Using Windows with JAWS 3.7

 

Using Windows with JAWS is quite easy once you master the basic skills. Read and learn this section to master basic Windows skills with JAWS. In this section, you will learn about the Windows environment, the components within Windows, and how to utilize Windows to maximize your productivity and enjoyment of computing.

 

JAWS supports multiple versions of Windows, but this lesson will be based on the Windows 98 operating system.

 

Desktop Orientation

Windows is arranged so that you can think of your computer as a traditional desktop or office environment. In your office, at work, or at home, you probably have a desk. Most likely you also have folders that have files stored inside them.

 

Windows is just the same, except it is electronic. The first screen that you are presented with after turning on your computer is typically the Windows desktop. Stored inside your desktop are the tools that help you get your work accomplished. Inside the Windows desktop, you have software applications, which are computer programs that enable you to do your work, and you have folders, which contain your files, or the work you have completed or that is in progress.

 

Consider the desktop the parent of all windows. Think of all other windows, such as applications or files, as descendent, or child windows that are contained within the desktop parent window.

 

There are five components of the desktop:

·        Desktop List View

·        Start Button

·        Quick Launch Bar

·        Taskbar

·        System Tray

 

Also there are other ways to launch applications and maximize running applications.

 

To move from one component of the Windows desktop to another, use the TAB key. To move backwards, press SHIFT+TAB. Notice that the Windows desktop is organized in a cyclical manner. If you press TAB and do not move around the desktop, press INSERT+F6 to minimize all applications and return to the desktop list view. Once in a particular component, such as on the Task Bar, use the arrow keys to move from one item to the next.

 

Desktop List View

 

The desktop list view contains a list of icons or shortcuts from which you can launch applications. In this list, you can also access folders and/or files that you specify to be saved on the Windows desktop.

To navigate the Windows desktop, you first need to press the SPACEBAR to select the first item in the list view, which is typically My Computer. After pressing the SPACEBAR, you can use the arrow keys to move through the columns and rows of icons on the desktop. Press ENTER on any of these items to open them.

 

The background on the desktop is usually a plain color. The default is teal, but you can change the color, choose background patterns, or save a picture on the desktop. For more information on making these changes, see your Windows help file.

 

Press TAB to move to the next component of your desktop, the Start button.

 

Start Button

Press TAB to move to the start button, and you will hear JAWS say, “Start Button.” It is located in the bottom left corner of the screen. Press ENTER to open the start menu. The first menu item you will hear is the item located at the top of the list. If you have not altered the start menu, it will open on Programs, and you will hear, “Programs, submenu.” The statement, “submenu,” indicates that you can press the RIGHT ARROW or ENTER to open another menu contained inside the main menu.

 

The Start Button gives you access to all of your programs, among other Windows features. The shortcuts on the Start Menu include Programs, Favorites, Documents, Settings, Find, Help, Run, Log off, and Shut Down. Another easy way to access the Start Menu is to press the Windows Logo Key, located two in from the left on the bottom row of your standard Windows keyboard, or three in from the right.

 

You can also customize the Start Menu to contain other shortcuts, like JAWS. To do this, move to the Settings item on the Start Menu and press ENTER. Use the DOWN ARROW key to move to Taskbar & Start Menu, and press ENTER. Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Start Menu Programs tab, and select Add. Then you must type in the path for the shortcut you want to add, or press browse to locate it. For JAWS, you should be able to find your version at c:\JAWS**\Jfw.exe. The ** represents the version number of JAWS that you are running. For instance, if you are running JAWS 3.7 look for c:\JAWS37\Jfw.exe. Next you can choose where you want the new shortcut to appear. If you want it to appear in the main menu, leave this on the default selection of Programs. You will then need to name your shortcut. You can remove a shortcut from the Start Menu in the same way, except don’t choose Add, instead select Remove.

 

Press ESC to close the Start Menu, and go back to the Start button. Press the TAB key to move to the Quick Launch Bar. You won’t hear, “Quick Launch Bar,” as you might expect, instead JAWS will only say, “Toolbar.”

 

Quick Launch Bar

The Quick Launch Bar is located just to the right of the Start button on the very bottom of the screen. As you move to the Quick Launch Bar, JAWS will only say, “Toolbar.” Since JAWS does not recognize this Windows feature, you should disable it. Once you hear JAWS say, “Toolbar,” press the Application key, and then use the DOWN ARROW key to select toolbars. Press ENTER and use the DOWN ARROW key to move to Quick Launch and press ENTER. Now when you use the TAB key to move around the components of the Windows desktop, you won’t hear “toolbar.”

 

Press the TAB key to move to the Taskbar.

 

Taskbar

You will find the Taskbar immediately to the right of the Quick Launch Bar, if it is enabled. If the Quick Launch Bar is disabled, the taskbar is to the immediate right of the Start button. The Taskbar allows you to see how many applications are running at one time. After pressing the TAB key to move to the Taskbar, use the RIGHT and LEFT ARROW KEYS to move through the open applications. Press ENTER on the application that you want to bring into focus. If you only hear one item announced on the taskbar, that is the only application running.

 

Window List

Use INSERT+F10 to bring up a dialog box that will list all the applications that you are currently running. These are the same applications that are present on your Taskbar.

 

System Tray

The last component of the Windows desktop is the System Tray. It is found in the bottom right corner of your screen. You won’t find this feature by pressing TAB. Without JAWS, you can only access the System Tray with the mouse. JAWS has developed a keystroke, INSERT+F11, to give you easy access to the System Tray. Pressing this keystroke will provide a dialog box that contains a list of all the applications that are running in the System Tray. For more information on using JAWS to access the System Tray see link Select a System Tray Icon Dialog.

 

The System Tray is also where you can find the current time and date. To access this information, press INSERT+F12 for the time, and press INSERT+F12, twice in rapid succession, for the date.

 

Define a Hotkey

 

Using Hotkeys is an efficient way to launch programs, like JAWS. Follow the instructions below to assign a hotkey to JAWS:

 

1.     Press INSERT+F6 to minimize all applications and move focus to the Desktop.

 

2.     Press J, the first letter of the desktop shortcut, JAWS. You may need to press this letter several times before you hear, “JAWS.”

 

3.     Press ALT+ENTER to access the Properties dialog box. Confirm that your focus is on the Shortcut Page.

 

4.     Press ALT+K or the TAB key to move to the shortcut key control. Press J to assign J as the hotkey for JAWS.

 

5.     Press INSERT+UP ARROW to hear the keystroke you selected.

 

Note:     Sometimes if you choose a key combination that is already assigned, Windows will automatically add another key to your combination. Use the say line command to verify your hotkey choice. For example, if you type J for JAWS, Windows will add CTRL+ALT to the J to make this key work for you.

 

6.     Press ENTER to activate your hotkey.

 

Important Note:     If the Properties dialog box does not have these options, a Desktop object has been selected, rather than a Desktop shortcut and another item will need to be selected.

 

Typical Application Window Layout

 

This topic will describe the general layout of most applications from the top of the application window to the bottom. HJPad, a basic word processor that is shipped with JAWS will be used as the example. Go to the Start Menu, select Programs, select JAWS, and then press DOWN ARROW to move to Run HJPad. Press ENTER to launch the application.

 

Title Bar

The title bar is located at the extreme top of the window, and displays the file name, followed by the application name. To hear the text of the title bar, or confirm which application is active, press INSERT+T.

 

Menu Bar

Press the ALT key to activate the menu bar. The menu bar is a row of words, that once activated will display drop down menus. The menu bar is where you can find the commands to modify your files. The menu bar in HJPad includes the words File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, and Help. Familiarize yourself with the available commands in HJPad, as it is a safe practice environment, which mirrors many other popular applications. Use the ENTER key to open a menu on the menu bar, and use the UP and DOWN ARROW KEYS to navigate in the menus.

Note: The items on the menu bar and the items held inside the menus will vary from one application to another.

 

Toolbars

Press ALT to go to the menu bar, and then press CTRL+TAB to move to the first toolbar. Press CTRL+TAB again to move to successive toolbars.

 

The toolbars are located just below the menu bar, and depending on the application, there could be any number of them. In HJPad, there are two toolbars: a standard and a formatting. Displaying a standard and formatting toolbar by default is common for most applications. The toolbars consist of graphical buttons that a sighted user would click with the mouse. Most toolbar buttons represent items that can be found within the menus. Once you navigate to the toolbar, press the RIGHT and LEFT ARROW KEYS to move about the toolbar, and then press ENTER to activate any choice.

 

Document Edit Field

Press ALT a second time to completely leave the menu bars or the toolbars, and your focus will be placed in the document edit field, which is located just below the menu bars and toolbars. This field takes up the majority of the window itself, and provides the area where you will do most of your work. This is where you will type your documents, create your spreadsheets, etc.

 

Status Bar

The status bar is just below the document edit field, and cannot be accessed by traditional Windows keystrokes. The status bar provides useful information about your document. In HJPad, it gives you more detailed information about the menu items that you have selected. In Microsoft Word, the status area is a bit more complex. There, it will give you the page number, section number, location of the insertion point, etc. To hear JAWS read the status bar press INSERT+PAGE DOWN.

 

Control Menu

The control menu is used to restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, and close a window. The control menu is not always visible on the screen, but you can use the Windows keystroke ALT+SPACEBAR to open it. Then use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through menu choices.

 

Sample Dialogs

Dialog boxes are smaller windows that usually appear from a menu choice. They contain various kinds of options through which you can carry out a particular command or task.

 

A variety of elements can exist in a dialog box. HJPad is an application developed by Henter-Joyce to help you familiarize yourself with a typical Windows application in a safe environment. In HJPad, you can find sample dialogs under the tools menu. Use these dialogs as a safe environment for practicing your navigation through the different kinds of dialog boxes and the controls found within them.

 

Single Page 1…

Dialog boxes can be any number of pages, but start with the single page dialog. You can find this under the tools menu, Sample dialogs, Single page 1...

 

Note: The ellipses at the end of the menu choice indicate that a dialog box will follow that choice.

 

Use the TAB key to move about the various controls in the dialog box.

Use the following links to move directly to a particular control.

 

Radio Buttons

 

The first set of controls that you will find are a set of radio buttons. Radio buttons appear as small circles, usually to the left of each choice in a list. Use the DOWN ARROW key to move through the radio buttons, and when you land on the appropriate choice, press TAB to move to the next control. In this case, you are asked to choose your title: Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss.

 

Note: Only one radio button in a group can be selected at a time.

 

Edit Fields

When JAWS announces, “First name colon edit,” you are in an edit field. Edit fields are similar to the edit fields in word processors. You can type text into an edit field, and typically you can use the same navigation keystrokes here as you would in a document edit field. In this case, enter your first name, and then press the TAB key to move to the next control, which is also an edit field. Enter your last name, and press TAB again to move to the next edit field, which is a multi-line edit field. A multi-line edit field allows you to type more than one line in an edit field. Here, you should enter your street address, and you can press ENTER after the first line to put a second address line. Press the TAB key to move to the next control.

 

Edit Combo Box

An edit combo box is the next control. It is actually a combination of two controls: an edit field and a list box. You can either type in a value or press ALT+DOWN ARROW to open a list box, which contains suggestions for the contents of this field. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through the list box, and use ALT+UP ARROW or ESC to close the list box. If you do not find your choice in the list box, type it in the edit field.

 

Combo Box

The next field is a plain combo box, which differs from the edit combo box, in that you cannot type in this field. You must make your selection from those given by the application. In this case, you are to choose the state where you live. Either press the DOWN ARROW key to move through the choices, or press the first letter of the choice that you are looking for. For example, press F for Florida.

 

Edit Spin Box

The next control is an edit spin box, which is also a combination of two controls. You can type in this field, or use the arrow keys to move through the list of suggestions. Edit spin boxes are common for fields that require numeric values.

 

Left/Right Slider

The left/right slider is oriented horizontally, so that you can use your LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to move one percent at a time. If you would like to move in larger increments, use PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN.

 

Check Box

A check box is the next control you will find in the sample dialog. A check box can be checked or unchecked, and JAWS will tell you the current state of a checkbox when you navigate to one. Use the SPACEBAR to check or uncheck a checkbox. The arrow keys can be used to navigate a list of options that have checkboxes related to them. Use the say line command, INSERT+UP ARROW, to verify whether a checkbox is checked or unchecked.

 

Other Controls

The last control in the sample dialog is the clear form button. Pressing ENTER on this button will clear all edit fields, and restore the other options to the default settings.

OK and Cancel are the last two buttons, and both will appear in almost every dialog box you encounter. OK will save and implement your settings, while Cancel will close the dialog without saving any of your choices. Once you finish working in a dialog box, you can press INSERT+E to see what the default button is. If it is OK, you can just press ENTER to activate that control.

 

Multi-Page Layout

The Multi-Page Layout dialog box differs from the Single Page 1, because it contains multiple pages of controls. When you move into a dialog box that you are unfamiliar with, listen for the words tab and page, which will indicate that you have landed in a multi-page dialog box. When you finish navigating the first screen, press CTRL+TAB to move to the next page of controls. CTRL+TAB will cycle through all of the pages, and will either return you to the first page, or will stop with the last page.

 

List View

The list view, titled Tracking My Progress, lists 107 items that directly correspond to the items in the multi-page dialog. This means that if you change an item in this list view, the status of the checkbox in the multi-page dialog will also change. To hear the available items in the list view, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys. JAWS will announce whether they are completed or not completed. Press C to mark an item as completed, and use N for not completed.

 

The items in the list view are arranged in three columns. To hear the column headers, route the PC cursor to the JAWS cursor, and press the UP ARROW key. As you move through the list, JAWS will only read what appears on the screen. Periodically items will not physically fit in the column. To untruncate the column, press the Windows keystroke, CTRL+NUM PAD PLUS. Untruncating the column will reformat the view so all the contents of the column are visible. Untruncating columns is a temporary setting, and must be performed each time you enter the dialog box. For more information, see link Untruncating Columns.

 

You might want to change the status of more than one item at a time. To do so, select all the items you want to affect, then press the C or N keys. You can select items that are contiguous or noncontiguous. To learn how to select items see link Selecting Items.

 

Tree View

In a tree view, items are presented in a hierarchical format, which is organized vertically on the screen. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through the tree view. When you hear, “level zero closed,” you can use the right arrow to open that level. You are then presented with more information beneath it. Use the DOWN ARROW key to move through the next level. One of those items may also be closed, and you can again use the RIGHT ARROW key to open that item. If you want to close a level, use the LEFT ARROW or the BACKSPACE key.

 

Note: JAWS will only announce the level number when it changes.

 

To move to the first item in the tree view, use HOME, and to move to the last item, press END.

On the right side of the tree view is another pane, which contains information that corresponds to the left side of the tree view. You can press the TAB key to move to the other pane in a tree view. Use the say all command of INSERT+DOWN ARROW to hear the information in this pane. Press SHIFT+TAB to move back to the original pane.

 

Recycle Bin

In Windows, when you delete a file or folder, these items are placed in the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin can be thought of as a holding bin for deleted items, before they are permanently deleted. You can access the Recycle Bin from the icon on the Windows Desktop, or from Windows Explorer. It is organized as a list view. You can restore items to their original location from the Recycle Bin. Select the item you want to restore, and press the Applications Key, which is the second key from the right on the last row of your keyboard. Press the DOWN ARROW key to select the first menu item, Restore, and press ENTER to activate this choice. You can also restore a menu item from the Restore option on the File menu.

 

Periodically, you should empty your Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin, and select Empty Recycle Bin from the File menu to permanently delete all items in the Recycle Bin.

 

Control Panel

 

The Control Panel is a centralized location for modifying Windows settings. You should take some time to explore the Control Panel, and the many features and controls located there. To Access the Control Panel, go to the Start Menu, select Settings, and finally choose Control Panel.

The Control Panel is organized, by default, as a list of icons that are arranged in rows and columns. Press the SPACEBAR to select the first item, and then use the arrow keys to navigate through the choices.

 

Some of the features in the Control Panel that may be of interest to you include:

 

·  Date/Time – allows you to change the date and time on your computer. Press INSERT+F12 for the time, and INSERT+F12 twice in rapid succession for the date.

 

·  Display – allows you to change your display properties, including screen area resolution and color settings.

 

·  Sounds – allows you to change sounds that are played on your computer. You can hear anything from jungle sounds to sounds of robots.

 

·  Multimedia – lets you control the devices used for multimedia, including video, MIDI, etc.

 

·  Add/Remove Programs – provides a way for you to see what applications are installed on your computer, while also allowing you to add and remove software.

 

·  Accessibility Options – lets you change certain features on your computer system to make computing easier for you. This option includes such items as sticky keys and high contrast color settings.

 

Important Note:  Changing settings in the Control Panel may affect the ability of JAWS to speak. Please use caution when modifying these settings.