described on this page. To learn more, read the entire What's New or press INSERT+F6 to open a list of headings and then jump directly to a specific item.

To read about features and updates made in earlier JAWS releases, see the Previous JAWS Enhancements Web page.

JAWS Command Search, a Built-in Search Engine for JAWS Keystrokes

JAWS provides many keystrokes to perform a variety of commands. Many commands can be performed anywhere in Windows, such as reading the window title or current line, while other commands are only available in specific applications like Microsoft Word or Internet Explorer. If you are using JAWS with a refreshable braille display, there are even JAWS commands that can be performed using the controls on the braille display. To search for JAWS commands, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, J to open the Search for Commands dialog.

While there are certain commands that are used by the majority of JAWS users on a daily basis, such as reading the current line (INSERT+UP ARROW) or reading the current window title (INSERT+T), there are numerous commands that even the most experienced users do not use regularly and need to be looked up. Certain types of commands can be especially difficult to remember as some of them require pressing several keys at once. The JAWS Command Search feature enables you to enter a full or partial description of a command whose keystroke you do not remember. JAWS will display all commands that match your search criteria, the description of the feature, and all the associated keystrokes, including braille commands if a refreshable braille display is currently connected.

For example, you may need to locate a keystroke for working with formulas in Excel. Instead of opening the JAWS help topic for Excel and searching through all of the available keystrokes, or starting Keyboard Help (INSERT+1) and pressing various keystroke combinations until you find the correct one, you can open the Search for JAWS Commands window while focused in Excel, type "formulas" in the search edit box, and then view a list of all keystrokes related to working with formulas. Similarly, if you are browsing the Web and you need to find the keystroke for displaying a list of headings on the current page (INSERT+F6), you can open the Search for JAWS Commands window from Internet Explorer or Firefox, type "list headings" in the search edit box, and this command will be the first result.

To search for a command, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, followed by J, to open the Search for JAWS Commands window. Alternatively, you can choose Search for Commands from the Run JAWS Manager dialog box (INSERT+F2) or the JAWS Utilities menu. An HTML window opens and places you in an edit field. If Forms Mode is set to Auto or Semi-Auto, Forms Mode will be activated when the edit field gains focus. Begin typing the description of the command you are looking for and the results area in the lower part of the window automatically updates. As you type, the first result in the list is spoken automatically. Pressing ENTER turns off Forms Mode and places you on the first result.

Note: If Auto Forms Mode is set to Manual, you will need to first press ENTER to activate Forms Mode before you begin typing in the edit field.

Since this is an HTML window, you can use standard reading commands to review the

search results. Each command name along with the most common keystroke used to perform it is displayed as a heading so you can quickly move between results using the H and SHIFT+H Navigation Quick Keys. When you locate the command you want, press DOWN ARROW to move to a brief description of what the command does, and any additional keystrokes that can be used to perform the command. This will include non-layered, layered, and braille keystrokes. If a particular command offers a braille keystroke, but a braille display is not currently connected when you performed the search, the braille keystroke will not be listed.

Each JAWS command name and its associated keystrokes are also displayed as links. This allows you to press ENTER on the command name heading, or any of the associated keystroke links to close the Search for JAWS Commands window and activate the command. You can also exit this window by pressing ALT+F4, or the ESC key.

Note: When performing a JAWS command search, the search results only contain JAWS keystrokes. Microsoft Windows keystrokes, such as CTRL+A for select all, are not included in the search results.

Standard Licenses Become "Home Use Edition for Non-Commercial Use"

Most end users who are buying new computers today, end up purchasing systems that come with professional editions of Windows 7 or Windows 8. In order to make this easier and more affordable, we have changed the traditional JAWS Standard so it will now work on either Home or Professional versions of Windows. At the same time, we are changing the name from Standard to JAWS Home Edition and it is intended for Non-Commercial Use as well as ideal for anyone who intends to use JAWS on their personal laptop or desktop computer. Just like the JAWS Professional licenses, JAWS Home Use Edition licenses will allow JAWS 16 to install and run on both Home and Professional editions of Windows.

When running a JAWS Home Use Edition license, JAWS will announce in both speech and braille "JAWS Home Use Edition" at startup. Also, the JAWS application window has been changed. The Title of the JAWS Window now says "JAWS Home Use" and in the main window area, it will display graphical text that says "Noncommercial Use Only". Finally, Home Use Edition is also displayed in the JAWS About dialog box which is accessed from the Help menu.

JAWS 16 is designed to recognize all existing Standard licenses and will automatically work as a Home Use Edition now on both Home and Professional machines. All new licenses of JAWS 16 that are shipped will be set up using either the new Home Use Edition license or the traditional Professional license. In the case of Professional Licenses, JAWS 16 will now announce "JAWS Professional" in speech and braille at startup as well.

Finally, we have included the option to purchase and use the JAWS Remote support to the Home Use Edition Licenses. This will allow your license to work in Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, or Citrix connections with other computers. Previously, this option was only available for purchase with JAWS Professional Licenses.

Semi-Auto Forms Mode

The new Semi-Auto Forms Mode feature offers users the convenience of Auto Forms Mode, but the benefits of manual operation.

With Auto Forms Mode, JAWS automatically enters Forms Mode so you can immediately begin typing when you move to an edit field using the ARROW Keys, or TAB and SHIFT+TAB. When you move away from the control, Forms Mode turns off and you resume navigating using the Virtual PC Cursor. This can be very useful especially for new and sighted users and is the default setting. When you move to an edit field in Manual Forms Mode, you must first press ENTER to turn on Forms Mode, and then press NUM PAD PLUS or ESC to turn it off once you are finished typing.

With Semi-Auto Forms Mode, JAWS will only turn on Forms Mode automatically when you move to an edit field using TAB or SHIFT+TAB. This allows you to have the benefits of Auto Forms Mode and still be able to read through a Web page using the ARROW keys and not be interrupted by Forms Mode turning on and off. Additionally, Navigation Quick Keys will not turn on Semi-Auto Forms Mode.

To cycle through Manual, Auto, and Semi-Auto Forms Mode, use the Auto Forms Mode option in Quick Settings (INSERT+V) or the Select Forms Mode option in Settings Center.

Enhanced Convenient OCR for PDF Documents

The Convenient OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature now allows you to recognize entire PDF documents. Convenient OCR was first introduced in JAWS 13 and allows you to recognize any images visible on the screen in order to access text contained in the image that would normally be inaccessible to JAWS. This included inaccessible PDF documents where you could only recognize the currently visible text.

In JAWS 16, if you open a PDF document and you do not find any text to read, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, O to access the OCR layer and then press the letter D. JAWS begins recognizing the text of the entire document featuring a very high degree of accuracy as the results are not affected by the curretn screen resolution, as they are when recognizing the current screen or window. After several seconds, the contents of the PDF file are displayed in the Results Viewer for reading. Use standard reading commands to review the text or select and copy sections of content for pasting in other applications. For example, you could select all, then copy and paste into a Microsoft Word document, which you could then save.

Note: The OCR process takes longer for larger PDF files. As text is recognized, it is added to the end of the existing text already in the Results Viewer. This allows you to continue reading without interruption as the document is processed. If you are currently not reading using Say All, JAWS announces the current line as new text is added to the Results Viewer to indicate that OCR is still in progress.

JAWS 16 Introduces MathML Support

MathML is a language for including mathematical content on Web pages, enabling browsers to present math equations and formulas as they would appear on paper. JAWS provides spoken, natural language descriptions of MathML expressions, using the same terms a teacher would use to explain them in a classroom. There is a written, visual language of math, described by MathML. However, there is also a spoken language used when people discuss math problems. Students will benefit from hearing JAWS describe mathematical expressions as their teachers and peers do.

In addition, JAWS allows you to actively explore math content. When you encounter MathML on a Web page, JAWS describes the equation, followed by the message "math content." Pressing ENTER while focused on the math content opens the Math Viewer where you can study the equation in greater detail by doing the following:

To move between parts of the expression, use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys. To focus in on a partial expression, press DOWN ARROW.

To return to the whole expression, press UP ARROW.

To read all the partial expressions at the current nesting level, press INSERT+UP ARROW.

To read the current partial expression, press NUM PAD 5 or INSERT+NUM PAD 5. From within the Math Viewer, press ESC or ALT+F4 to exit.

At present, JAWS supports MathML content rendered by MathJax in Internet Explorer. MathJax is a popular JavaScript library used by web developers to provide a consistent look and feel for math content across browsers. Because JAWS relies on MathJax to get MathML, JAWS may be limited by the types of content it supports. For example, since MathJax currently does not support elementary math features, JAWS is also unable to render them in the browser.

For now, math content on a Web page or in the Math Viewer is only spoken by JAWS and is not shown in braille. In addition, the contents of the Math Viewer do not appear visually on the screen. These important features, as well as support for other browsers, will be added in future updates as we continue to refine MathML support.