Jaws Screen Reader Free Trial

[Rene Seiler]

Iactively advice users to test in alternative screen readers first: NVDA is a great free alternative for Windows. Mac OS users can use VoiceOver for testing. And usually, in 95+% of use cases, that is totally fine: websites and applications working in those browsers will also work in JAWS. And of course the needs for accessible websites are much broader than tailoring your app to specific screen reader and browser combinations.

But when you have very complex UIs that warrant throurough testing, it would be so much easier to also test with JAWS. But the hassle provides an unnecessary barrier for these people who want to do the right thing.

JAWS is a paid screen reader for Windows that was originally released in 1995. Freedom Scientific (which also develops a range of other assistive technologies) develops minor bi-monthly and larger annual releases. JAWS is frequently sold with ZoomText, a screen magnifier, in a package called Fusion.

For web browsing, JAWS works best with Google Chrome (and Microsoft Edge, now that it's also based on Chromium), although historically it's had great support for Internet Explorer. Microsoft Office and Google Docs both work out of the box, and voices for over 30 languages are included. External braille devices are supported over USB.

Note: to deliver the best possible user experience, JAWS can has the ability to work around bugs in browsers or OS accessibility API limitations by reading the DOM directly. This can have the effect of a website working fine with JAWS, but not with NVDA, which sticks to the OS accessibility APIs, so JAWS may not be the best choice for baseline accessibility testing.

On a Windows PC, you can download JAWS for free and run the installer, which provides both audio and visual feedback. JAWS can function in "40 minute mode" without a license, but be aware that using 40 minute mode for software testing is against the EULA's terms.

If you need to test JAWS on a Mac or Linux, Assistiv Labs provides remote access through your browser. JAWS can also be installed on a virtual machine, but keyboard shortcuts like caps lock need to be remapped. JAWS also installs custom video drivers which may not work with all VM hosts.

The primary disadvantage of JAWS is its price: A home license for JAWS costs $95 per year (or $1,000 for a perpetual license). Licenses are restricted to three computers, and unlike NVDA, JAWS does not currently have a portable version.

JAWS has been thoroughly tested for compatibility with Windows, and many screen reader users say that the software is faster and easier to use than other screen readers. However, JAWS requires a relatively large amount of processing power, so it might not operate predictably on older machines.

To accurately test your content for WCAG conformance or for compliance with digital accessibility laws, we recommend using a combination of automated and manual evaluations. Read more about our four-point hybrid testing methodology here.

With that said, JAWS can be useful for reviewing web content, and using a screen reader can give content creators valuable insights about the experiences of real-life users. Some tips to keep in mind:

JAWS is a powerful accessibility solution that reads information on your screen using synthesized speech. JAWS provides many useful commands that make it easier to use programs, edit documents, and read Web pages.

Also - from JAWS 2023 (current version), 32 bit computers and 32 bit Windows are no longer supported. Please check your hardware specification before purchasing either this software or a new computer.

JAWS is the world's most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content. JAWS reads aloud what's on the PC screen and gives the user a unique set of intelligent tools for navigating and accesses Web pages and all screen content.

JAWS enables you to work with Lotus Symphony, a suite of IBM tools for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation creation and with Lotus Notes by IBM. JAWS also is compatible with Microsoft Office Suite, MSN Messenger, Corel WordPerfect, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Internet Explorer, Firefox - and many more applications that are used on a regular basis on the job and in school.

With a refreshable Braille display like Freedom Scientific's Focus, JAWS also provides Braille output in addition to, or instead of, speech. An array of versatile features and customizable options lets you tailor JAWS for your individual needs and preferences

JAWS is a popular screen reader for Windows computer. This article is designed to help users who are new to JAWS learn the basic controls for testing web content, and to serve as a reference for the occasional JAWS user. This article is designed to help new or novice JAWS users learn how to test web content. For a more detailed information on using JAWS, see our list of JAWS keyboard shortcuts or Freedom Scientific's extensive list of shortcuts (PDF).

If you are new to screen readers, plan on spending some time (perhaps a few hours) becoming comfortable using JAWS. Don't get discouraged if things still seem confusing after only a few minutes. Slow down the reading speed and take your time. Remember that many screen reader users do not use a mouse, so try using only the keyboard as you become more comfortable with JAWS

You can download a free demonstration version of JAWS (Windows only) that allows you to run JAWS for 40 minutes and then reboot. However, the terms of use for the JAWS trial specifically prohibits testing of web pages.

There are dozens of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to read web content. The following is a list of essential reading shortcuts. With these shortcuts, you should be able to read through most content.

Since screen readers use many of the keys on the keyboard for quick navigation, filling in a form or interacting with a widget presents a dilemma. For example, when pressing the "H" key, how does a screen reader know if you want to navigate to the next heading or enter the letter into a textbox?

JAWS will toggle between these modes automatically (assuming you are using the Tab key to navigate) based on the type of thing that has keyboard focus. A high-pitched beep announces the change to Forms Mode. This occurs when you navigate to text boxes or other inputs or widgets that require keyboard interactions. A lower-pitched beep indicates a change back to Virtual Cursor.

Hi. I am blind and am using a screen reader (JAWS 2019). Does anyone have any guidance on how to best use Toad for Oracle with a screen reader as a developer? Are there any additional screen reader scripts I need to install? Any links to accessible documentation/training/instruction manuals is also appreciated. Thanks!

As far as I know, the biggest limitation with JAWS support in Toad was with our Toolbars. We use DevExpress VCL toolbars ( ). Years ago, they did not support JAWS, but looking now at their code and comments on their forum, it looks like they have added some level of accessibility support.

When I hover my mouse over the main toolbar items, JAWS does not speak. But then if I click one of them, and move my mouse (or use keyboard arrows to navigate) over the sub items, JAWS speaks. I tried a few other applications and saw similar behavior, so maybe this is normal.

There are windows inside Toad with lots of toolbar buttons and no text. Even if we got the main menu toolbars working right, I think it would be tough to find your way through those toolbar buttons. It seems to do pretty well with right-click context menus though.

In summary, some of it seems to work, but I see how it could be tough (at best) to navigate depending on what you are doing, what shortcut keys you memorize, how patient you are listing to JAWS speak, etc. I wish I had something more helpful to tell you.

Hi John. Thank you for your assistance and leg work. If you have any other recommendations on where I can turn for some guidance, please let me know. I will contact the makers of JAWS to see if they happen to have any info on their end as well. Thanks!

I installed a 40 minute mode of Jaws reader, that seems to be their version of a trial. I tested out my storyline eLearning and can confirm that I don't have to type the text in the alt Text area, that I do need to ensure I delete the .jpg or .png from my images.

Every slide the Jaws reader reads the Title of the course for example "Opioid_Overdose_Prevention" with the underscores....and I can't seem to get to the Prev or Next buttons. When I am on the last piece of text and press tab, the jaws reader says something like click enter to stay on slide or click spacebar for buttons, but no matter whether I press spacebar, enter or tab, I can't get the Prev and Next buttons highlighted using Jaws.

Does anyone know of a feature I have to turn off so it doesn't read the title every slide , and a feature I have to turn on since it won't go to the Prev and Next button if anyone can help that would be great.

First, let's tackle the screen reader announcing the project title on every slide. Do you need to project title in the player? If not, you can turn it off in Player properties, and that will prevent JAWS from reading it again with each new slide.

Now, on to the previous/next buttons. As you mentioned, when you press the Tab key after the last object on the slide, the screen reader will instruct you to press the spacebar or Enter key if you want to skip player navigation.

I am using Articulate Storyline 360 the latest version. It hasn't gone live yet, but I did load it into our LMS Test environment (Peoplefluent is the name of the LMS). I was using Chrome as my browser.

Ashley, can I add I don't actually understand the comment when Jaws says to press spacebar or enter to skip navigation...why would someone skip navigation, don't they want to go to Next button etc....it really confused me every time I heard it...not that that is a storyline issue but in case you know...

Ashley, We're currently checking JAWS to see what it reads now however, our trusted tester person checked 2 courses and says the navigation buttons are failing. One of the recent updates made to Storyline seems to have broke how they are identified. I should have the JAWS test back early today.

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