JAWS Comments

Surf's Up Helps Sixth Grader Quickly Learn JAWS

"I am enjoying your program Surfs Up. It’s nice to be able to use the instructions you give, and be able to see it actually perform as it is supposed to. I feel that it is beneficial to my ability to learn and remember the commands for each new element of the training. Thank you."

- Sixth Grade Student - Sandstone Middle School - Hermiston, Oregon

JAWS 11 Beta Tester Praises Upcoming New Version

"I've been using JAWS since its 10.0 release, but JAWS 11 is better than ever before! One of the new features in JAWS 11 that I really like is the Research It feature. With this new feature, I could just type a word in Notepad, like Mailbox, for example, and I could just sit back and listen to its definition at my own pleasure! Another feature that I like is the new FSReader full version! In previous versions of JAWS, such as 10.0 and earlier, I had to listen to only the DAISY books produced by Freedom Scientific. But now, I can listen to DAISY books produced by Freedom Scientific, as well as DAISY books produced by other sources such as Bookshare.org, RFB&D, etc. With this new feature, I will never have to worry about installing a demo copy of FSReader ever again! But furthermore, JAWS is the world's most powerful screen reading software in the market out there today, and I can't live without it! If it wasn't for JAWS, I wouldn't find the information I need out there on the Internet or any where else without sighted assistance. Thanks to JAWS and, of course the Freedom Scientific team, I have the freedom and power to do everything with JAWS! Thanks Freedom Scientific team!"

- Juan Carlos Alicea - Queens, New York

Braille Challenge Winner Finds JAWS, PAC Mate Ideal Study Aids

"I use both JAWS and the PAC Mate. I find them both very helpful. I record things with my PAC Mate to remind me of what I have to do. I use JAWS when I'm on the Internet. I can do almost anything on the Internet now that I have JAWS. The PAC Mate I use to print things out for my teachers. I'm only 10 years old, and I've found many uses for these products. I won the PAC Mate at the Braille Challenge, and I borrowed a laptop computer from my school. My technology teacher, who is blind herself, installed JAWS on it for me. All of this happened in the last few months. "

- Cricket Bidleman – San Diego, California

JAWS as a Learning and Life Aid

"JAWS is my eyes. I've been using JAWS since 2001, and it has helped me wonders, right through my educational period at college up till now in my professional life as a computer instructor to blind learners. I learned so much through JAWS. It gives me immense pleasure of surfing Internet independently, reading books, communicating people all over the world, learning different applications and training others. It's so amazing. I love Freedom Scientific for their major contribution for blind. Keep up the good work. "

- Salman Khalid – Lahore, India

Change to JAWS Gives Low Vision Student Success

"I have been legally blind since birth. I used (another) screen magnifier for some time, until I came across JAWS (through a friend of mine) and honestly, I couldn't be more satisfied. JAWS allows me to surf the Web, listen to music, create documents and e-mails. Most importantly, JAWS gives me the ability to complete my assignments just like my sighted peers. For that I thank Freedom Scientific. "

- Marissa – California

Student Appreciates RealSpeak® Solo Direct Voices and Auto Forms Mode

"For me, JAWS has been a great program for anyone who is blind and visually impaired as myself. I use JAWS at school and at home. I use it for surfing the Internet, writing out documents, and finding a news report for my homework assignment. One of the new features in JAWS is the RealSpeak Solo Direct (voice) synthesizer. With this new synthesizer, I can now sit back and listen to my news articles and more at my own pleasure. Another feature in JAWS is the Auto Forms Mode. In previous versions of JAWS, I had to press enter each time I went into a form. But now, thanks to JAWS 10, I no longer have to worry anymore on pressing enter and hearing JAWS say, 'Forms Mode On' or 'Forms Mode Off' because it plays an audible beep each time I enter a form!

"If it wasn’t for Freedom Scientific, I wouldn't be able to find the information I needed without sighted assistants. But thanks to JAWS, I have the freedom to do everything! Thanks Freedom Scientific!"

- Juan Carlos Alicea – Glendale, Queens, New York

Well-written Manuals Make Expanding JAWS Expertise Easy

"The manuals for JAWS are written so well that I have no problem finding anything I need to find quickly. I have seen many screen reading applications, and this one is by far the best of them all. I started with version 2.0 and steadily advanced up to the present version through the years, and I can say that no other product can even remotely compare with this one. I am truly impressed, and impressing me is no easy chore either. I have never seen a product which can be adapted so quickly and so well to virtually any Windows application. The manuals are so well written that any one who wants to learn to script, for example, can easily gain that knowledge. Everything about the application is fantastic and still improving. "

- Ricky Goines – Nederland, Texas

JAWS Feature Gives Voice to India

"I am a blind person from India. I wish to point out a powerful feature of JAWS. JAWS reads Tamil and Hindi well. The new feature, JAWS Menu/Languages/Voice Profiles/New Profile, helps us to add a SAPI 5 speech engine. I have added a SAPI 5 eSpeak synthesizer and read Tamil and Hindi content on the Internet. JAWS never hangs when I use the synthesizer. My eyes filled with tears of joy when JAWS first read the Google Tamil pages. It reads the entire Tamil content well, and I can easily select check boxes and combo boxes. I visited the Tamil BBC Web site and read the page easily and activated the voice media player with JAWS. Many, many thanks with tears of joy from a blind person from the soil of India."

- Kannan. b – Chennai, India

Praise for JAWS for 64-bit Windows Vista®

"Thanks so much for creating JAWS 10 for 64-bit Windows Vista at just the right time for me! Just the week before ... I was told that I'd have to get (HP) to send me a 32-bit version for my computer. I spent an hour on the phone, and was successful, but when the invoice arrived, it said using the 32-bit system would void my warranty. How timely that the Public Beta arrived. I installed it, tried it a couple of days in 40-minute mode, then authorized it. It is working very, very well!"

- Sandi Ryan – Ankeny, Iowa

JAWS Makes the World Accessible with Technical Support Second to None

"I’ve been a JAWS user since 1997, and I’m a big believer in accessibility for the visually impaired. JAWS makes the world accessible to me, just the way it should be.

I use JAWS to access e-mail, to manage documents, and for surfing the Internet. JAWS makes using the Internet a high-quality and productive experience each and every time. JAWS gets me where I need to go and helps me meet my objectives. I can’t imagine being without the access JAWS provides.

Your Technical Support team is second to none. Everyone in that group is very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. They all seem very willing to go out of their way to assist me. Whenever I’ve had occasion to contact Technical Support, I’ve gotten positive results, and it has been a pleasant experience. Keep up the good work!"

- Anthony Vece – Williamstown, New Jersey

"I have been a JAWS user for several years. I consider JAWS to be the most inovative pieces of software in the world! With it, I can access the Internet, read e-mail, and use any program I want. In my opinion, Freedom Scientific's Technical Support Department is better than the support departments of all other companies! Whenever I email or call Tech Support, I receive knowledgeable and courteous responses. Freedom Scientific Tech Support serves as a model for Tech Support departments at all other companies. Everyone at Freedom Scientific, Keep up the excellent work!"

- Blake Roberts – Felton, Delaware

“On a few occasions within the past year, I have had to e-mail or call for JAWS tech support. On each of these occasions, I found the tech support reps not only to be very knowledgeable, but also extremely friendly and courteous. It is not often that one finds friendly and courteous customer service/tech support reps, and I commend Freedom Scientific for this new trend.”
- Jacob Joehl - Evanston, Illinois

JAWS-MAGic Training and Surf's Up are Top Notch

"I have to say that I am more impressed today than I ever have been with JAWS. Testing and reviewing the Surf’s Up! – Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic training Web site has given me the opportunity to delve into the JAWS interface in more detail, and it is very impressive. Please pass my comments on to those great developers and technical writers who have created such good product and training materials. Using Surf’s Up! has allowed me to work more on improving and perfecting my knowledge of JAWS.

I look forward to continuing to work with this great product and the team at Freedom Scientific. You have convinced me that Freedom Scientific, its people, and its products are all top notch. Thanks for a great job!"

- Jose Tamayo - Miami, Florida

Praise for JAWS Training Materials

"I just wanted to tell you that the What's New (in JAWS 9) audio files and the introduction to Vista® audio was quite good, well done as well, especially the JAWS 9 training materials. I have listened to that stuff over and over with the FSReader demo in JAWS and can't get enough of using this useful feature.

I would like to congratulate all of you folks out there with the release of JAWS 9. Responsiveness is superior to that of other JAWS versions released.

I think that the way you folks do your training these days is so much better than receiving the training materials on cassette tape. Come on; who uses tapes anymore anyway?"
- Keith Hinton - Prescott, Arizona

Rabbi and Author Credits JAWS® Screen Reading Software

"There is no question that JAWS has changed my life. There is zero chance that I could have or would have accomplished the things I have were it not for JAWS. In writing my book, all of my research was conducted using JAWS, and I never would have attempted such an undertaking without it. The same is true for becoming an ordained rabbi and running for political office. Each of these pursuits required hundreds of hours of reading and research. While it may have been possible with the assistance of sighted readers, tapes, and braille, I doubt I would have passionately pursued any of these endeavors had it not been for JAWS.

I don’t go anywhere without my laptop and without my current version of JAWS up and running. Your products have revolutionized the way I move through my days and my workloads. With JAWS on my laptop, I can manage my hectic schedule very effectively. JAWS has radically changed the way I do my work, the way I access information, the way I communicate, the ways I bank and shop - everything really.

I offer my sincerest thanks to everyone at Freedom Scientific for enabling me to lead a fulfilled life in service to others.”
- Dr. Dennis Shulman - Demarest, New Jersey

Learning JAWS Was Easy and Beneficial

"After losing most of my eyesight, I stopped using a computer. When I moved to the United States, I went to the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) to continue my education. At OSSB, I saw several students using a computer with JAWS, and I learned about Freedom Scientific’s Web site. I already knew how to use a computer, and I was very excited to use a computer again, but this time with JAWS. On the same day, with my brother’s assistance, I downloaded the demo version of JAWS into his computer. The installation process was very impressive. During the installation, JAWS read all the messages in the installation wizard. After installing JAWS, within minutes and without any assistance, I was surfing the Internet, reactivated my Hotmail account, signed on to Windows® Messenger, and I was chatting with my family and friends around the world.

Since I already knew how to use a computer, learning JAWS was not difficult at all. In the beginning, I used the computer’s basic keystrokes to function all the applications. After that, in school, I learned the JAWS keystrokes to operate the computer more effectively.

I have been using a computer with JAWS since 2002. Now I can use a computer for studying, banking, communicating, shopping, ordering food, etc. I can perform these tasks with the help of JAWS. All the credit goes to my instructors, Freedom Scientific, and the developers of JAWS.”
- Zaheer Sheikh - Columbus, Ohio

Terminal Service Support Opens IT Access from a Single Computer

"I am the IT manager for a growing medical testing company. Because we are a small company and our needs are rapidly changing, I am responsible for handling all aspects of our IT infrastructure. JAWS makes it possible for me to accomplish this by providing support for terminal services. Specifically, I am responsible for installing new software on people's machines, managing backups of our network, and troubleshooting any network access issues that may arise. Without terminal services support from JAWS, I would have to physically go to the machine in question and perform my work. This isn't always possible as some of our systems are located in a working lab, and space may be at a premium. In addition, having the ability to access remote systems allows me to use a VPN connection from home to perform server maintenance and fix problems that may occur after hours or on a weekend. In short, JAWS gives me the ability to work just like any other IT support person."
- Brett Lewis - Spokane, Washington

JAWS - Easy for Novices, Advanced Functionality for Power Users

"I have used screen readers for a little under 10 years and have never seen a screen reader that is as powerful yet easy to use as JAWS. JAWS includes functionality found in no other screen reader, and Freedom Scientific continues to stay on the forefront of developing adaptive technology. JAWS contains advanced features that allow the user to control every aspect of the screen reading experience. Some of these features include Skim Reading mode, Custom List Views, and Labels and Highlighting. JAWS also has a built-in scripting language so you can write scripts or programs that help JAWS read the screen. Couple this advanced functionality with control and context sensitive help, and you have a screen reader that is easy enough for beginners and power users alike."
- Patrick Turnage - Tampa, Florida

JAWS Scripting Adds Value to Screen Reader

“As a Trainer and Technical Consultant within the UK, much of my work involves customizing JAWS for Windows for non-standard workplace applications, using the JAWS scripting language. Without the many scripting tools for JAWS, I can genuinely say that people would not be able to work at the same level within employment as their sighted co-workers.
At another level, we have used the JAWS scripting language predominantly to create a bridging technology entitled J-Say, providing inter-operability between JAWS and Dragon NaturallySpeaking. We have used the high quality access already given to JAWS users with Microsoft® applications, coupled with the design of our own script-T-based utilities, to allow people who are unable to use the keyboard and are visually impaired to access computer technology which has been life-changing for many people.”
- Brian Hartgen - Threntham, Stoke-on-Tent, UK

Years Didn't Stop Him from Learning JAWS

“I can never forget the new world that opened up almost instantaneously the first time I sat down at a Windows 95 computer equipped with JAWS. With a few basic instructions and a bit of orientation, I was surfing the Web and, in fact, listening to a New York Yankees baseball game from an Internet stream of WABC 770 New York. I was able to accomplish this after only about an hour or so of training.

With (more recent) JAWS innovations such as the Virtual Viewer, Internet Quick Navigation keys and various other specialized keystrokes for navigation, today it takes literally seconds to access such complex Web pages as multimedia newspapers and magazines, TV and radio station sites, and a whole host of music download and Flash-oriented sites.

I have built my use of JAWS into an access technology career which I thoroughly enjoy, as well as a series of Internet-oriented hobbies that have made my life fuller and richer. My hobbies include Internet telephony, streaming audio, news groups, music downloading, and a voracious amount of reading.

I would strongly recommend JAWS for Windows to any blind or visually impaired person who wants to join the growing number of people whose lives have been made more interesting and successful by the use of a Windows-based computer! It shouldn't matter what age you are (I was 43 when I began). The comprehensive audio tutorials on tape and DAISY format can telescope a lot of learning into just a few short lessons.

Looking back, I wonder how I ever got along without JAWS for Windows. Thank you Freedom Scientific!”
- Ron Canazzi - Cheektowga, New York

JAWS Opens Work Opportunities for Aussie

“I have been using JAWS now for 10 years. In the time I have used JAWS, it has opened work opportunities that otherwise would have not been available. JAWS has allowed me to work in the USA for six months, obtain a highly technical support manager role, and permitted me to access a large range of information. The flexibility and customization of JAWS provides users more control in how they work than any other screen reading product.”
- Sean Murphy - Mt. Colah, New South Wales, Australia

JAWS Boosts Productivity for the Blind

“Custom Labels, used together with other JAWS HTML features such as Personalized Web Settings and PlaceMarkers, give you the tools you need to make inaccessible sites more accessible and to make accessible sites easier to use. These JAWS tools make you more efficient and allow you to customize the Web browsing experience and even fine tune how JAWS interacts with HTML applications. This helps improve your productivity.”
- Brian Walker - Des Moines, Iowa