Developer(s) | Freedom Scientific |
---|---|
Initial release | January 1995; 25 years ago |
Stable release | |
Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
Type | Screen reader |
License | Proprietary |
Website | Official website |
- Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software Mac Pro
- Phones For Visually Impaired Seniors
- Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software
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.
![Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software Mac Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126316490/922460822.jpg)
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.
NV Access is a registered charity and software development company. We are the creators of NVDA, a free, open source, globally accessible screen reader for the blind and vision impaired. Recent Posts. Software for visually impaired free download - TapTapSee - Blind & Visually Impaired Camera, Reader - Accessible Graphics for Visually Impaired, Supersense - helps blind and visually impaired,.
The JAWS Scripting Language allows the user to use programs without standard Windows controls, and programs that were not designed for accessibility.
History[edit]
A community-powered website for blind and low-vision users of Apple's range of Mac computers, the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. AppleVis strives to empower the community by offering multiple pathways to access and share relevant and useful information.
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]
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]
- ^'Screen Reader User Survey #8'. WebAIM. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^'Enhancements and Improvements in JAWS 16', Freedom Scientific. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^'JAWS System Requirements'. Freedom Scientific. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- ^'DOS Software Toolkit'. Trace Research & Development Center. University of Wisconsin. 2007. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007.
- ^More JAWS downloads. Freedom Scientific. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
- ^'Henter-Joyce Newsletter'. September 1993.
- ^'Introduction'. www.freedomscientific.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^Thatcher; et al. (2006). Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance (1 ed.). Friends of ED. p. 109. ISBN978-1-59059-638-8.
- ^Thatcher et al., p. 385
- ^Thatcher et al., p. 501.
External links[edit]
- Official website
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=JAWS_(screen_reader)&oldid=962977718'
Current screen readers[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
BRLTTY | The BRLTTY Team | *nix, Windows console, DOS, Android | Free and open source (GPL2) | Available to download; part of most Linux distributions |
ChromeVox | Chrome OS or, with a speech processor, Linux, Mac, Windows | Free | ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome and Chrome OS. The ChromeVox Classic Chrome extension is in maintenance-only mode. The ChromeVox website has more information on the transition to the version bundled with Chrome OS. | |
COBRA | BAUM Retec | Windows | Commercial | Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge. |
Edbrowse | Karl Dahlke | *nix console | Free and open source | Makes a complete audio desktop, including web access with JavaScript support. |
Emacspeak | T. V. Raman | Emacs (on *nix) | Free and open source | Turns Emacs into a 'complete audio desktop'. |
iZoom | Issist | Windows | Commercial | Screen magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. Includes support for Mozilla Firefox. |
JAWS | Freedom Scientific | Windows and DOS | Commercial for Windows; freeware for DOS | Includes support for MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
Lingspeak | Lingit | Windows | Commercial | A visual screen reader, which highlights the object and text being read. Supports MSAA, Java Access Bridge (OpenOffice), per line reading from Win32 classes 'Edit'(Notepad) and 'RichEdit'(Wordpad), MS Word. UIA and IAccessible2 is being worked on. One-month trial version available. |
MAGic | Freedom Scientific | Windows | Commercial | Speech magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. It can be used together with JAWS. |
Metalmouth | Evaluera Ltd. | All that run Chrome browser | Free and open source (Apache 2.0) | metalmouth is a simplified open source screen-reader application which can be used to read out any HTML5 web pages and interact with most HTML5 input controls. It also supports multi-tab navigation. |
Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Commercial | Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA. |
Microsurf | Microsurf | All that run Chrome browser | Free | Microsurf is a screen reader for Chrome |
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) | NonVisual Desktop Access project | Windows | Free and open source (GPL2) | Programmed and scriptable in Python. Supports Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Word, Excel and Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird. Supports web content using JavaScript. Supports Java Access Bridge. IAccessible2 is supported. |
Orca | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source ( LGPL 2.1) | The development of Orca was started by Sun Microsystems as part of the GNOME project with contributions from many community members, but since Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, Orca turned into a completely community-driven project. It supports AT-SPI, so it works with the GNOME desktop, Mozilla Firefox/Thunderbird, OpenOffice/LibreOffice and GTK+, KDE/Qt and Java Swing/SWT applications. Though it is developed by the GNOME project, it is the most popular screen reader for Unix like systems with graphical environments other than GNOME, like KDE or Unity. |
PC-Talker | Kochi System Development | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader. Supports MSAA and Flash[1] |
PCVoz | EzHermatic | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download trial. Supports MSAA. |
ScreenReader (formerly Supernova) | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier and output to Braille devices. 30 day Free Trial available for download. Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
Simply Talker | EcoNet International | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. |
SpeakEasy Media System | NDU | Windows | Commercial | Specialized suite of vocalized programs designed for ease of use |
SUSE-Blinux | Novell | Linux | Free and open source | |
System Access | Serotek | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. Supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (including DHTML/Ajax and Flash), Outlook Express, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and Adobe Reader. No support for Java yet. |
TalkBack[2] | Android 1.6+ | Open Source | Use with SoundBack and kickback | |
TalkButton[3] | Upward Spiral Software | Mac | Commercial | TalkButton works together with Microsoft Word to create an extensive text-to-speech environment. Features include highlighting of spoken text and keyboard echo. Trial version available. |
Text to Speech[4] | SpeakComputers.com | Windows | Freeware |
|
Thunder ScreenReader | Sensory Software | Windows | Freeware | Last update 2015[5]. Supports MSAA. |
Virtual Vision | MicroPower | Windows | Commercial | Brazilian screen reader. Supports MSAA. |
VoiceOver | Apple Inc. | Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, and Apple TV | Free, Commercial | Free and included with any Apple product. No installation or setup required. Available in over 30 language voices, which are also included for free. See Apple Accessibility [6] for more information. |
WebAnywhere | University of Washington | Web | Free and Open Source (new BSD) | Doesn't require any software installation to run so can be used at any public terminal that has sound available - works on any platform. |
WinZoom | Clarity | Windows | Commercial | Screen reader with magnifier. USB version does not require any installation and can be used on any public computer. |
Screen Access for All | National Association for the Blind, New Delhi | Windows | Open source | Last update: 2004 |
ZoomText | Ai Squared | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Unfinished screenreader projects[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Screenful | Screenful Team | Windows | Open source | Concept is done. Due to problems finding skilled developers, the project is idling |
The Longhorn Screen Reader Project | OSSRP Team | Windows Vista | Open source | Concept ideas have been made. Latest news said that the project had not succeeded. Whether or not they will continue or let it die is not known at the moment. |
Apple Pie Project | Simnix Software | Windows Phone 7 & 8 | Open source https://web.archive.org/web/20100109011430/http://applepie.codeplex.com/ | To help blind and partially sighted people to use a Windows Phone. |
Discontinued and/or obsoleted screen readers[edit]
![Screen reader visually impaired Screen reader visually impaired](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126316490/179789942.png)
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
95Reader | SSCT | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader; latest version (ver. 6.0, release date unknown) has specific support for Internet Explorer 6 and Macromedia Flash 6 [7], so seems obsolete and its availability seems unlikel |
ASAP (Automatic Screen Access Program)[8] | MicroTalk | Dos | Commercial | |
ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows)[9] | MicroTalk | Windows | Commercial | |
Blindows | BAUM Retec (formerly Audiodata) | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA |
DRACULA family | Eurobraille | Windows | Commercial | |
Enable Reader Professional Speech System | Enable Talking Software | DOS | Uncertain | |
Enhanced PC Talking Program | Computer Conversations | DOS | Uncertain | |
Fire Vox | Charles L. Chen | All that ran Firefox browser up to version 3.6 | Free and open source | For browsing with Firefox only (plugin), is not compatible with Firefox 3.6 or newer, that made it obsolete long ago |
Gnopernicus | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (LGPL 2) | It was developed by BAUM Engineering, a partner company of Baum Retec AG. Used to be bundled with GNOME, but it was replaced by Orca in GNOME 2.16. Included a screen magnifier. It supported AT-SPI. |
HAL | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows, DOS | Commercial | Windows version was superseded by Supernova (later renamed to ScreenReader) |
HT Reader | HT Visual | Windows | Commercial | Included support for MSAA and PDF. Disappeared from the price list of HT Visual [10], absolutely no other sign of it being available |
Leitor de Telas | MC / CPqD | Windows | Free | Brazilian Portuguese screen reader. MSAA support. Latest info about it is from December 2007 [11] |
Linux Screen Reader (LSR) | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (New BSD License) | It was an alternative screen reader to Orca led by IBM started in 2006. However, it was ceased in 2007 when IBM focused their resources in other projects.[12] It supported AT-SPI. |
LookOUT | Choice Technology | Windows | Commercial | Was also available integrated with a screen magnifier. Last mention of it is from 2003. [13] |
Mercator/UltraSonix | Georgia Institute of Technology | X Window System/Linux | Educational, Non-commercial | More information at Georgia Tech's College of Computing Past Projects and 'An Architecture for Transforming Graphical Interfaces' (1994) by W. Keith Edwards and Elizabeth D. Mynatt. |
Mobile Speak | Code Factory | Symbian OS, Windows Mobile | Commercial | Full-fledged screen readers and Braille interfaces that let you access your mobile phone. One-month trial version available. The discontinuation of Simbian in 2013 and of Windows Mobile in 2010 made it obsolete. |
Model T Reader | Dolphin Computer Access | DOS | Freeware | |
Pocket Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile PDA and PDA Phones | Commercial | |
PROVOX | Kansys, Inc. | DOS | Uncertain | |
Screen Reader | Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH) | BBC Micro and NEC portable | ||
Screen Reader/2 | IBM | OS/2 | Commercial | |
Smart Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile and WM Smartphone | Commercial | |
Soft Vert | TeleSensory Systems | DOS | Commercial | |
Talks & Zooms [14] | Nuance Communications | Symbian OS Series 60 3rd and 5th Ed and Simbian^3 | Commercial | Presentation and free Trial Version to be found on the site. The discontinuation of Simbian OS in 2013 made this obsolete. |
TeleTender | TeleTender.org | All Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, Windows, Android etc.. | Free | TeleTender is a voice communication platform for sight impaired people, embedded with a cloud based screen reader. Users can interact with any web pages on the internet by issuing voice commands over the phone. To use it, just dial one of its access numbers. |
Tinytalk | OMS Development | DOS and perhaps Windows | SHARE WARE | |
Virgo | BAUM Retec AG | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA. |
Window Bridge | Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business) | Windows | Commercial | |
Window-Eyes | GW Micro (merged with AI Squared in 2014, [15] acquired by VFO Group, later Vispero, in 2016[16]) | Windows | Commercial | As of 2017, no longer available for sale. |
WinVision | Artic Technologies | Windows | Commercial | Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Software aids for people with reading difficulties[edit]
- Automatik Text Reader from Davide Baldini (Firefox extension)
- BrowseAloud from Texthelp Systems Inc
- Capture Assistant from Renovation Software
- ClaroRead from Claro Software
- Claro ScreenRuler Suite from Claro Software
- ClickHear[17] from gh LLC
- ClickHear Mobile[18] from gh LLC
- ClipSpeak[19] (last update: 2009) from Daniel Innala Ahlmark
- EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
- EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
- Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000-firefly (for those with reading or writing difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems
- Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
- Proloquo from AssistiveWare
- ReadHear[20] from gh LLC
- ReadSpeaker from ReadSpeaker Holding B.V.
- Read & Write from TextHelp Systems
- ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation [21]
- Read:OutLoud from Don Johnston, Inc.
- Screen Reader from SourceBinary.com (no longer available, latest trial version can be obtained from other download sites)
- SodelsCot[22] from Sodels Factory
- TextAloud from NextUp.com
- Ultra Hal TTS Reader from Zabaware, Inc.
- VoiceText from Neospeech, Inc.
- yRead from Spacejock Software
Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software Mac Pro
References[edit]
Phones For Visually Impaired Seniors
- ^Bob Regan, Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design (PDF)Archived 2007-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^TalkBack: An Open Source Screenreader For Android
- ^Talkbutton.net
- ^Speakcomputers.com
- ^https://www.webbie.org.uk/blog/end-of-the-thunder-screenreader/
- ^Apple Accessibility
- ^95Reader ver 6.0 product information page (in Japanese)
- ^Wael Zakareya
- ^Kenneth Frasse, GUI Access: A Comparison of Screen-Readers (Part I)Archived 2007-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, Access Review (Summer 1997)
- ^HT Visual price list (in Czech)
- ^Leitor de telas has become freely downloadable from the homepage of the Ministry for Communication of Brasil (in Portuguese)
- ^'Status of IBM a11y'. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ^Lookout screen reader information page
- ^Talks & Zooms product homepage
- ^'Ai Squared And GW Micro Merge Forces'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^'Breaking: VFO Group, owners of Freedom Scientific and Optelec, Acquires AI Squared'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^ClickHear
- ^ClickHear Mobile
- ^Clipspeak.codeplex.com
- ^ReadHear
- ^Ross, Ian (1 May 2004). 'Software developer builds on artificial intelligence'. Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018 – via Highbeam.
- ^Sodels.com
Visually Impaired Screen Reader Software
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_screen_readers&oldid=959874965'