Surfing the Internet with JAWS!
Learn to use JAWS® screen reading software to read and navigate the Internet! Do you want to become a power JAWS user on the World Wide Web? Do you want to learn how JAWS can help you navigate the vast resources of entertainment, education, and information available on the web? Surf's Up! - Surfing the Internet with JAWS teaches you to use JAWS to read and work with all types of HTML pages, such as web sites, Help systems, web-based applications, and more. Learn how to use the powerful features of JAWS to get the most out of surfing the web.
Note: Surf's Up assumes you are running the most recent version of JAWS. Features demonstrated on these pages may behave slightly different in older versions.
Surf's up! Let's See Where JAWS Can Take Us:
Introduction to Browsing the Web
Web Page Elements
Navigating Web Pages
Temporary Versus Permanent Changes
JAWS Web Verbosity
Tables
Forms
Frames
Languages
Dealing with Difficult Pages
Using the JAWS Find Command
Skim Reading
PlaceMarkers and the Custom Page Summary
Personalized Web Settings
Speech and Sounds Schemes
Using Custom Labels
Search Engines
Using HTML Help Systems
Aria Live Regions
Aria Live Regions, Atomic
Contacting Freedom Scientific
Getting Started With Surf's Up
You can use Surf's Up with the web browser of your choice, however, many of our exercises and examples regularly refer to the Google Chrome™ web browser. Chrome is one of the most popular browsers today as it is frequently updated to support the latest web standards. If you choose to use Chrome and it is already installed on your computer, you can launch it by selecting the Google Chrome shortcut on the Desktop.
Install Google Chrome
If you would like to install Chrome, do the following:
- From a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox™, go to the Chrome download page.
- Press B to move to the Download Chrome button and press ENTER.
- Press B to move to the Accept and Install button and press ENTER. Chrome will automatically download and install.
Install Mozilla Firefox
If you would like to install Mozilla™ Firefox™, do the following:
- From a web browser such as Google Chrome, go to the Firefox download page.
- Press INSERT+F7 to open the JAWS list of links, and then choose the Download Now or Download in another language link.
- Press SHIFT+F6 to move to the Installer button on the bottom left side of the page, and then press ENTER to start the install.
JAWS Help Keystrokes
JAWS provides context-sensitive help for many different elements you might encounter in web pages. To read help information for the current web page, or for an element within a web page, press INSERT+F1. For general help with whatever browser you are using press INSERT+F1 twice quickly while the browser is the active window. For Hot Key Help for browsers (or other apps) with JAWS press INSERT+H.
Tabbed Browsing
Many of the exercise pages and keystroke command pages in Surf's Up either open in new browser windows or in new browser tabs, depending on how your version of any browser is set up. You can press ALT+TAB to move between the different open windows, or CTRL+TAB to move between different tab pages in the current browser session. Also remember to close the open windows by pressing ALT+F4 when you are finished with them or close a single tab page by pressing CTRL+F4.
The JAWS Key
You will notice occasional references to the JAWS key when using JAWS. This key is used by JAWS in combination with other keys on the keyboard to perform various actions. For example, the JAWS Key+T reads the title of the current document while JAWS Key+F7 opens a list of links in a web page.
The default JAWS keys are as follows:
- JAWS desktop layout uses the INSERT key
- JAWS laptop layout uses the CAPS LOCK key
The JAWS key can be changed from the INSERT key to the CAPS LOCK or SCROLL LOCK key. This can be done by opening the list of JAWS managers (INSERT+F2) and choosing Settings Center. The JAWS Key for either desktop or laptop layout is found in the Keyboard branch of the tree view. This must be changed in the default settings which can be selected by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+D.
Access Keys to Navigate by Page Forward or Backward in Surf's Up
Finally, at the bottom of each page in Surf's Up are links to the next or prior page. Use the following Access Keys to navigate forward or backward one page at a time in Surf's Up:
- ALT+N activates the Next page link
- ALT+B activates the Back link to move to the prior page
NOTE: Firefox adds the SHIFT key to the key combination for access keys on web pages. If you use Firefox, press ALT+SHIFT+N or ALT+SHIFT+B to move to the next or prior pages with the access keys in Surf's Up.