Navigation screen shade5/29/2023 ![]() ![]() What makes sense when you are listening to Jaws and looking at the screen might not make sense when you are not looking at the screen. Testing content with Jaws while looking at the screen is a very different experience to testing it with the screen turned off, or when you are looking away from the screen. are images that are links or convey meaning accurately described? content for icons or hidden headings and labels?ĭo images have alt text? E.g. Is any visually hidden/off screen text read out? E.g. Is any content read out more than once? E.g. ![]() Is the content read out in a logical order? ![]() Is all the content read out and does it make sense? E.g. There are a number of key areas to test including structure, alternatives for images, content order and keyboard focus order and management. Insert or capslock + F7 – lists all linksįor a full list of keyboard commands for the web, see Freedom Scientific’s list of Jaws shortcuts. Insert or capslock + F6 – lists all heading To test the structure of a page you can get an overview of a page by pulling up a list of headings, landmarks, form elements and lists using the following commands: Note that for the shortcuts that navigate between different elements (like buttons or tables), combine the shortcut with the shift key to reverse direction and move to the previous instance instead of the next. Insert or capslock + down arrow – Say all (reads everything on the page) Jaws supports numerous keyboard shortcuts, but the following are a few particularly useful ones: The majority of screen reader users are unable to use a mouse or trackpad, so test using keyboard shortcuts. Jaws support for Edge isn’t as good, though the new Chromium-based version of Edge (in beta at the time of writing) is an exceptionally good experience with Jaws.Ģ. Jaws works well with both Chrome and Firefox, though it has some performance issues with Firefox. Make sure you test with at least one other browser too for balance. It also has the worst level of accessibility support for HTML5 elements of all the browsers.įor now, you should still test with Jaws and Internet Explorer, but don’t be surprised if the experience is less than optimum. Microsoft has stopped working on Internet Explorer and will, at some point in the future, stop supporting Internet Explorer 11 altogether. The WebAIM screen reader surveys indicate that use of Internet Explorer (across all screen reader users) is in decline. It officially supports Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Edge. ![]() The Jaws screen reader, developed by Freedom Scientific, is a Windows screen reader. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started. You don’t have to be a power user to test it, but knowing the basics can take you a long way. Jaws is a powerful tool with many keyboard shortcuts, features and functionality. The 7th screen reader survey reported that Jaws was the most popular screen reader, followed by NVDA, though the gap is closing between the two. Conducted every couple of years or so since 2009, these surveys give us some good insights into the way people use screen readers. There isn’t much available information about screen reader use, but one source is the WebAIM screen reader survey. Jaws is one of a number of screen readers available to people who have visual impairments to help them navigate on-screen content. It’s always important to test content with a screen reader so that you can validate the experience from a blind person’s perspective. ![]()
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