Windows 11
with JAWS for Windows
Class One
CathyAnne
Murtha
www.blind.training
cathy@blind.training
Hello, my name is CathyAnne Murtha from
Access Technology Institute, LLC. I am an Access Technology Trainer. I have
taught access technology to blind and low vision computer users and trainers
for 25 years. I author textbooks that teach students how to access computers
with NVDA and JAWS for Windows screen readers.
In this course, I’ll discuss accessing
Windows 11 with JAWS for Windows. JAWS for Windows is a screen reader available
from Freedom Scientific at www.freedomscientfic.com.
Screen readers echo Windows controls and
text. Screen readers literally read the screen.
Today, I’ll discuss some JAWS for Windows
and Windows 11 basics.
Contents
Introduction. 1
Launch JAWS
for Windows. 1
JAWS
Modifier Key. 2
Reduce
Speech Rate. 2
Silence
Speech. 2
Read the
Focused Control 2
The JAWS
Startup Wizard. 3
Submit
Anonymous Data. 3
Speech
Settings. 4
Run JAWS
Settings. 5
Common
Options. 6
Verbosity
Settings. 7
BrailleTranslation
Settings. 8
Braille
Settings. 9
Adjust JAWS
for Windows Speech Rate. 10
Temporarily
Adjust Speech Rate. 10
Permanently
Adjusting Speech Rate. 10
Exit JAWS
for Windows. 11
Windows Text
Navigation Commands. 11
JAWS for
Windows Say All 12
Read the
System Clock. 12
Conclusion. 12
If JAWS doesn’t launch when you start your
computer, you can start JAWS from the Windows Run dialog.
You can also configure JAWS to run
automatically on startup or at the logon screen. I’ll discuss both shortly.
If JAWS doesn’t start automatically or you
need to restart JAWS for some reason, follow these steps:
·
Open the Windows Run dialog WINDOWS KEY-R
o Hold
down the WINDOWS KEY and press R
·
Type the JAWS version you’re using. For example,
if you are using JAWS 2023, type “JAWS2023” without the quotes
·
Press ENTER
JAWS for Windows launches. If you find
yourself without speech, memorize these steps and save yourself a reboot!
JAWS for Windows has default Modifier Keys.
·
Desktop Layout NUMPAD INSERT (0)
·
Laptop Layout CAPSLOCK
When I reference a keyboard command with “JAWS
KEY”, that indicates the JAWS modifier key.
If the JAWS for Windows speech rate is so
fast that you understand generalities but not specifics, slow down the speech.
I’m going to teach you how to access
concepts and controls. In order to learn Windows
controls, you need to listen carefully as you navigate Windows.
You can increase the speech rate when
reading a document but, for the purposes of these lessons, I recommend slowing
speech to a comfortable level.
Press either CTRL
key to silence speech. Don’t do this too quickly. As you learn Windows with
JAWS, you’ll depend on the screen reader to access Windows controls. If you
silence speech too quickly, you risk missing important information.
I’ve had students open a dialog and
immediately silence speech. I ask the focused control
and they don’t know. They hit CTRL too quickly!
If you do silence speech too quickly or have
difficulty understanding a focused control, use the JAWS command JAWS KEY-TAB
to re-read the focused control and contents.
Practice using JAWS KEY-TAB when configuring
the JAWS for Windows Startup Wizard
We’re going to discuss the
Startup Wizard next.
When JAWS for Windows is installed, basic configurations are
in the JAWS Startup Wizard. The Startup Wizard opens when you first launch the
screen reader.
Familiarize yourself with basic JAWS for Windows
configurations in the Startup Wizard.
Open the JAWS Startup
Wizard in the JAWS for Windows Help Menu.
- Use
a JAWS keyboard accelerator to open the JAWS Window or Notification Area menu
- Desktop layout JAWS KEY-J
- Laptop layout JAWS KEY-CTRL-SHIFT-J
- If the JAWS Window opens, you’ll hear “JAWS Home” or “JAWS Professional”
- If the JAWS Notification Area menu opens, you’ll hear “JAWS
context menu, Options submenu”
- Open the Help Menu
- In the JAWS application Window, press ALT-H
- In the JAWS Notification Area context menu, press H
- Press DOWN ARROW and select “Start Up Wizard”
- Press ENTER
- The JAWS for Windows Startup Wizard opens
Configure JAWS for
Windows basics in the Startup Wizard screens.
Each screen has JAWS for Windows
configuration controls.
The first wizard screen is the Anonymous Data screen:
The first wizard screen selects
whether to participate in anonymous data submission. Freedom
Scientific uses the data to improve JAWS for Windows.
This is optional; however, some
JAWS for Windows features rely on anonymous data submission. If you opt to not
participate, you can change this setting at any time.
Press TAB and SHIFT-TAB to navigate controls.
The controls include:
- Participate
– This is a checkbox
- Check this checkbox to submit anonymous data
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
- Privacy Policy – Activate this link to open a web page with
Freedom Scientific’s Privacy Policy
- Press ENTER to activate links
- Anonymous Data Collection Policy – Activate this link to
open a web page with Freedom Scientific’s Anonymous Data Collection Policy
- Press ENTER to activate links
Two buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
- Next – Activate this button to move to the next wizard screen
- Cancel – Activate this button to cancel wizard navigation
and close the interface
To continue configuration, activate the “Next” button.
The second Wizard screen configures
Speech Settings.
Press TAB and SHIFT-TAB to navigate controls. TAB and
SHIFT-TAB navigate Windows controls.
Configure the following:
- Rate
– Configure speech rate with the slider bar
- Use Windows slider bar navigation:
- The ARROW KEYS
- PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN
- HOME and END
- Punctuation – Select a punctuation verbosity in this combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Press TAB to move to the next control
- Choose from:
- Typing Echo – Radio buttons select what you hear when you type
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- Select one of the following:
- Off – No typing echo
- Characters – Characters are echoed as you type
- Words – The word is echoed when you press SPACEBAR after
inserting a word
- Characters and Words – Both characters and words are echoed
- Enable Voice Assist – Use
JAWS for Windows with Voice commands.
- Use voice commands with
the JAWS wake words “Hey Sharky”
- This is a checkbox
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle
checkboxes
Three buttons are at the bottom of the wizard screen. Press
SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
To continue configuration, activate the “Next” button.
The “Run JAWS Settings” wizard screen
configures when JAWS for Windows starts.
Configure the
following controls:
- Start JAWS at the Logon screen – This is
a checkbox
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
- When this checkbox is checked, JAWS starts on the logon screen
- Start JAWS after logon for all users – This is a checkbox
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
- When this checkbox is checked JAWS starts after the logon
screen for all users
- Start JAWS after logon for this user – This is a combo box
- Chose how JAWS starts after the logon screen for the
current user
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Press TAB to move to the next control
- Choose from:
- Always
- Never
- Using the All Users Setting
- The all users setting is the
setting preceding this checkbox
- Run JAWS from the System Tray – This
is a checkbox
- Check this checkbox
to run JAWS for Windows from the System Tray or Notification Area
- Press SPACEBAR to
toggle checkboxes
- Rather than having
JAWS for Windows in the ALT-TAB rotation, JAWS is in the Notification
Area
- Open the JAWS menu
with a JAWS keyboard accelerator:
- Desktop layout
JAWS KEY-J
- Laptop layout
JAWS KEY-CTRL-SHIFT-J
- You’ll need to
restart JAWS to initiate this feature
- Prompt to confirm
when exiting JAWS
- When this checkbox
is checked, JAWS opens a small shut down confirmation dialog
- If this checkbox
isn’t checked, JAWS shuts down immediately
- Press SPACEBAR to
toggle checkboxes
Three buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
- Back –Activate this button to move to the previous wizard screen
- Next – Activate this button to move to the next wizard screen
- Cancel –Activate this button to cancel wizard navigation and
close the interface
To
continue configuration, activate the “Next” button.
Configure more basics on the “Common
Options” Wizard screen.
- Smart
Navigation – This option affects web browsing.
- Smart Navigation navigates controls and/or tables skipping
text content.
- If you’re new to JAWS for Windows, you can experiment with
this option but, until you know more about JAWS for Windows web
navigation, I recommend disabling Smart Navigation
- This is a set of radio buttons
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- Select one of the following:
- Off
- Controls Only
- Tables Only
- Controls and Tables
- Forms Mode – Forms Mode accesses Internet forms
- This is a set of radio buttons
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- If you aren’t familiar with JAWS for Windows web browsing,
I recommend leaving this on “auto” until you can make an informed
decision.
- Choose from:
- Auto – Internet edit boxs and
combo boxes are placed in forms mode when navigating a web page with:
- TAB and SHIFT-TAB
- UP and DOWN ARROW
- Semi-Auto – Internet edit boxes and combo boxes are placed
in forms mode when navigating a web page with:
- Manual – Internet edit boxes and combo boxes are placed in
Edit mode when using Navigation Quick Keys
- Press ENTER to enable forms mode when
navigating with:
- TAB and SHIFT-TAB or UP and DOWN
ARROW
- Use Keyboard Layout – This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Press TAB to move to the next control
- Choose a JAWS for Windows keyboard layout
- Desktop
- Laptop
- Kinesis – A Kinesis keyboard is an ergonomic keyboard with
palm support. The keys are split into two regions with modifier and six
pack keys in the middle for easy thumb access
- Use Virtual Ribbon Menus – This is a checkbox
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
- This feature is custom to JAWS for Windows
- It changes ribbons into virtual menus
- If you plan to use ATI Training materials, disable this option
- We don’t teach virtual ribbon menus
- We use Windows ribbon access
- Initial State of Numlock key:
- This is a set of radio buttons
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- Choose from:
- Turn off at Startup – The numlock is turned off at startup
- Turn on at Startup – The numlock is turned on at startup
- Do not modify – The state of the numlock is unaffected
Three buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
- Back – Activate this button to move to the previous wizard screen
- Next – Activate this button to move to the next wizard screen
- Cancel – Activate this button to cancel wizard navigation
and close the interface
To continue configuration, activate the “Next” button.
Configure JAWS for Windows verbosity
settings on this wizard screen.
Verbosity configures JAWS for Windows
help information and speech echo.
Configure the following:
- Tutor messages
– This is a set of radio buttons
- Press UP and DOWN
ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio
button is selected, the rest are unselected
- Tutor messages echo
navigation information in ribbons, menus, and dialogs
- You’ll hear how to
select a radio button, toggle a checkbox, or access combo box options
depending on tutor message selection
- As you grow more
comfortable with Windows concepts and controls, you can adjust this setting
- Choose from:
- Turn
off menu and control help – JAWS for Windows doesn’t echo menu or
control tutor messages
- Announce
menu and control help – All menu and control tutor messages are echoed
- Announce
custom messages only – JAWS only echoes custom help messages
- These are messages you create in the
JAWS for Windows options
- Access Key – This is a set of radio buttons
- Press
UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When
a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- Access
Keys are application shortcut keys and key tips
- If
you disable access key echo, read the focused control with JAWS for
Windows (JAWS KEY-TAB)
- Choose
from:
- Off
– Access keys aren’t echoed
- Speak
All – All access keys are echoed
- Speak
Menus Only – Only menu access keys are echoed
- Speak
Dialogs Only – Only dialog access keys are echoed
- Verbosity Level
– This is a set of radio buttons
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a radio button
- When a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
- The lower the verbosity, the less information JAWS for
Windows provides when navigating Windows controls
- As you grow familiar with Windows concepts and controls,
you can visit JAWS verbosity settings and adjustt
as needed
- If you are new to Windows and screen reading, select “Beginner”
- Choose from:
- Beginner, Highest
- Intermediate
- Advanced, Lowest
Three buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
- Back – Activate this button to move to the previous wizard screen
- Next – Activate this button to move to the next wizard screen
- Cancel – Activate this button to cancel wizard navigation
and close the interface
To continue configuration, activate the “Next” button.
The Braille Translation Settings wizard
screen configures Braille settings.
Configure the following:
- Language – This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Select a Braille display language
- Output – This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Select a Braille output
- Choose from:
- Computer Braille
- US English Grade One
- US English Grade Two
- Unified English Braille Grade One
- Unified English Braille Grade Two
- Input – This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Select the Braille input
- Combo box options are custom to the connected Braille display
- Show current word in Computer Braille – Check this checkbox
to display the focused word in Computer Braille
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
Three buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
To continue
configuration, activate the “Next” button.
Configure additional Braille settings
on the last Wizard screen.
- Braille
Mode – This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select a combo box option
- Press TAB to move to the next control
- Select a Braille Mode:
- Line
- Structured
- Speech Output
- Enable Flash Messages – This is a checkbox
- Press SPACEBAR to toggle checkboxes
- View flash messages on your Braille display
- Reverse Panning Buttons – This is a checkbox
- Reverse Braille display panning buttons
- Enable Word Wrap – This is a checkbox
- Enable Braille display word wrap
- Placement of status cells
- Select status cell placement
- This is a combo box
- Press UP and DOWN ARROW to select an option
- Press TAB to move to the next control
- Choose from:
- Dot Firmness
- Select dot firmness with a slider bar
- Adjust the slider bar with Windows navigation keys
- The ARROW KEYS
- PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN
- HOME and END
Three buttons are at
the bottom of the wizard screen. Press SPACEBAR to activate buttons:
- Back – Activate this button to move to the previous wizard screen
- Finish – Activate this button to finish JAWS for Windows
Startup Wizard configuration and close the interface
- Cancel – Activate this button to cancel wizard navigation
and close the interface
If you are finished, activate the
“Finish” button.
Return to the Startup Wizard at any
time to fine-tune basic settings or verbosity. This
is an easy-to-access interface that provides ready access to a variety of JAWS for
Windows configurations.
Configure JAWS for Windows Speech Rate with JAWS for Windows
Keyboard accelerators.
To temporarily adjust JAWS for Windows speech rate:
Permanently adjust an application’s speech rate:
·
Focus in an application for which you want to permanently adjust the
speech rate
·
Permanently increase speech rate CTRL-WINDOWS
KEY-ALT-PAGE UP
·
Permanently decrease speech rate CTRL-WINDOWS
KEY-ALT-PAGE DOWN
Exit JAWS
for Windows
To exit JAWS for Windows, use the JAWS keyboard accelerator JAWS
KEY-F4.
If you unchecked the Startup Wizard “Prompt to confirm when
exiting JAWS”” checkbox, JAWS immediately shuts down.
If you didn’t uncheck the Startup Wizard “Prompt to confirm
when exiting JAWS”” checkbox, a small dialog opens.
“Are you sure you want to quit JAWS? Press ENTER to quit now
or ESCAPE to cancel”
JAWS instructs you to press ENTER because the default button
is OK. When you press ENTER, it activates the default button.
Press the JAWS command JAWS KEY-E to read the default
button.
Windows features text navigation keyboard commands. These
commands are used by both sighted and blind computer users.
These commands work in any edit box and on the Internet.
Open an email, word processing document, or web page and
practice using these keyboard commands.
·
Move to the next character RIGHT ARROW
·
Move to the previous character LEFT ARROW
·
Move to the next line DOWN ARROW
·
Move to the previous line UP ARROW
·
Move to the next paragraph CTRL-DOWN ARROW
·
Move to the previous paragraph CTRL-UP ARROW
·
Move to the end of a line END
·
Move to the beginning of a line HOME
·
Move to the next screen PAGE DOWN
·
Move to the previous screen PAGE UP
·
Move to the next page CTRL-PAGE DOWN
·
Move to the previous page CTRL-PAGE UP
·
Move to the top of the page CTRL-HOME
·
Move to the bottom of the page CTRL-END
Using these Windows keyboard commands, you can navigate text
in any Windows edit box and on the Internet.
Press CTRL at any time to silence speech.
Read a
document from the cursor to the end of the document with the JAWS for Windows
Say All command.
Stop reading
at any time with CTRL. The cursor stops at the last word echoed during Say All.
To execute Say
All:
- Laptop Layout JAWS KEY-A or JAWS
KEY-DOWN ARROW
When reading
with “Say All,” skim read a document with RIGHT and LEFT ARROW or RIGHT and LEFT
SHIFT KEYS.
Adjust the
speech rate during Say All:
- Activate JAWS for Windows Say All
- Desktop layout JAWS KEY-NUMPAD 2
- Laptop Layout JAWS KEY-A or JAWS
KEY-DOWN ARROW
- Increase speech rate PAGE UP
- Decrease speech rate PAGE DOWN
Read the system clock with JAWS keyboard accelerators:
·
Press JAWS KEY-F12 to echo the time
·
Press JAWS KEY-F12 twice quickly to echo the date
o Hold
down the JAWS modifier key and tap F12 twice quickly
This keyboard accelerator can be used anywhere in Windows.
While configuring the JAWS Startup Wizard, you accessed a
variety of standard Windows controls. I recommend familiarizing yourself with
these controls as you’ll use them everywhere in Windows.
You also learned some JAWS commands. Let’s review what
you’ve learned today..
·
Read the focused control JAWS KEY-TAB
·
Navigate Windows controls TAB And SHIFT-TAB
·
Check checkboxes SPACEBAR
·
Activate buttons SPACEBAR
·
Access radio buttons UP and DOWN ARROW
o When
a radio button is selected, the rest are unselected
·
Access combo boxes
o Press
UP and DOWN ARROW to select an option
o Press
TAB to move to the next control
·
Slider bars – Select a value with the Windows
cursor keys:
o UP
and DOWN ARROW
o PAGE
UP and PAGE DOWN
o HOME
and END
·
Temporarily adjust the speech rate:
o Increase
the speech rate CTRL-ALT-PAGE UP
o Decrease
the speech rate CTRL-ALT-PAGE DOWN
·
Permanently adjust the speech rate:
o Increase
the speech rate CTRL-WINDOWS KEY-ALT-PAGE UP
o Decrease
the speech rate CTRL-WINDOWS KEY-ALT-PAGE DOWN
·
Exit JAWS JAWS KEY-F4
·
Read the default button JAWS KEY-E
·
Say All
o Desktop
layout is JAWS KEY-NUMPAD 2
o Laptop
layout JAWS KEY-DOWN ARROW or JAWS KEY-A
·
Read the system clock
o Time
JAWS KEY-F12
o Date
JAWS KEY-F12 twice quickly
Please take the time to configure JAWS Startup Wizard and
speech rate to suit your needs. Open the Startup Wizard and practice accessing
Windows controls. These are used throughout Windows. The more you practice, the
better you’ll do in these lessons.
Practice navigating text edit boxes and web pages with the
Windows text navigation commands and Say All.
I’m CathyAnne. Find me on the web at www.blind.training. I’ll see you next
time. Thanks George.