| Developer(s) | Freedom Scientific |
|---|---|
| Initial release | January 1995 |
| Stable release | 13.0.638 / December 12, 2011 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Screen reader |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | freedomscientific.com |
JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a computer screen reader program in 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, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.
JAWS supports all versions of Windows released since Windows XP. There are two versions of the program: standard, which works on home Windows operating systems, and retails for US$895, and professional, which works on all Windows operating systems, and retails for US$1,095.[1] A DOS version is free.
The JAWS Scripting Language allows the user to use programs without standard Windows controls, and programs that were not designed for accessibility.
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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 $180,000 USD investment from Bill Joyce, founded the Henter-Joyce Corporation in St. Petersburg, Florida. Joyce sold his interest in the company back to Henter sometime in 1990. In April 2000, Henter-Joyce, Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc. merged to form Freedom Scientific.
JAWS was originally created for the MS-DOS operating 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.
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.[2]
In 1993, Henter-Joyce released a highly-modified version of JAWS for people with learning disabilities. This product, called WordScholar, is no longer available.[3]
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.
Currently a new revision of JAWS for Windows is released about once a year, with minor updates in between. The latest version is 13.0, released in October 2011.
| Version | Release date | Significant changes |
|---|---|---|
| JFW 1.0 | January 1995 | First version for Windows, supported Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 |
| JFW 2.0 | About 1996 |
Added support for Windows 95 |
| JFW 4.0 | September 14, 2001 |
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| JFW 4.5 | August 30, 2002 |
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| JFW 5.0 | October 9, 2003[6] |
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| JFW 6.0 | March 3, 2005[8] |
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| JFW 7.0 | 14 October 2005[10] |
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| JFW 7.1 | June 21, 2006 |
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| JFW 8.0 | November 17, 2006 |
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| JFW 9.0 | November 19, 2007 |
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| JFW 10.0 | November 3, 2008 |
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| JFW 11.0 | October 23, 2009 |
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| JFW 12.0 | October 21, 2010 | |
| JFW 13.0 | October 24, 2011 |
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