What's New in JAWS 11

This page describes the new features and improvements available in JAWS version 11. Go to Enhancements in JAWS 11.0.1461 for a list of updated items in the current release. To go directly to the JAWS 11 download links on this page, choose JAWS download links.

New Features Available in this Release

These new features are available in the latest JAWS 11 release. For more information, listen to the March 2010 FSCast.

Office 2010

JAWS 11.0.1430 and later includes support for Microsoft Office 2010.

New Research It User Interface

Research It has been simplified and consolidated into a single dialog box for easier access to all search functionality. The edit control now includes the history of prior lookups. Also, a help window provides a detailed description of each item in the lookup source list. Finally, an Options button provides an easy solution for customizing the list of lookups that appear each time you use this great new feature. For more information, see Research It described later on this page.

Lookup Sources Added to Research It

The following lookup sources have been added to JAWS:

BBC Top News Stories
CNN Headline News
Flight Info Lookup
NBA Scores
NHL Scores
Technology News from CNET

For more information about lookup sources, see Research It described later on this page. Note that the People Search lookup source has been improved to increase its reliability. To try it, see the People Search example later on this page.

AOL Instant Messenger 7.2 Script Updates

JAWS supports the recent release of AOL Instant messenger, providing an accessible interface to Facebook Chat. For a description of how to chat in real time with your Facebook contacts, see the March 2010 FSCast.

AIM 7.2 scripts have been updated to include the following:

Item counting works while the user types in the Filter Buddy List box, not just when the user types in the Buddy List itself.
Boxely menus work with braille.
The new scripts and installer work with 64-bit versions of Windows.
Instant messages that are put into grouping objects read correctly with ALT+ARROWS and ALT+NUMBERS.
The ability to use AIM to access the Facebook Chat interface has been added.

Mute Speech

JAWS speech can be toggled on and off using the layered keystroke INSERT+SPACEBAR, S. When using this keystroke, you must first press and release INSERT+SPACEBAR, and then press S to toggle speech.

Word Track Changes and Braille Support

JAWS 11 now makes it easier to identify Track Change revisions such as insertions and deletions in Word documents when reading with a refreshable braille display. When you navigate into revised text of any kind, the Braille Cursor changes to a blinking DOT 8, and the status cells show the revision type.

When Track Changes is turned on, and the PC Cursor is within revised text, the letters I and R appear in the third and fourth status cells to show inserted text. The letters D and R appear in the third and fourth status cells to show deleted text. An R in the fourth status cell represents other revisions, such as style or attribute changes, in the revised text. Pressing the Cursor Routing button above the fourth status cell displays the revision type, author, and date.

To properly display deleted text, you must set the Document Presentation option (using INSERT+V) to Screen Layout. In addition, set Word to use Draft View (Normal View in Word 2003), and choose Final Showing Markup or Original Showing Markup to display changes.

Word’s revision tracking feature with braille support works for any refreshable braille display that supports Flash messages. See the Track Changes in Word help topic in the JAWS help file for more information.

Braille Cursor Operation

In JAWS 8 and earlier, JAWS exclusively used a technology that looked at the computer screen and captured items such as text, graphics, controls, and other elements. This made it easy for someone with a braille display to move around and understand the screen layout. Although this worked well with speech, it was sometimes difficult to see specific attributes within a Word document when using braille. Beginning with JAWS 9, new technology was introduced that improved access to Word documents. From an active cursor and speech perspective, JAWS provided lots of rich and accurate detail contained in the document. From a braille perspective, you could not pan away from the current line without the active cursor following the Braille Cursor. This made it hard to return to where you were initially reading or editing in the document. It was also difficult to review the document beyond what was visible on the screen.

This release of JAWS now combines the best of both technologies for a braille user. You can use the keys on your refreshable braille display to move around the entire screen without moving the active cursor. This means that you can easily browse a Word document with the Braille Cursor, reviewing text and information before and after the current focus line, and then immediately return to the active cursor by pressing LEFT ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, or any other key on the computer keyboard. For more information, see the Braille Options Dialog topic in the JAWS help file.

Braille Output Improvements with Windows 7

In Windows 7, braille output has been significantly improved in the Start menu and Windows Explorer.

Excel CellMarkers

A CellMarker is a bookmark in an Excel worksheet. This feature makes it easy to jump from the current cell to one that you bookmarked in the same or different worksheet. You can have one CellMarker per worksheet. The following keystrokes are available:

Press INSERT+WINDOWS Key+K to set a CellMarker.
Press WINDOWS Key+K to move to the CellMarker in the current worksheet.
Press CTRL+WINDOWS Key+K to move to a CellMarker on the next worksheet.
Press CTRL+WINDOWS Key+SHIFT+K to move to a CellMarker on the previous worksheet.
Press CTRL+ALT+WINDOWS Key+K to view a list of CellMarkers.

Excel Options

The following options have been added to the Adjust JAWS Options tree view (INSERT+V) when running Excel:

Filtered Columns and Rows Detection: This option controls whether to detect filtered columns and rows as you navigate cells in a worksheet. The default setting is off.
If the option is on, and the worksheet has filtered columns or rows, JAWS announces the type of filter in use and which columns and rows are filtered. If you navigate within the same column or row, JAWS does not repeat this information. JAWS will also announce if filtered columns and rows are nonconsecutive. The INSERT+F1 Screen-Sensitive Help message also states which columns and rows are filtered.
Hyperlink Address Announcement: This option determines how much detail is announced for links that point to other cells within an Excel document. The default setting is off.
If a cell contains a link to another cell in a worksheet, JAWS announces the worksheet name and the cell reference when this option is on. If the link points to a Web site or e-mail external to the Excel document, JAWS only states that the cell contains a link.
Focus Loss Announcement: Use this option to control if JAWS announces a loss of focus. This can happen frequently in some versions of Windows; however, it may become too verbose. When you change this setting, it is stored between JAWS sessions. The default setting is off.
Tandem Connect Sounds: This option determines if you hear WAV file sounds played when a JAWS Tandem session connects, suspends, resumes, or disconnects while running Excel. The default setting is on. For more information, see JAWS Tandem Sounds described later on this page.
Stop Words Exception Dictionary: This option controls whether or not a stop words dictionary is used by the Word Index (INSERT+CTRL+W) feature. A stop words dictionary is a list of words that will be ignored by the search. These are common, recurring words; examples include words such as and, of, the. The default is on.

Select Region and Announce Range Keystroke in Excel

Use the CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR keystroke to select a region in a spreadsheet and then announce the region's cell range. This is similar to CTRL+SHIFT+8.

SAPI 5 Synthesizer with 64-bit JAWS

Sixty-four bit versions of JAWS 11 can use 32-bit SAPI 5 synthesizers when running 64-bit Windows operating systems.

Graphics Detection in Word and Outlook

Graphics detection has changed in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box for both Word and Outlook. The Picture and Graphical Objects Detection option, formerly located in the Reading Options branch of the tree view, has been removed. To detect graphics in Word documents or Outlook messages, press INSERT+V to use the Graphics option in the General Options branch.

New Scripting Capabilities

The JAWS script language now supports arrays and collections, along with For and ForEach loops for iterating through these new data types. For technical details, see the Variables chapter in the Basics of Scripting manual. It can be downloaded from the Freedom Scientific Web site.

JAWS 11 Features

The following features are new to JAWS 11. For a complete demonstration of these features, listen to the August 2009 FSCast.

Enhanced Typing Support for Focus Braille Displays

For several versions, JAWS has had the ability to receive text input from the Focus 40 and 80, and Focus 40 Blue braille displays using the included Perkins-style braille keyboard. Use LEFT SHIFT+SPACEBAR+RIGHT SHIFT, the three buttons at the front of the device, to toggle Typing Mode on and off on the Focus display. Now this functionality has been expanded so that the Focus can do almost everything you can do while using PAC Mate Remote. When you toggle on Typing Mode, not only can you input text via computer braille, but you can also control your computer from the Focus, just as you can with PAC Mate Remote using a PAC Mate BX or QX.

For more information, refer to the PAC Mate Remote Help topic in JAWS for the list of keystrokes. Open the JAWS Help system and navigate to the Keystrokes book. Press RIGHT ARROW to expand the book then DOWN ARROW to the "Keystrokes for PAC Mate BX Remote Mode" topic. Press ENTER on this topic, and then F6 to move into the reading pane. You must have JAWS 11.0.756 or later installed to use this enhanced Typing Mode functionality.

Note: With the current implementation, there are several keystrokes that may be different or not supported, as the Focus braille display does not have the Function Keys as does the PAC Mate BX.

Research It

Note: For a demonstration of Research It, listen to the September 2009 FSCast.

Features such as Web Slices in Internet Explorer 8 and gadgets saved in your Windows Sidebar are intended to make it easy for you to quickly obtain information. This material is presented in a format that is quick to scan visually. However, when using assistive technology tools, there is often extra information presented that is easier to ignore visually than when listening or reading with braille.

Research It is a new feature that provides quick access to information while also making it easy to return to your primary task. Use just a few keystrokes to look up information and display salient data in the Virtual Viewer. When you have finished researching, press another keystroke to return to the task you were performing before the research started. All that is required to use Research It is an Internet connection.

There are multiple ways to launch and use Research It. The most efficient way to search for a term is to use the new layered keystroke, INSERT+SPACEBAR, R. By pressing and releasing INSERT+SPACEBAR, and then pressing R, you can open the Research It edit field to type a word or expression of interest. This can be a zip code, or city and state, or city and country that can be used with the Weather lookup tool to read a forecast, or a date that is used to view baseball or football schedules and scores, or a word to use with the Wikipedia search query to view its meaning or description. After viewing these results, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer window and return to your original focus point.

By default, Wiktionary is the primary lookup source. This means that while the cursor is on a word in a document or Web page, you can press the default keystroke, INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R, to quickly lookup the Wiktionary description for that word. You can always change the primary lookup source at any time using the JAWS Configuration Manager, which lets you select which lookup source to use as the JAWS default or as the default for individual applications. As you become more familiar with Research It, and as more lookup modules are created and made available to you, you will want to change the default lookup source used by JAWS, or just use a different lookup source on the fly.

If you are a software developer or script developer, you can create and customize your own lookup module DLL and tailor it to your organization's needs. For example, if your company specializes in medical equipment, you can create a lookup source that is essentially a glossary of medical and industry terms. A developer's guide that outlines formatting for rule sets and debugging techniques is available at Research It Developer's Guide.

The next section provides examples of how to use Research It. If you need more information, refer to the Research It topic in the JAWS help file.

Research It Examples

There are several ways to run Research It. You can use the default lookup source, or you can select a lookup source from the Research It list. The following examples show different ways to search for specific information with Research It.

Business Search

Use the Business Search lookup source to find a specific or general business in your area. Search results will provide the name, address, and phone number.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
Type a business name or business category, followed by a semicolon, and then a zip code, city, or city and state for the location. Next, press TAB. For example, type:

grocery store; 33716 and then press TAB
(These parameters will generate a list of grocery stores in and around the 33716 zip code after you select the Business Search lookup source.)

italian restaurants; st petersburg, florida and then press TAB
(These parameters will generate a list of Italian restaurants in St. Petersburg, Florida after you select the Business Search lookup source.)

Note: Always use a semicolon to separate the business name or business category from the location. Use a comma to separate the city and state location. Do not use a period when typing city name abbreviations, for example, type St Petersburg, FL, or Washington, DC.

Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Business Search, and press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays your search results.

Convert Currency

Use the Convert Currency lookup source to quickly convert an amount of money from one currency to another currency. The lookup source uses three-character abbreviations to represent international currencies. The conversion that appears is based on the day’s current conversion rate.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R to open the Research It edit field.
Type the amount of money and currency that you want to convert from followed by the currency that you want to convert to. For example, to convert 100 U.S. dollars into Euros, type:

100 USD EUR and then press TAB

Note: Make sure to include a space between each item. Always use the currency’s three-character abbreviation. Select currency abbreviations for a list of currencies.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Convert Currency and then press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays the conversion results, for example:

100 U.S. dollars = 67.4399784 Euros

If you did not type a valid currency, Research It will display the currency abbreviations so that you can try again.

People Search

To quickly find an individual, you can enter the person's name followed by location. However, the key to a successful search is to enter as many details as possible, such as the person’s first and last name, street name, city, and state, to improve the odds of finding that person.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
Type the person’s first and last name followed by a semicolon, and then type the city, followed by a comma, and the state abbreviation.
Press TAB.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select People Search, and press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens. The following results are possible:

The name that you are searching for appears in the list of results that display in the Virtual Viewer.
No results are returned, so you will need to try a different name.
Many results appear, but the name that you are looking for is not displayed in the Virtual Viewer. If the person is not in the list, the search criteria may need to be modified to narrow the search even further. In this case, repeat steps two and three, but this time, after typing the person’s name followed by a semicolon, type the street name. For example, John Smith; Oak Street N; St. Petersburg, FL.

Weather

Use the Weather lookup source to receive the current weather forecast for any location based on city name, airport code, or zip code.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
In the edit field, type your current location, local airport code, or zip code, and then press TAB. For example, type:

st petersburg florida, or
TPA, or
33716, and then press TAB.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Weather, and press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays the weather forecast for the entered location. After reading the information, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

Sports League Scores and Schedules

Use the following procedure if you want to look at baseball, basketball, football, or hockey schedules and scores for a specific day.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
In the edit field, type the date using the MM/DD/YYYY format, and then press TAB.

Note: If you do not enter a date, you will get today's schedule and game results.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select MLB Scores, NBA Scores, NFL Scores, or NHL Scores, and then press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays a list of games scheduled for that day. Press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

Note: If you select a league that is currently in the off-season, no results will appear.

News Stories

For a summary of current news stories, you can use the following procedure for the BBC, CNN, Reuters, and Technology News for CNET lookup sources.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R, and then press TAB to move focus to the Lookup Source list.
Select a news lookup source from the list, and press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays a synopsis of news stories using the selected lookup source. If you want more information about a specific story, select its Full Article link. This action closes the Virtual Viewer window and then displays the complete story in a Web browser. Otherwise, press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

Wikipedia

You can use Wikipedia to quickly research an item.

Press INSERT+SPACEBAR, R.
In the edit combo box, type the term that you want to find, and then press TAB. For example, type:

Freedom Scientific, and press TAB.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS or first letter navigation to select Wikipedia, and press ENTER.
After a few seconds, the Virtual Viewer window opens and displays the results returned from the Wikipedia lookup. Press ESC to close the Virtual Viewer.

JAWS 11 Program DVD

JAWS 11 screen reading software now ships on a DVD that combines both 64- and 32-bit versions of JAWS. When you insert the DVD, it detects if your computer is running 64-bit or 32-bit Windows and then installs the appropriate JAWS version for your operating system.

The additional space available on the DVD also lets us provide you with several RealSpeak Solo Direct English and Spanish voices, a free and full functioning DAISY book reader, a number of basic training audio files in DAISY format, and MAGic screen magnification software, which can be run together with JAWS.

FSReader 2.0

FSReader, the $79 Freedom Scientific software DAISY book reader, is now included free of charge as part of the JAWS 11 installation. Even if you do not have a JAWS 11 license, you can still install and run FSReader directly from the JAWS 11 Demo. In addition to reading all of the DAISY training material provided for free from Freedom Scientific, you can use FSReader to read DAISY books from other sources such as BookShare.org. Note that some DAISY book providers, such as RFB&D, require a valid account to access certain DAISY material. When installed, the full version of FSReader places a shortcut on your Windows desktop and has its own entry in the Programs menu.

When released, MAGic 12 will also include FSReader for free. A version of FSReader for the PAC Mate Omni is available today for download at no additional charge.

Word Index

Word Index (INSERT+CTRL+W) is the ideal tool for those who do a lot of reading for study and research purposes. Word Index generates a list of words that appear in a document or on a Web page. The words are sorted and appear in the list based on the number of occurrences with the highest number coming first and then alphabetized. You can scan the list for a specific word or concept, and then press enter to jump to that occurrence of the word and use the Navigational Quick Key W to move between occurrences of the word you selected. You may also choose to create a summary of all the sentences in your document containing the word and review these sentences in the Virtual Viewer. They will appear as links that take you back to that location in your document. This is a useful timesaver since you can get a feel for the context of the word, and then move to the appropriate section of the document and continue reading.

Use Word Index when reading Web pages or Microsoft Word, Outlook, Outlook Express, Notepad, WordPad, or Adobe Acrobat files.

Focus 40 Blue Braille Display Support

JAWS supports the new Focus 40 Blue braille display, a 40-cell display with both USB hardware and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Refer to the Focus 40 Blue user documentation for general information about the unit. For a brief overview of Bluetooth partnership information, refer to the Focus Bluetooth Connection topic in the JAWS help file.

PlaceMarker Enhancements

When you add a PlaceMarker to a page that is frequently updated, the PlaceMarker can drift from its original position or even disappear as Web content is added and removed. In JAWS 11, you can now anchor PlaceMarkers to specific text or HTML elements such as heading tags. This allows greater flexibility when adding temporary or permanent PlaceMarkers on dynamic Web pages. For more information, refer to the PlaceMarkers topic in the JAWS help file.

Filter Duplicate Links

JAWS 11 introduces a new feature that filters duplicate and consecutive Web page links so that only the text link is announced. This is useful when a graphic link and text link, which both point to the same URL, appear side by side on a Web page. Hearing duplicate links can be both confusing and annoying to novice and experienced JAWS users.

The Filter Duplicate Links check box, which is selected by default, is a new Links page control for HTML Options in Configuration Manager. You can also toggle this feature on or off using INSERT+V or INSERT+SHIFT+V with your Web browser or Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Speaking Number Strings as Single Digits

JAWS is now configured to read telephone numbers, serial numbers, and other long number strings as individual digits. For example, JAWS will read the telephone number 727-803-8000 as 7 2 7 – 8 0 3 – 8 0 0 0 instead of seven hundred twenty-seven dash eight hundred three dash eight thousand.

This change has been made by adding the "Speak Single Digits if Number Contains" combo box and the "Dashes" check box to the Text Processing dialog box in Configuration Manager. They are located in the Number Processing group. Select a value in the combo box to set a threshold for JAWS so that if several digits appear in a row, JAWS will announce the digits individually instead of as a large number. Select the Dashes check box so that JAWS knows how to read the number string if it contains dashes without spaces. These changes are both active by default.

Show Word Comments, Footnotes, Endnotes, or Revisions in Virtual Viewer

You can now quickly see a list of comments, endnotes, footnotes, or revisions in a Virtual Viewer window when running Microsoft Word. When you press WINDOWS Key+SEMICOLON, the Items to Display in Virtual Viewer dialog box opens. From this dialog box, you can choose to view comments inserted in a document, footnotes or endnotes that appear in a document, or, if Track Changes is turned on, any revisions made to a document. After selecting which type of item to view, JAWS searches the document and shows the results in a Virtual Viewer window.

Multiple Sound Card Support

Multiple sound card support, originally introduced in JAWS 10, has been expanded so that now both JAWS speech and JAWS event sounds are output to the same sound card. This means that the WAV sound files heard when you enter and exit Forms Mode are sent to the same audio device as JAWS speech. Previously, if these sounds interfered with your audio output, it was necessary to turn off the Forms Mode Indication sounds using Configuration Manager. Note that non-JAWS sounds, such as system sounds, continue to be sent to your Windows default audio card.

Having JAWS speech and sounds directed to the same sound card is also beneficial during a JAWS Tandem session. The JAWS user on the controller system can now hear when he or she navigates in and out of edit fields and combo boxes while in Auto Forms Mode on the target system.

JAWS Tandem Sounds

During a JAWS Tandem session, events that generate sounds on the target system, such as a Windows program error, entry and exit of Auto Forms Mode, or other JAWS sounds associated with the Speech and Sounds Manager, can be heard on the controller system. This means that when an event occurs on the target system, JAWS sends a notification to the controller system so that the controller computer plays the same or a similar WAV file. This is very helpful to support personnel and trainers running the JAWS Tandem session.

Outlook Message List Customization

An Outlook message list is a list box, such as the Inbox and Sent Items lists, that contains e-mail messages. These lists typically contain multiple columns, such as From, Subject, and Received, that provide information about each e-mail message. In JAWS 11, you can use the Customize Outlook Message List feature, which is available by pressing INSERT+F2 and then selecting Customize Outlook Message List, to arrange the column order, determine if certain columns are read, and configure if JAWS announces these columns with speech or braille. The Customize Outlook Message List dialog box functions very similar to the way the Customize List View dialog box operates.

Skype Enhancements

Several improvements for JAWS support of Skype versions 3.8 and 4.1 have been made. Dialog boxes and controls are now speaking as expected in most areas of the application. In addition, there are several third-party Skype scripts available for use with JAWS. For more information about these scripts, visit http://www.dlee.org/skype/. As with all third party scripts, this information comes from another source. Always use your own discretion when downloading and installing third party scripts.

AOL Instant Messenger 7

New scripts are now available for AIM 7. These scripts support the latest AIM 7 features such as Lifestream and Me tabs, IM Bubbles, and real time messaging. For more information about AIM 7 support, refer to the AOL Instant Messenger topic in the JAWS help file, or the AOL Instant Messenger Web page.

Windows 7 Calculator

New scripts have been created to provide JAWS support for the Windows 7 Calculator, which is available in the Windows 7 operating system scheduled to release in October of 2009. JAWS will work with the expanded calculator modes of Standard, Scientific, Programmer, and Statistics, and will also support Basic, Unit Conversion, Date Calculation, and Template controls. Improvements have also been made to the Function List (INSERT+F8) to eliminate confusion and provide full function names.

UIA Support

User Interface Automation (UIA) support is available in JAWS 11 and later. UIA is successor to the older Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) framework. It is an Application Programming Interface (API) for User Interface (UI) accessibility that is designed to help Assistive Technology products such as JAWS and MAGic to interact with standard and custom UI elements of applications or the operating system.

ARIA Drag-and-Drop Support

JAWS 11 supports the ARIA drag-and-drop properties ARIA-Grabbed and ARIA-DropEffect. When a Web content author applies these properties to objects on a Web page or application, it makes it easier for assistive technology to identify objects that can be selected, moved to another location, and released.

The WINDOWS Key+CTRL+EQUALS keystroke opens the ARIA Drag and Drop dialog box. It shows a list of droppable objects, as tagged by the author, on the current Web page. When you select one of these objects, JAWS will move focus to that object. If no droppable objects are available, JAWS will announce the message, “No droppable elements were found on the page” instead of opening the dialog box.

Use this keystroke with Internet Explorer 8 or later and Firefox 3 or later.

ARIA Live Region Text Filter

An ARIA live region is a dynamic section of a Web page that receives constant updates, such as news headlines, business information, and weather updates. JAWS will announce when text in a region is updated. You may turn this off in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box using the Announce Live Region Updates option.

Using the ARIA live region text filter, you can determine if JAWS speaks when updates occur, based on a given text string. Open the text filter by pressing WINDOWS Key+CTRL+DASH. Next, type a string of text into the edit field that may be contained in a live region update. Finally, select one of the radio buttons to have JAWS announce only those updates that contain the filter text, or to make JAWS ignore updates that contain the filter text. As a JAWS user, this gives you greater control over the information that is announced when the live region of a Web page updates.

Lost Focus Message

The Lost Focus message is a JAWS alert feature that you can turn on to let you know when a window loses focus, becomes invisible, or becomes inoperable. When these conditions exist for longer than three seconds, JAWS will announce, “Lost focus,” and if tutor messages are turned on, you will also hear, “Press ALT TAB,” which will let you regain focus of an open application, window, or desktop. The Lost Focus message is turned off by default. To turn it on, press INSERT+V and choose the Focus Loss Announcement option to toggle it on. The setting of this option is saved to the Default.JCF file and is constant across applications and JAWS sessions.

A window can lose focus for a number of reasons, for example, when installing or closing an application. When this occurs, the computer can be left in a state where nothing is in focus, which is why the Lost Focus message is such a useful aid.

Application Specific Voice Profiles

For JAWS 11, voice profiles have been modified to make it very easy to select, create, change, and save voice settings for use with JAWS or specific applications. Previously when changing voice profile settings, you had to choose between making a Global Voice Adjustment or an Individual Voice Adjustment, and then decide if the changes would apply as the default setting for all of JAWS or just the current open application. Now when modifying settings, you open one dialog box, Voice Adjustments, configure the profile, and save it. Next, using INSERT+CTRL+S you can select any available profile to use as the JAWS default, and also select the same or a different profile for the current application open on your computer.

JAWS ships with several factory voice profiles based on the synthesizers installed on your computer. This makes it easy for you to use these settings as a template for future voice profiles that you create and save for JAWS and other applications. To create a new profile from a factory default profile, open Voices from the Options menu in the JAWS user interface, and then choose Voice Adjustments. Select any of the available factory settings from the Profile Name combo box, make the necessary voice adjustment changes, and save the profile using a name that can easily be identified with the profile.

Control Description and Verbosity Preferences

Control Description is a new item available for Verbosity Options in Configuration Manager. When selected, JAWS will announce any descriptive MSAA text associated with content or controls such as edit boxes, combo boxes, radio buttons, and so on. This functionality is off by default except when using Beginner Preferences or Intermediate Preferences with Internet Explorer or Firefox.

To toggle Control Description on or off, do the following. Press INSERT+F2 and select Configuration Manager. Next, press ALT+S and choose Verbosity Options. Choose the Beginner Preferences, Intermediate Preferences, or Advanced Preferences button. Move to the Control Description check box, and press SPACEBAR to select or clear the check box. Close the Preferences dialog box and save the verbosity settings.

Third Party Braille Displays

When installing the 32-bit version of JAWS, all braille display drivers previously shipped in earlier versions of JAWS will continue to be provided and work with JAWS 11 as expected.

For JAWS 64-bit, Freedom Scientific braille displays, such as the Focus, PAC Mate Portable, and PowerBraille displays, will be included and installed as part of the JAWS 11 installation. Third party braille display manufacturers will be provided separately from the manufacturers themselves. At the time of this writing, only Papenmeier in Germany has completed and published their drivers for JAWS 11 and JAWS 10 on 64-bit Windows.

After the support files are installed on your computer, you will continue to use the JAWS Synthesizer and Braille Manager to add a third party braille display to use with JAWS.

Table Reading Keystrokes

The keystrokes to read the previous or next row and previous or next column in a table now include the ALT keystroke to avoid conflicts with the Windows 7 operating system. Use the following keystrokes when reading by row or column in a table:

Read prior row: WINDOWS Key+ALT+UP ARROW
Read next row: WINDOWS Key+ALT+DOWN ARROW
Read prior column: WINDOWS Key+ALT+LEFT ARROW
Read next column: WINDOWS Key+ALT+RIGHT ARROW

Virtualize Current Window Keystroke

The Virtualize Current Window keystroke is now INSERT+ALT+W. The previous keystroke, INSERT+CTRL+W, is now used for Word Index.

Virtualize Current Control Keystroke

The Virtualize Current Control keystroke is now INSERT+ALT+SHIFT+W. The previous keystroke was INSERT+CTRL+SHIFT+W.

Messenger Conversation Keystrokes

The keystrokes to cycle between Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger conversations, WINDOWS Key+1 through WINDOWS Key+0, have changed due to conflicts with the Windows 7 operating system. In Messenger, you now press INSERT+SPACEBAR, 1 through INSERT+SPACEBAR, 0 to switch to a different conversation. For Windows 7 and Windows Vista computers, the WINDOWS Key+1 through WINDOWS Key+0 keystrokes launch or cycle between applications on the Taskbar.

Script Utility Mode Keystroke

The name of the Home Row Utility has been changed to Script Utility Mode. In addition, the keystroke to toggle this mode on or off is now INSERT+WINDOW Key+NUM PAD MINUS instead of INSERT+SPACEBAR. Script Utility Mode is a function for advanced scripters. The laptop keystroke for Script Utility Mode is CAPS LOCK+WINDOWS Key+DASH.

Drag and Drop for Laptop Layout Mode Keystroke

The laptop keystroke for Drag and Drop has changed from CAPS LOCK+CTRL+8 to CAPS LOCK+SHIFT+8.

Toggle Outlook Reminder and Research It Keystroke

The keystroke previously used to toggle into and out of an Outlook reminder dialog box, INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R, is now used to launch the new Research It feature. If you want to continue using the ToggleOutlookReminder script, open the default.jkm file and assign a new keystroke.

Basic Training Updated for JAWS 11

The JAWS 11 Basic Training has been revised and includes the latest information about the new JAWS 11 features. The training is available in text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules. For more information about these and other DAISY and MP3 training files, visit the Freedom Scientific Training Headquarters.

Enhancements in JAWS 11.0.1461 (June 2010)

The following is a list of items addressed or added between the final JAWS 11.0.1447 release and the JAWS 11.0.1461 posting. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in this release.

JAWS

Resolved an issue where letters were lost when using Typing Mode with a Focus braille display.
Resolved a customer reported issue where JAWS was announcing large negative values in combo boxes.
JAWS no longer duplicates information that is typed into form edit fields.
Resolved issues and improved performance with the Convert Currency and MLB Scores lookup sources in Research It.

Word and Outlook

Addressed an issue reported by The Lighthouse of Houston related to the spell checker not working as expected when using a third party add-in with Word.
When in a table in a Word document, the INSERT+TAB keystroke correctly announces the cell content along with column and row title.
The default setting for graphics detection in all versions of Word and Outlook 2007 or later is set to Labeled by default. This means that JAWS announces alt text (if available) and image dimensions.
Resolved an issue where tutor messages were spoken before relevant information when using the ARROW Keys to read the next line or previous line in an Outlook 2010 e-mail message. This fix also resolves an issue where tutor messages were spoken with each press of an ARROW Key when moving through a message folder.
JAWS no longer announces an unknown function call error when Outlook 2003 is configured to request a user name and password before launching.

Lotus Notes

Resolved two issues with Lotus Notes®. JAWS now announces labels for the date and time fields in a calendar entry. Also, the ALT+DOWN ARROW keystroke now opens the combo box for date and time fields.
Resolved an issue with Lotus® Sametime® software where JAWS was not reading chat history when using the ARROW Keys.
The Lotus Notes topic in the JAWS help file has been updated to include the latest application functionality and keystrokes.

Enhancements in JAWS 11.0.1447 (May 2010)

The following is a list of items addressed or added between the final JAWS 11.0.1430 release and the JAWS 11.0.1447 posting. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in this release.

JAWS

Fixed an issue with the History menu not being read in the Lotus Notes Sametime Instant Messaging program.
Fixed a problem with braille routing in the subject line of Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 e-mails.
Fixed an intermittent problem in Outlook 2007 e-mails where Outlook was crashing when using ARROW Keys to move across imbedded links.
Updated Winamp scripts.
Resolved an issue with the Qwitter client on 64-bit Windows 7 systems.

Research It

Resolved an issue with the Stock Quotes lookup source where NASDAQ quotes were not updating in real time.
Resolved issues with the Business Search, Wikipedia, Area Code, Currency Converter, and Time Search lookup sources. In some cases, minor changes to lookup sources were made due to changes on external Web sites.

Windows Live Mail

Resolved an issue in Windows Live Mail where the entire Menu bar was announced when you created a new message, then moved to the body of the message, and then returned to the Menu bar.
Resolved an issue where JAWS did not announce the number of unread messages for any folder when navigating through the folder's tree view.
Resolved an issue when inserting a signature into a new Windows Live e-mail message. The problem appeared after you inserted a signature and then tried to navigate through the message body using ARROW Keys. This resulted in Forms Mode sounds being heard, and focus remaining in the signature text.
Resolved an issue where strange text was announced by JAWS when pressing UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW in a blank To, CC, BCC, or Subject edit field.
Resolved an issue where JAWS would not read the header and content of the next message after you deleted an opened e-mail message.
Resolved an issue where JAWS would not correctly announce the header or content of e-mail messages when using CTRL+PERIOD or CTRL+COMMA to move to the next or previous message.

Previous Enhancements in JAWS 11

See earlier JAWS development to view a list of enhancements and improvements in previous JAWS 11 releases.

Download JAWS 11

The following briefly describes how to download, save, and install the JAWS 11 release.

Note: If your corporate firewall prevents you from downloading files using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), use the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) links instead.

Select the appropriate download link that appears at the end of this procedure.
When the dialog box opens, choose Save and select a location where you can easily find the downloaded executable file.
Run the executable and follow the talking installer.

Non-Tandem builds

Check for Updates

To check for updates after installing the release, do the following:

Open the JAWS application window.
Open the Help menu.
Select Check for Updates. The update feature determines if you have the most current release. If you do not, select one or more items from the list and then select INSTALL to begin the update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

Demo Software

To try a free demo version of JAWS, select the appropriate link from the Download JAWS 11 section above and run JAWS in 40-minute demo mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If I download the JAWS 11 release from the Web, should I install JAWS from the DVD when I receive it?

Answer: No. However, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I wait until my DVD arrives to install JAWS 11, should I also download the version that is available on the Web?

Answer: No, but once you have installed JAWS 11 from the DVD, you should check for updates by pressing ALT+H from the JAWS program window, and then pressing P to select Check for Updates.

Question: If I remove my existing version of JAWS before installing JAWS 11, should I remove shared components?

Answer: Yes, however, remember that you will not have speech between removing your current JAWS version and installing JAWS 11. If you download JAWS 11 from the Web, copy the executable file to a location that is easy to find without speech.

Question: If I recently received JAWS 10, how do I get JAWS 11?

Answer: If you purchased JAWS 10 after September 1, 2009, you can download the JAWS 11 release for free from the Freedom Scientific Web site. To verify if you are entitled to the current version, visit the Freedom Scientific Software Activation page. You will need your serial number.

Question: If my SMA expires, will I receive a notice?

Answer: Customers in the U.S. will receive notification in the mail shortly after the JAWS 11 DVD arrives. The envelope will have a braille label on the outside, and it will contain an SMA Renewal letter explaining the process in print and braille. The JAWS SMA Renewal Form is also available for download from the JAWS Headquarters on the Freedom Scientific Web site.