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<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><title>jaws | Learn | Accessibility Support</title><meta charset="utf-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1"><link rel="canonical" href="https://a11ysupport.io/learn/at/jaws"><link rel="stylesheet" href="/stylesheets/style.css"><script src="/js/vendor/details-polyfill.js"></script><script src="/js/vendor/formdata.min.js"></script><script src="/js/head.js"></script></head><body><header role="banner"><a class="skip-nav" href="#main" id="skip-nav">Skip to main content</a><div class="logo-area"><div class="site-title"><a href="/">Accessibility Support</a></div><span>Will your code work with assistive technologies?</span></div><nav role="navigation"><ul><li><a href="/tests">All Tests</a></li><li><a href="/faq">FAQ</a></li><li><a href="/contribute">Contribute</a></li><li><a href="/learn">Learn</a></li><li><a href="/updates">Recent updates</a></li></ul></nav></header><main role="main" id="main" tabindex="-1"><div class="beta-warning"><p><strong>Important</strong>: This website does not attempt to establish a standard for how assistive technologies must behave. <a href="/faq">Read the FAQ for more information</a>. Additionally, this is a work in progress. <a href="https://github.com/accessibilitysupported/accessibilitysupported/issues/new">Please submit feedback or suggestions</a>.</p></div><div class="content"><h1 id="jaws">JAWS</h1> <p>JAWS is a popular screen reader for windows based computers.</p> <h2 id="install">Install</h2> <p>You can <a href="https://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/Blindness/JAWS">download and install JAWS from Freedom Scientific</a>. A time-limited demo is also available.</p> <h2 id="how-to-find-your-version">How to find your version</h2> <ol> <li>Open JAWS</li> <li>The version is listed under the JAWS menu</li> </ol> <h2 id="guides%2C-documentation%2C-and-resources">Guides, Documentation, and resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/blindness/jawsdocumentation">JAWS documentation from Freedom Scientific</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/FreedomScientific/VFO-standards-support">JAWS open bug tracker: "VFO Standards Support"</a></li> <li><a href="https://dequeuniversity.com/screenreaders/jaws-keyboard-shortcuts">Deque JAWS guide</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="modes">Modes</h2> <ul> <li>Forms Mode: Automatic when in a form element</li> <li>Exit Forms Mode: Numpad Plus</li> </ul> <h2>Commands</h2><p>The following are some common commands.</p><h3>Common</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Read next focusable item</td><td>Tab</td></tr><tr><td>Read next item</td><td>Down arrow</td></tr><tr><td>Read previous focusable item</td><td>Shift + Tab</td></tr><tr><td>Read previous item</td><td>Up arrow</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>General</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Activate Button</td><td>Enter or Space</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Activate Link</td><td>Enter</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Enter forms mode</td><td>insert + z</td><td>Automatically activated when entering a form control.</td></tr><tr><td>exit forms mode (go to PC cursor)</td><td>insert + z</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Read item</td><td>insert + up arrow</td><td>Announces the current item</td></tr><tr><td>Open element list</td><td>Insert + F3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Turn Off</td><td>Insert + F4</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Turn On</td><td>(none)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Keyboard command while in forms or application mode</td><td><keyboard command></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Reading</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Read next focusable item</td><td>Tab</td></tr><tr><td>Read next item</td><td>Down arrow</td></tr><tr><td>Jump to controlled element</td><td>Insert + alt + M</td></tr><tr><td>Follow the element referenced by aria-flowto</td><td>equals sign</td></tr><tr><td>Go to the the first element that references this element via aria-flowto</td><td>shift + equals sign</td></tr><tr><td>Next region</td><td>r</td></tr><tr><td>List headings</td><td>Insert + F6</td></tr><tr><td>List regions</td><td>Ctrl + Insert + r</td></tr><tr><td>Read previous focusable item</td><td>Shift + Tab</td></tr><tr><td>Read previous item</td><td>Up arrow</td></tr><tr><td>Start reading from current position</td><td>Insert + down arrow</td></tr><tr><td>Stop reading</td><td>Control</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Forms</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Activate Button</td><td>Enter or Space</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Activate Form Control</td><td>Space</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Enter forms mode</td><td>insert + z</td><td>Automatically activated when entering a form control.</td></tr><tr><td>exit forms mode (go to PC cursor)</td><td>insert + z</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>enter text</td><td><enter text></td><td>must be in a form or application context, and this is native browser behavior.</td></tr><tr><td>select next option</td><td>Down arrow</td><td>must be in a listbox context, and this is native browser behavior.</td></tr><tr><td>select previous option</td><td>Up arrow</td><td>must be in a listbox context, and this is native browser behavior.</td></tr><tr><td>select an option</td><td>Enter</td><td>must be in a listbox context, and this is native browser behavior.</td></tr><tr><td>Read next focusable item</td><td>Tab</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Read previous focusable item</td><td>Shift + Tab</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Keyboard command while in forms or application mode</td><td><keyboard command></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Tables</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Move to the start of the container</td><td>windows key+home</td><td>Will move to the start of the current container (list, table, etc)</td></tr><tr><td>Past the end of the container</td><td>Windows key+end</td><td>Will move past the end of the current container (list, table, etc)</td></tr><tr><td>Move to next column</td><td>Control + Alt + Right arrow</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Move to next row</td><td>Control + Alt + up arrow</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Move to previous column</td><td>Control + Alt + Left arrow</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Move to previous row</td><td>Control + Alt + down arrow</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Read current cell</td><td>Control + Alt + Numpad 5</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>Elements</h3><table><thead><tr><th>Task</th><th>Command</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Next button</td><td>b</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next button</td><td>shift + b</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next form field</td><td>f</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next form field</td><td>f</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next graphic</td><td>g</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next unvisited link</td><td>u</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Previous unvisited link</td><td>shift+u</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next visited link</td><td>v</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next heading</td><td>h</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Previous heading</td><td>shift + h</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next heading of level</td><td>1-6</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Open element list</td><td>Insert + F3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Next list</td><td>l</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Move to the start of the container</td><td>windows key+home</td><td>Will move to the start of the current container (list, table, etc)</td></tr><tr><td>Past the end of the container</td><td>Windows key+end</td><td>Will move past the end of the current container (list, table, etc)</td></tr><tr><td>Next list item</td><td>i</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></div></main><footer role="contentinfo"><p>This work was originally created by Michael Fairchild. This is a community-driven and open source project. Text and data is available under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.</p><p><a href="https://github.com/accessibilitysupported/accessibilitysupported/">Find us on GitHub</a></p><script>// only show the focus outline for skip nav if a keyboard event triggered it. var skipnav = document.querySelector('#skip-nav'); var main = document.querySelector('main'); skipnav.addEventListener('click', function () { main.classList.add('show-focus-outline'); main.focus(); }); main.addEventListener('blur', function () { main.classList.remove('show-focus-outline'); });</script></footer></body></html>