JAWS

JAWS logo - silhouette of a cartoon shark with JAWS lettered in the bottom right corner, all coloured in blue

Job Access With Speech (JAWS)

Since its initial release in January 1995, JAWS has changed and improved in leaps and bounds. The most powerful screen reader available, JAWS works with Windows-based computers to provide the user with auditory feedback as they complete tasks using the keyboard. JAWS, produced by Freedom Scientific, also works well with many common Windows software tools such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.), Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer.

A 40-minute demonstration of JAWS is available to download for free from the Freedom Scientific website - once the 40 minutes has expired, the computer can be restarted for a fresh 40 minutes.

Classroom Applications

  • Anywhere a sighted student is using a Windows based computer, a student who is blind can also use a Windows based computer with JAWS installed. For example: When tasked with internet research, a student who uses JAWS can receive feedback from the computer and complete the same research, provided the website is accessible. The student can read the information, select text of interest, copy that text and paste it into their word processor.
  • JAWS works well in the Windows environment, including accessing software, moving files and folders from the computer to a USB or SD Card and accessing the taskbar.
  • JAWS also works well with Microsoft Word, providing full navigation and feedback on written text, the style of the font, adding and navigating tables, etc.
Basic Windows Shortcuts 2017.pdf
Keystrokes JAWS.pdf

Video Guides

  • Four videos by Lea Nagel of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre featuring information about JAWS.

Links