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| JAWS for Windows | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Freedom Scientific |
| Initial release | January 1989; 36 years ago (1989-01) |
| Stable release | 2026.2510.195.400 / October 29, 2025; 48 days ago (2025-10-29) |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Screen reader |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | Official website |
Job Access With Speech (JAWS) is a computerscreen reader program forMicrosoft Windows that allowsblind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with atext-to-speech output or by arefreshable Braille display. JAWS is produced by the Blind and Low Vision Group ofFreedom Scientific.
A 2023–2024 screen reader user survey byWebAIM, a web accessibility company, found JAWS to be the most popular desktop/laptop screen reader worldwide for primary usage (at 40.5%), while 60.5% of participants listed it as a commonly used screen reader, ranking it second in this measure behindNVDA.[1]
JAWS supportsWindows 10 andWindows 11 along with all versions of Windows Server released sinceWindows Server 2016. There are two versions of the program: theHome edition for non-commercial use and theProfessional edition for commercial environments. Before JAWS 16, theHome edition was calledStandard, and only worked on the home editions of Windows operating systems.[2][3] ADOS version is free.[4]
TheJAWS Scripting Language allows the user to use programs without standard Windows controls, and programs that were not designed for accessibility.
JAWS was originally released in 1989 byTed Henter, a former motorcycle racer who lost his sight in a 1978 automobile accident. In 1985, Henter, along with aUS$180,000 investment from Bill Joyce, founded theHenter-Joyce Corporation inSt. Petersburg, Florida. Joyce sold his interest in the company back to Henter in 1990. In April 2000, Henter-Joyce, Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc. merged to formFreedom Scientific.
JAWS was originally created for theMS-DOSoperating system. It was one of several screen readers giving blind users access to text-mode MS-DOS applications. A feature unique to JAWS at the time was its use of cascading menus, in the style of the popularLotus 1-2-3 application. What set JAWS apart from other screen readers of the era was its use ofmacros that allowed users to customize the user interface and work better with various applications.[citation needed]
Ted Henter and Rex Skipper wrote the original JAWS code in the mid-1980s, releasing version 2.0 in mid-1990. Skipper left the company after the release of version 2.0, and following his departure,Charles Oppermann was hired to maintain and improve the product. Oppermann and Henter regularly added minor and major features and frequently released new versions. Freedom Scientific now offers JAWS for MS-DOS as afreeware download from their website.[5][6]
In 1993, Henter-Joyce released a highly modified version of JAWS for people with learning disabilities. This product, called WordScholar, is no longer available.[7]
In 1992, asMicrosoft Windows became more popular, Oppermann began work on a new version of JAWS. A principal design goal was not to interfere with the natural user interface of Windows and to continue to provide a strong macro facility. Test and beta versions of JAWS for Windows (JFW) were shown at conferences throughout 1993 and 1994. During this time, developer Glen Gordon started working on the code, ultimately taking over its development when Oppermann was hired by Microsoft in November 1994. Shortly afterwards, in January 1995, JAWS for Windows 1.0 was released.
A new revision of JAWS for Windows is released about once a year, with minor updates in between.
JAWS allows all major functions of theMicrosoft Windows operating system to be controlled withkeyboard shortcuts and spoken feedback. These shortcuts are kept as consistent as possible throughout most programs, but the very high number of functions needed to fluidly use modern computer software effectively requires the end user to memorize many specific keystrokes. Virtually every aspect of JAWS can be customized by the user, including all keystrokes and factors such as reading speed, granularity used when reading punctuation, and hints. JAWS also includes a scripting language to automate tasks and make more complex modifications to the program's behavior.[8]
The software includes a distinct mode designed specifically forweb browsers, activated when a browser is in the foreground. When browsing web pages, JAWS first declares the title and number of links. Speech can be stopped with thecontrol key, lines are navigated with the↑/↓ arrow keys, and thetab key moves between links and controls. Specific letter keys on the keyboard can be pressed to navigate to the next or previous element of a specific type, such as text boxes or checkboxes.[9] JAWS can access headings inWord and PDF documents in a similar fashion.[10]
The JAWS feature set and its configurability have been described as "complex", with training recommended for users such as web designers performing accessibility testing, to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from such testing.[11]
JAWS Scripting Language (JSL) is aproprietary programming language that allows the interoperation of JAWS. It is acompiled language, allowing for source code protection.[citation needed] "JAWS scripting" commonly refers to customization of the built-in, user-editable utilities of JAWS and editing of its configuration files, as well as the writing of original scripts. JSL acts as anAPI (application programming interface) and allows users to combine JAWS scripting,Microsoft Active Accessibility scripting, anddocument object model scripting.