JAWS (screen reader)

JAWS

Developer(s)	Freedom Scientific
Initial release	January 1995 (1995-01)
Stable release	13.0.638 / December 12, 2011
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Type	Screen reader
License	Proprietary
Website	freedomscientific.com

For help using JAWS to navigate and edit Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Using JAWS.

JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a computer screen reader program in 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, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

JAWS supports all versions of Windows released since Windows XP. There are two versions of the program: standard, which works on home Windows operating systems, and retails for US$895, and professional, which works on all Windows operating systems, and retails for US$1,095. A DOS version 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

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 $180,000 USD investment from Bill Joyce, founded the Henter-Joyce Corporation in St. Petersburg, Florida. Joyce sold his interest in the company back to Henter sometime in 1990. In April 2000, Henter-Joyce, Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc. merged to form Freedom Scientific.

JAWS was originally created for the MS-DOS operating 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.

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.

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

JAWS for Windows

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.

Currently a new revision of JAWS for Windows is released about once a year, with minor updates in between. The latest version is 13.0, released in October 2011.

Release history

Version	Release date	Significant changes
JFW 1.0	January 1995	First version for Windows, supported Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11
JFW 2.0	About 1996	Added support for Windows 95
JFW 4.0	September 14, 2001	Many changes to user interface Optional tutor and access key help added
JFW 4.5	August 30, 2002	Quick navigation keys added to Internet Explorer, for navigating between HTML elements on a page
JFW 5.0	October 9, 2003	Many improvements with Internet support Speech and Sounds Manager, for indication of fonts, controls and web page elements.
JFW 6.0	March 3, 2005	Introduction of Internet licencing Introduction of separate user settings Comes with a demo of FSReader, a DAISY reader manufactured by Freedom Scientific, for reading JAWS training material
JFW 7.0	14 October 2005	Release of thumb drive version Support for Mozilla Firefox among other applications No longer supports Windows 95
JFW 7.1	June 21, 2006	Automatic updates Switched to a Document Object Model engine for HTML rendering
JFW 8.0	November 17, 2006	Ships with RealSpeak Solo SAPI 5 Speech Synthesizers No longer supports Windows 98 or Windows ME Supports Windows Vista
JFW 9.0	November 19, 2007	HTML composition support New "adjust JAWS options" dialogue box
JFW 10.0	November 3, 2008	Introduction of JAWS Tandem, to allow a person using JAWS to access another computer running JAWS, much like Remote Desktop Support for iTunes version 8 and the iTunes Store
JFW 11.0	October 23, 2009	Research It, a feature that provides quick access to information such as word definitions, weather forecasts and sports scores Now comes on a DVD rather than a CD Ships with the full version of FSReader 2.0 rather than a demo
JFW 12.0	October 21, 2010	Provides a settings center to replace the old configuration manager to easily change settings Allows consistent navigation of ribbons using the "virtual ribbon menu" Supports the ARIA specification for making webpages more accessible
JFW 13.0	October 24, 2011	Provides in-built optical character recognition for graphics on the screen Provides a new "Quick settings" feature as a replacement for the old "Adjust JAWS options" dialog box

External links

• Freedom Scientific: JAWS for Windows Headquarters