[vip_students] Whats New in jaws 12!
- From: "\(NCBI\) Paul Traynor" <paul.traynor@xxxxxxx>
- To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 09:55:15 -0000
JAWS 12 Features
The following describes the new features available in JAWS 12.
JAWS BrailleInT
The JAWS BrailleIn feature allows you to use only your Perkins-style braille
keyboard to control your computer using both Windows and application
specific commands. In addition, you can also enter both contracted and
uncontracted braille input from your braille display's keyboard. The
advantage is that you no longer have to switch between your computer's
keyboard and your display's keyboard, or enter a special typing mode in
order to use contracted braille to run your computer or programs. Visit the
Braille Display Input Commands Web page for a list of keystrokes that
support Freedom Scientific's Focus braille displays. For other braille
displays, contact the manufacturer for a list of keystrokes.
Typing with Contracted Braille
With BrailleIn, as you type in contracted braille using the Perkins-style
keyboard, your input is immediately translated back as normal text in the
current e-mail, document, or form. If an application or specific edit box
does not support contracted braille, JAWS announces "Computer Braille" when
tutor messages are enabled.
Contracted braille input is off by default. To turn it on, do the following:
1.Press INSERT+F2, and select Settings Center.
2.In the Search edit box, type "Contracted Braille Translation" without the
quotes.
3.Press DOWN ARROW to move to Contracted Braille Translation in the filtered
search results in the tree view.
4.Next, press SPACEBAR to cycle through the different settings in the
Contracted Braille Translation combo box. Available settings are Off, Output
Only, and Input and Output. When set to Off, you cannot read or type in
contracted braille using your braille display. When set to Output Only, you
can read contracted braille on your braille display, but you can only type
in computer braille using the Perkins-style keyboard on your braille
display. When set to Input and Output, you can both read and type in
contracted braille using your braille display. The default setting is Off.
Settings Center
JAWS Settings Center is a new feature that allows you to quickly configure
and globally apply JAWS settings, or configure and apply settings for a
specific application. It consolidates all options into one convenient dialog
box. It includes a Search edit box, which provides an extremely fast way to
find and edit JAWS functionality. Settings Center continues to use JCF files
and is a direct replacement for Configuration Manager.
Settings Center consists of six primary areas described below. Press TAB or
SHIFT+TAB to move through different parts of the dialog box.
.Application combo box: Select an application from the list to modify its
settings for use with JAWS. To retrieve the JAWS default settings, press
CTRL+SHIFT+D. To retrieve application settings, press SHIFT+TAB to move
focus to the Application combo box. Next, select the application from the
combo box, and then press TAB to move focus back to the tree view pane.
.Search edit box: Press CTRL+E to move focus to the Search box. Type a
search word or phrase in the edit box to reduce the number of items that
appear in the tree view list. Press DOWN ARROW to move to search results,
and then press ENTER to move focus directly to that item in the tree view.
.Settings tree view pane: Use the tree view pane to select and change
settings for the selected application. To retrieve the JAWS default
settings, press CTRL+SHIFT+D. To retrieve application settings, press
SHIFT+TAB twice to move focus to the Application combo box. Next, select the
application from the combo box, and then press TAB to move focus back to the
tree view pane. For a brief description of the item selected in the tree
view, press TAB to move focus to the read-only edit box. Use the Say Line or
Say All commands to read the help message. To vertically scroll through the
tree view, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys, PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys, or
first letter navigation. Use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys to expand or
collapse tree view groups. Use the SPACEBAR to move through and change
settings for each option.
.Configuration display pane: As you move through the tree view, a sighted
user can simultaneously track cursor movement using the configuration
display pane. Press F6 to switch between the tree view and this pane. This
is necessary when typing in an edit or edit spin box.
.Help message pane: Displays context-sensitive help for the item currently
selected in the tree view. Use the Say Line or Say All commands to read the
help message.
.Apply, OK, and Cancel: Use Apply to make changes. Use OK to save changes
and close Settings Center. Use Cancel to close Settings Center without
saving changes.
To use Settings Center, do the following:
1.Press INSERT+F2, and select Settings Center. Settings appear for the
application that has focus. The cursor is in the Search edit box.
2.If you know the setting that you want to change, type a term for it in the
edit box. For example, type the word "braille" without the quotes for a
filtered list of braille settings. Next, press DOWN ARROW to move to the
filtered results in the tree view.
Note: To load the default JAWS settings, press CTRL+SHIFT+D, and then search
for the setting as previously described.
To select a different application, press SHIFT+TAB to move to the
Application edit box. Use ARROW Keys or first letter navigation to select
the application, and then press CTRL+E to search for the setting as
previously described.
3.Press SPACEBAR to select check boxes, radio buttons, or other buttons, and
press F6 to switch between an edit box and the tree view to change settings.
4.Choose Apply to apply changes and remain in Settings Center, OK to save
changes and exit Settings Center, or Cancel to close Settings Center without
saving changes. The new settings are saved to the appropriate JCF file.
Virtual Ribbon Menu
The Ribbon is a new style of menu available in many new applications being
released today. Ribbons first appeared in Office 2007 programs, but are now
becoming more common in other applications tailored for the Windows 7
operating system. Ribbons create an accessibility challenge due to
inconsistent navigation between various groups and items. For example, when
you enter the Lower Ribbon and press the ARROW keys to move between items in
a group, you can skip items and unexpectedly move into another group.
Pressing TAB gives no indication that you have left one group and entered
another. Using first letter navigation to find items can be difficult and
frustrating. Finally, because of a group's layout, you do not know if you
should navigate up, down, left, or right to select an item.
The new Virtual Ribbon Menu provides predictable navigation, lets you see
everything in the Ribbon, and offers consistency when navigating with ARROW
keys. For example, the ARROW and TAB keys move focus from the Upper Ribbon
tabs to the Lower Ribbon groups. Once in a group, the ARROW, TAB, and
SHIFT+TAB keys move through all items in a group, move from one group to the
next, and wrap to the beginning of the Ribbon. For submenus, SPACEBAR and
ENTER expands menus, and ESC collapses menus. The Virtual Ribbon Menu is off
by default and can be switched on or off from within Settings Center or the
JAWS Startup Wizard. When the Virtual Ribbon Menu is on, the Ribbon is
navigated using a traditional menu and submenu format familiar to most JAWS
users.
Marking and Returning to a Place in Word
Word uses bookmarks to let you mark and later find locations in a document.
However, this also means that you are editing and changing the document.
Using the new PlaceMarker feature in Word, you can now mark a location
without affecting the document. It allows you to easily return to the
PlaceMarker any time, even after closing Word or rebooting your computer.
There is no need to remember that location or use Navigation Quick Keys or a
dialog to find it, as you would a bookmark. Also, if you share the document
with others, the marker will not be available to them. Press CTRL+WINDOWS
Key+K to set or move the marker. Only one PlaceMarker can be set per
document. Press WINDOWS Key+K to return to the marked location.
This feature also makes it easy to select large blocks of text. Just mark a
starting point in the document, read and navigate until you reach the end of
the text that you want to select, and then press INSERT+SPACEBAR, M. This
acts the same way as clicking and dragging a mouse over text. Once selected,
feel free to copy, cut, or paste the text anywhere you like.
Text Analyzer
When editing a document using speech only, inconsistencies such as unmatched
parentheses, unintentional format changes, extra whitespace, and stray or
unspaced punctuation can often be missed. The new Text Analyzer feature is a
tool that notifies you of these errors in your document by using a spoken
message or WAV file. You can configure JAWS to announce discrepancies by
count, by description, or by sound while proofreading the document by line,
sentence, paragraph, or Say All command. Braille users will benefit from
this since a sound can be emitted before the user has time to read the
entire line looking for errors.
Text Analyzer is off by default. To turn it on, do one of the following:
.Use the new layered keystroke, INSERT+SPACEBAR, T. By pressing and
releasing INSERT+SPACEBAR, and then pressing T, the Text Analyzer can be
switched on or off.
.Open Settings Center (INSERT+F2). In the Search edit box type "Text
Analyzer" without the quotes, and then press SPACEBAR to select an alert
notification.
.Use the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) to select Text Analyzer,
and then select the type of alert notification to use.
If multiple issues are identified in the document, press ALT+WINDOWS Key+I
to move to the next item, or ALT+SHIFT+WINDOWS Key+I to move to the previous
item. Note that these keystrokes can still be used even if Text Analyzer is
off.
Automatic Notification of Updates
When JAWS starts, it can now alert you if a software update is available.
You then have the option to install it now or later. This is known as
Automatic Notification of Updates and is on by default.
If you decide not to install the JAWS update now, you can always manually
check for updates using the update feature in the JAWS Help menu. To turn
auto notification on or off, choose Basics in the JAWS Options menu, and
select or clear the Automatic Notification of Updates check box.
Say All Schemes
Continuous reading of a Web page or Word document with numerous links can be
frustrating due to constant interruptions that identify links and headings
on the page. An example of this is when you read a Wikipedia article using
the Say All command, where many words in the article are links to other
articles. The Say All Scheme feature can alleviate this annoyance by using
an unobtrusive sound or no link and heading indication at all to provide a
smooth reading experience when using the Say All command.
Say All Schemes is located in the Say All group in Settings Center. Select
No Change to continue using the current speech and sounds scheme in use.
Select Say All Text with Sounds to hear a subtle WAV file sound, such as a
Ding, when JAWS reads a link or heading. Select Say All Text Only to ignore
HTML elements like links and headings. You can also use Add/Remove, which is
a button in the Say All group, to add and use other schemes for Say All
Reading.
Reverse Panning Buttons for Braille
Reverse Panning Buttons is a new feature that allows you to switch the
direction of left and right panning buttons. This is a great benefit if you
are a two-handed braille user who reads different parts of a braille line at
the same time. By the time your right hand reaches the end of the display,
your left hand can be back at the left side of the display ready to advance
it. This can significantly increase braille reading and is ideal for braille
power users.
To use reverse panning, do the following:
1.Press INSERT+F2 and select Settings Center.
2.In the Search edit box, type "Reverse Panning Buttons" without the quotes.
3.Press DOWN ARROW to move to Reverse Panning Buttons in the filtered search
results in the tree view.
4.Press SPACEBAR to select the Reverse Panning Buttons check box.
5.Press TAB to move to the OK button, and then SPACEBAR to save the change
and close Settings Center.
JAWS is now configured so that when you press a left Navrow button or
Panning key, panning advances to the right. Likewise, when you press a right
Navrow button or Panning button, panning advances to the left. To restore
normal panning operation, repeat this procedure and clear the Reverse
Panning Buttons check box.
Hotkey Component for Structured Braille Support
When using Structured Mode, you can configure the amount of information and
the order in which the information appears on the braille display when
navigating the controls in a dialog box, an Office Ribbon, or a spreadsheet.
Component information includes a control's name, state, type, and so on.
Using the Define Structured Mode feature, you can now determine if hotkeys
are included in the descriptive details and the placement of this
information on the braille display. This provides several benefits. For
familiar or less complex application, you can turn off hotkey information,
which will save valuable space on a small braille display. For complex
applications, you can turn on hotkey information and change its relative
position on the braille display so that it immediately appears after the
name of the control. The hotkey component is turned off by default.
To turn on the hotkey component and change its position, do the following:
1.Press INSERT+F2, and select Settings Center.
2.In the Search edit box, type "Define Structured Mode" without the quotes.
3.Press DOWN ARROW to move to Define Structured Mode in the filtered search
results in the tree view.
4.Press SPACEBAR to choose the button and open the Control Type Options
dialog box. Focus is in the Control Properties page.
5.Select a control from the Control Properties list, and then choose Modify
Control.
6.In the Available To list, select Hotkey and add it to the Show On list.
Use the Up or Down buttons to change its position in the list.
7.Choose OK to close this dialog box, and OK again to close the Control Type
Options dialog box.
8.Press TAB to move to the OK button, and then SPACEBAR to save and close
Settings Center.
Note: To turn off the hotkey component, select Hotkey from the Show On list,
and choose the Remove button.
JAWS Support for ARIA
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is assistive technology markup
used by Web content creators to make Web pages more accessible for screen
readers. This is done by adding specific ARIA tags and elements to HTML
code. Visit the Freedom Scientific Screen Reading Software Documentation Web
page, and read the JAWS Support for ARIA document to learn more about JAWS
and ARIA markup.
Reading HTML Tables
The default setting for reading HTML table titles has changed so that JAWS
now conforms to industry defined HTML standards by only reading table
headers that are properly marked up. You can see this when using the
CTRL+ALT+ARROW Keys to move through an HTML table.
While the default setting is now set to Only Marked Headers, you can
continue to use earlier functionality for reading HTML tables if you are
more comfortable with those settings. To change settings, press INSERT+V to
open JAWS options, and then press T to move to the Table Titles Announce
option. Next, press SPACEBAR to cycle through and select a new setting, and
then ENTER to save the change.
Remember that you can always use Personalized Settings (INSERT+SHIFT+V) to
customize how JAWS reads table column and row headers on any given Web site,
without modifying how JAWS reads table headers on other Web sites.
For more information about reading HTML tables, visit the Tables section of
Freedom Scientific's Surf's Up.
Research It Enhancements
NCAA Football is a new addition to Research It. Use it to search for the
schedules or results of your favorite college football teams. Because of the
number of college teams, there are several ways to get search results.
One way is to open Research It (INSERT+SPACEBAR, R), type a date using the
mm/dd/yyyy date format, and then select NCAA Football. This shows a full
list of games scheduled or played during that week. Another is to leave the
search field blank and see schedules or results for the current week. The
last way is to search for your favorite college teams by typing team names
separated by a semicolon. This shows the current week's schedules or results
for those schools. For example, type Florida; Texas; California to view
results for teams with Florida, Texas, or California in their names.
Search results display in the Virtual Viewer as a link so that you can open
a Web browser and read a recap of past games or a preview of future games.
Press CTRL+DOWN ARROW to move between the dates displayed for the week.
Updates have also been made to the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL lookup sources in
Research It. These have been expanded and now provide links to box scores
and game summaries. Each game listed in the Virtual Viewer is now a link.
Select any link to launch your Web browser and read a recap and statistics
of past games, or a preview of future games. In addition, the MLB Scores
lookup source has been revised to list all baseball games together instead
of grouping separately into American and National leagues.
Improvements with Adobe Flash
JAWS can now announce buttons and other items that did not work correctly on
some Flash Web sites while using Internet Explorer. Examples of Web sites
that now function properly are Audible.com and Dominos.ca.
Improvements with My Computer in Windows 7
When using My Computer in Windows 7, JAWS not only announces the drive
letter and volume label, but now also includes both used and free space on
the drive, as well as the percentage of free space. While this information
is readily available to sighted users, JAWS now makes it accessible to all
users. To open My Computer, press WINDOWS Key+E.
Keyboard Lock
The Keyboard Lock feature is useful when you want to prevent accidental
keyboard action. A typical example for locking the keyboard would be when
you are transferring files across a network or when a download is in
progress. This feature will prevent file transfer or download cancellation
if you accidentally press a key. Keyboard Lock is also ideal for JAWS Tandem
sessions where it can prevent inadvertent keyboard activity on the
target-side computer.
While the keyboard is locked, you can still run JAWS reading commands like
Say Line, Say Window Title, and Say Word. For example, you can position the
JAWS cursor at a specific location on the screen, and then use the Say Line
command to monitor that location while the keyboard is locked. Also, the
invisible cursor and the braille cursor can roam the screen without moving
the active cursor.
To switch Keyboard Lock on and off, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, L. Although this
feature locks the keyboard and braille display, it does not affect mouse
activity.
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