is a computer screen reader for Microsoft Windows that enables blind and visually impaired people to read the screen using a refreshable Braille display or text-to-speech output. The Blind and Low Vision Group at Freedom Scientific creates JAWS.
A study of screen reader users conducted between May and June 2021 by WebAIM, a provider of web accessibility services, revealed that JAWS was the most widely used screen reader globally, with 53.7% of respondents using it as their primary screen reader and 70.0% using it frequently .[1]
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well as every iteration of Windows Server since Windows Server 2008 are supported by JAWS. The software is available in two versions: the Home edition for private use and the Professional edition for usage in business settings. Standard, the previous name for the Home edition, was only compatible with personal Windows operating systems. Prior to JAWS 16, Standard was also available in a free DOS version.
The user can utilize programs without the default Windows controls and programs that weren’t created with accessibility in mind thanks to the JAWS Scripting Language.
With JAWS, you can use keyboard shortcuts and verbal feedback to operate all of the main Windows operating system features. The majority of applications maintain these shortcuts as consistently as they can, however because to the extremely large number of functions required to efficiently operate current computer software, end users must memorize numerous unique keystrokes. The user has virtually complete control over virtually every aspect of JAWS, including all keystrokes and variables like reading speed, the level of granularity needed to read punctuation, and tips. Additionally, JAWS has a scripting language that may be used to automate procedures and change the behavior of the application in more intricate ways .[7]
When a browser is active in the forefront, the software activates a special mode made just for web browsers. When navigating a website, JAWS initially announces the page’s title and the number of links. The control key can be used to pause speech, the up/down arrow keys are used to traverse through lines, and the tab key is used to switch between links and controls. The next or previous element of a certain type, such as text boxes or check boxes, can be reached by pressing a specific letter on the keyboard[8]. JAWS can similarly access headings in Word and PDF documents .[9]
It has been noted that the JAWS feature set and configurability are “complicated,” and it is advised that users, such as site designers undertaking accessibility testing, receive training to prevent drawing incorrect conclusions from such testing.
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