FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Brad Davis
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Sales: [email protected]

Freedom Scientific Releases JAWS 14

New Flexible Web, Vocalizer, Support for Windows 8

(St. Petersburg, Florida - October 24, 2012)

Freedom Scientific today announced the release of version 14 of JAWS® for Windows, the world’s premier screen reading software. This release includes a new feature called Flexible Web, designed to give users better control when reading Web pages. This innovation allows screen reader users to identify and block extraneous content, such as advertisements and social media links that sighted people skip right past, but that are serious hindrances to navigation and continuous reading for blind users. Available for use with Internet Explorer or Firefox, Flexible Web includes a wizard that makes it easy to create global rules or Web-page-specific rules.

JAWS 14 is also the first screen reader offering support for the Windows 8 Operating System. The new Windows 8 Start Screen and Windows Store Apps, such as IE, Email, Calendar, and Contacts, are all supported. Freedom Scientific worked with Microsoft on the new Accessibility Driver to provide JAWS cursor and Braille support on this new operating system.

"This release offers some significant breakthroughs in accessibility for screen reader users," said Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Product Management for Freedom Scientific. "Flexible Web is one of the biggest advances in Web access for screen reader users since the introduction of Navigation Quick Keys and the Links List. Other significant benefits include the new Vocalizer Voices, provided for free, and a new feature that allows Outlook 2010 and 2007 emails, formatted using tables, to be read without having to first open them in a browser. These advances, along with all the other features and enhancements, make this new version of JAWS a 'must have' to go along with our all new MAGic® 12 release."

The JAWS 14 upgrade is an SMA release and can be downloaded as either a 32- or 64-bit version from the JAWS downloads page. DVD shipments to SMA holders and new product customers will commence on November 1, 2012.

About Freedom Scientific

Freedom Scientific is a leading worldwide brand of assistive technology products for those with vision impairments. Freedom Scientific is part of Vispero™. Vispero has its headquarters in the USA and the Netherlands, and offices in Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Through Vispero's multi-tier distribution, Freedom Scientific products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Freedom Scientific® and its products are registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.