Screen readers and my HP laptop have never been friends. JAWS causes major stability issues. Window Eyes stutters a lot. Now that I have an Intel-based Mac with Parallels and Boot Camp for running Windows, I have found the perfect screen reader testing system.

Jaws Windows Xp Iso

Parallels is a program that allows Windows to run within a window under OSX. Boot Camp allows you to boot into Windows on a Mac computer. Both of these applications work with Intel-based Macs only and support the most popular screen readers – JAWS and Window Eyes. Below are a few tips to ensure they install and function well.

Windows compatible sound card (for speech) Note: The Previous JAWS Downloads Web page has older versions of JAWS for computers still running Windows XP (JAWS 15 and earlier) or Windows Vista (JAWS 17 and earlier). Jaws for Windows XP/Vista: version 10.0 JAWS for Windows is a screen-reader software program developed for blind and low vision impaired students. Jaws is compatible most standard personal computer sound cards and sound blasters. Thus offers blind and low vision impaired students easier access to information technology.

Disclaimer: You must have up-to-date screen readers (tested with JAWS 8.0 and Window Eyes 6.1 demos), Parallels (build 3214 – June 21, 2007), and Boot Camp (1.3 Beta). Older versions are not fully compatible with each other.

JAWS (' Job Access With Speech ') is a computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display. JAWS is produced by the Blind and Low Vision Group of Freedom Scientific.

Parallels

Parallels rocks! The ability to run Windows within OSX is awesome. Parallels retails for $80. it will allocate part of your hard drive for a virtual machine that will house each additional operating system. Parallels will even automate the installation of Windows onto this virtual machine. My installation of Windows XP Professional took about 15 minutes from start to finish (versus 40 minutes or so on an actual PC). To boot into Windows, you simply open Parallels and select Start to boot Windows in an OSX window.

For kicks, I have installed Windows Vista and Ubuntu Linux in other virtual machines. I thoroughly impressed my co-workers by running all four operating systems AT THE SAME TIME! I use Virtue Desktops to quickly switch between operating systems with a quick key press. To totally max out the geek factor, you can turn on motion sensor or light sensor switching in Virtue Desktops. This allows you to switch operating systems with a tap on the side of your laptop monitor (any MacBook, or I should say SmackBook in this case) or by sliding your hand over the light sensor at the top of the keyboard (MacBook Pro only).

Boot Camp

Boot Camp is a (currently) free program from Apple that allows you to boot your Intel Mac into Windows. While this will allow all system resources to be allocated to Windows, it does not allow the instantaneous switching between operating systems. Like Parallels, the installation of Boot Camp is very easy. To boot into Windows, you either select your Start Up disk before rebooting or hold down the option (alt) key when booting.

Screen readers on your Mac

JAWS

You can download the 40 minute mode demo (after 40 minutes, your computer or Parallels virtual machine must be rebooted) of JAWS at http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/jaws.asp (54MB). In Parallels, rebooting Windows only takes a few seconds and won’t interfere with anything you’re doing in OSX, so this makes testing with the JAWS demo even easier.

Upon starting JAWS in a Parallels session, you will receive a Video Intercept prompt. Simply press Close. You will need to close this dialog each time JAWS is started. Attempting to install the Video Intercept driver will cause problems. All major junctions in JAWS work without it, although some of the PC Cursor tracking functions may be affected – this should have little or no impact on web page reading. The Video Intercept issue is not present in Boot Camp, which seems to support the JAWS Video Intercept driver natively.

Window Eyes

GW Micro also offers a trial of Window Eyes. It will run for 30 minutes at a time before your computer or virtual machine must be rebooted. It can be downloaded at http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Demo/ (35MB). HINT: If you do not want to enter your personal information, simply disable JavaScript and submit the form to view the download link.

MacBook keyboard mapping

Screen readers have many, as in hundreds, of shortcut keys to allow full keyboard accessibility and to mimic mouse functions. MacBooks do not feature a full-size keyboard, thus many shortcut keys are less accessible. You can always connect an external, full-size USB keyboard or smaller external USB numeric keypad to allow the additional necessary keys – Insert, Backspace, and the numeric keypad keys. This is certainly less convenient because an external keyboard is nearly as big as the MacBook itself.

Alternatively, you can use the built-in, though slightly hidden numeric keypad which is available by holding down the fn (function) key and then selecting the appropriate keyboard key. The number pad options display in the lower right of some keyboard keys. For instance, press fn+K for number pad 2.

Despite the availability of the numeric keypad keys, the MacBook keyboard does not have an Insert key. This key, by default, is known as the JAWS key in JAWS and provides access to the most important keyboard shortcuts for using this screen reader. It is also used extensively in Window Eyes. In order to get access to the Insert key in Parallels or Boot Camp, you must remap a MacBook keyboard key to the Insert key command. This can be done with Remapkey.

Remapkey can be downloaded as part of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools. Don’t worry, it will install and run just fine on Windows XP. The Resource Kit is a 11.8MB download and when installed, many applications, including remapkey.exe will then be available at c:Program FilesWindows Resource KitsTools.

To map an Insert key on your MacBook:

1. Open remapkey.exe
2. Drag the Ins key from the top keyboard displayed to the App key if using Parallels or to the Right Windows key if in Boot Camp
3. Select the Save and Exit button at the top, then restart Windows

This will map Insert to the Right Command (Apple) key on your MacBook keyboard. This is the only key that appears twice (in Windows, both Command key opens the Start menu), but that does not provide otherwise necessary functionality. I have no idea why the Right Command key appears as the App key in Parallels, but the Right Windows key in Boot Camp. This will provide (almost) full keyboard functionality for your screen reader in Windows. You could also map Insert to one of the F key (F11 would work nicely) or remap other keys as you see fit.

JAWS ('Job Access With Speech') is a computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display. JAWS is produced by the Blind and Low Vision Group of Freedom Scientific.

An August–September 2019 screen reader user survey by WebAIM, a web accessibility company, found JAWS to be the second-most popular screen reader worldwide, displaced for the first time by NonVisual Desktop Access; 40.1% of survey participants used it as a primary screen reader, while 61.7% of participants used it often.^[1]

JAWS supports all versions of Windows released since Windows Vista. There are two versions of the program: the Home edition for non-commercial use and the Professional edition for commercial environments. Before JAWS 16, the Home edition was called Standard, and only worked on home Windows operating systems.^[2][3] A DOS version, sometimes also known as JDOS, is free.

The JAWS Scripting Language allows the user to use programs without standard Windows controls, and programs that were not designed for accessibility.

History[edit]

JAWS was originally released in 1989 by Ted Henter, a former motorcycle racer who lost his sight in a 1978 automobile accident. In 1985, Henter, along with a US$180,000 investment from Bill Joyce, founded the Henter-Joyce Corporation in St. Petersburg, Florida. Joyce sold his interest in the company back to Henter in 1990. In April 2000, Henter-Joyce, Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc. merged to form Freedom Scientific.

JAWS was originally created for the MS-DOSoperating system. It was one of several screen readers giving blind users access to text-mode MS-DOS applications. A feature unique to JAWS at the time was its use of cascading menus, in the style of the popular Lotus 1-2-3 application. What set JAWS apart from other screen readers of the era was its use of macros that allowed users to customize the user interface and work better with various applications.^{[citation needed]}

Ted Henter and Rex Skipper wrote the original JAWS code in the mid-1980s, releasing version 2.0 in mid-1990. Skipper left the company after the release of version 2.0, and following his departure, Charles Oppermann was hired to maintain and improve the product. Oppermann and Henter regularly added minor and major features and frequently released new versions. Freedom Scientific now offers JAWS for MS-DOS as a freeware download from their web site.^[4][5]

Jaws Windows Download

In 1993, Henter-Joyce released a highly modified version of JAWS for people with learning disabilities. This product, called WordScholar, is no longer available.^[6]

JAWS for Windows[edit]

In 1992, as Microsoft Windows became more popular, Oppermann began work on a new version of JAWS. A principal design goal was not to interfere with the natural user interface of Windows and to continue to provide a strong macro facility. Test and beta versions of JAWS for Windows (JFW) were shown at conferences throughout 1993 and 1994. During this time, developer Glen Gordon started working on the code, ultimately taking over its development when Oppermann was hired by Microsoft in November 1994. Shortly afterwards, in January 1995, JAWS for Windows 1.0 was released.

A new revision of JAWS for Windows is released about once a year, with minor updates in between.

Features[edit]

JAWS allows all major functions of the Microsoft Windows operating system to be controlled with keyboard shortcuts and spoken feedback. These shortcuts are kept as consistent as possible throughout most programs, but the very high number of functions needed to fluidly use modern computer software effectively requires the end user to memorize many specific keystrokes. Virtually every aspect of JAWS can be customized by the user, including all keystrokes and factors such as reading speed, granularity used when reading punctuation, and hints. JAWS also includes a scripting language to automate tasks and make more complex modifications to the program's behavior.^[7]

The software includes a distinct mode designed specifically for web browsers, activated when Internet Explorer or another browser is in the foreground. Support for Internet Explorer is standard; other browsers often have compatibility issues ranging from minor to severe. Notably, Microsoft Edge support lagged behind most common third-party browsers before the release of the Chromium-based Edge in January 2020.^{[citation needed]} When browsing web pages, JAWS first declares the title and number of links. Speech can be stopped with the control key, lines are navigated with the up/down arrow keys, and the tab key moves between links and controls. Specific letter keys on the keyboard can be pressed to navigate to the next or previous element of a specific type, such as text boxes or check boxes.^[8] JAWS can access headings in Word and PDF documents in a similar fashion.^[9]

The JAWS feature set and its configurability have been described as 'complex,' with training recommended for users such as web designers performing accessibility testing, to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from such testing.^[10]

References[edit]

1. ^'Screen Reader User Survey #8'. WebAIM. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
2. ^'Enhancements and Improvements in JAWS 16', Freedom Scientific. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
3. ^'JAWS System Requirements'. Freedom Scientific. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
4. ^'DOS Software Toolkit'. Trace Research & Development Center. University of Wisconsin. 2007. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007.
5. ^More JAWS downloads. Freedom Scientific. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
6. ^'Henter-Joyce Newsletter'. September 1993.
7. ^'Introduction'. www.freedomscientific.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
8. ^Thatcher; et al. (2006). Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance (1 ed.). Friends of ED. p. 109. ISBN978-1-59059-638-8.
9. ^Thatcher et al., p. 385
10. ^Thatcher et al., p. 501.

Jaws Windows Xp Installer

External links[edit]

• Official website