JAWS Essentials

Below are some useful JAWS keystrokes with a brief description of their function.
Remember to listen to what JAWS is saying while using your computer. In addition to reflecting what is on the screen, JAWS offers some additional "tutor" announcements.
For example, when moving focus to a new folder, JAWS will announce the name of the first item in that folder list, and then announce "not selected". This last bit of information is not seen on the screen anywhere, it is a JAWS tutor announcement indicating that focus has moved to the folder but no item within has yet gbeen highlighted. In this case, you will Arrow to the desired item or press Spacebar, to select the current item.

Okay, let's review a few essential JAWS keysstrokes.
Note: Each topic here has a heading, meaning that the letter H, JAWS Quick key, will move through the topics below.

Title is?

pressing Insert T, will read the title of the current window.
Think of it as the "you are here" keystroke.

Accessing JAWS help

To quickly access the help topics for most commonly used computer based applications simply hold the Insert key and tap the F1 key.

Use this keystroke combination when the application is open. For example, if you are using MS Word and want to retrieve JAWS related help topics including concepts and keystrokes.
Pressing Insert F1 wwhile on a Web page will offer all the html elements available on the current page such as the title, number of links and headings etc.
So, it's the Insert F1 keystroke once, for the basics, or, twice quickly for more detailed help.

Running Applications List

press Insert F10. JAWS will produce a list of all running applications and files currently open on your computer.
Basically, this is a simpler approach to using the Alt TAB keystroke, to cycle through running applications.
A linear list will appear. you can Arrow up and down this list, pressing Enter, on the application or file you wish to move focus to.

The JAWS Cursor

Press Insert + num pad minus, to route the JAWS cursor to the PC cursor.
this is sometimes useful when you need to scan the screen on occasions when the standard PC cursor is unable to read certain text displayed on the screen.

This is especially useful when you want to review the properties of a file or folder.


Pressing the num pad plus key will return to PC cursor.

Note: The num pad minus key is the small square dash key located on the very top right of the numeric keypad.
The plus sign is the longer vertical key directly beneath it.

How to check the properties of a file or folder.

Occasionally you will want to know certain information about a file or folder such as it's size, location, when it was modified, how much space is left , and so on.

    To check properties:
  1. While on the file, folder, or drive name: press the Applications key.
  2. Arrow up to the list item titled "properties".
  3. Press Enter.

To review the properties displayed on the screen, you will need to use the JAWS cursor, (see above for details).

Keyboard Help

Press Insert 1 to activate JAWS keyboard help. This is the keystroke to use when you want JAWS to describe a particular key or keystroke combination.
After activating JAWS keyboard help, you can type any key or keystroke combination to have it described.
Note: You must remember to turn keyboard help mode off with the same Insert 1, keystroke combination, to stop the key describer and return the keyboard to normal functionality.

Identify the current character

Pressing num pad 5 will read the currrent character.
Pressing num pad 5, twice quickly, will read the character using the military alphabet. for example, B, is bravo, and C, is charlie etc.
Note: Pressing num pad 5 again, will toggle back to normal character reading mode.

Font information

Pressing Insert F, will read the font type and size of the current character.

Font colour

Pressing Insert 5, will describe the foreground and background colour of the current character.

Create your own place markers on Web pages

Say you have a Web page and you need to review a specific spot on the page. You can create a temporary, or permanent place marker on that page so you can quickly get to that spot.

    To set a temporary place marker that will disappear after you leave the Web page:
  1. Move to the spot on the page where you want to set the place marker.
  2. Press Ctrl K.

Subsequently you can move focus to the place marker you have created by pressing the letter K.

    To creat a permanent place marker on a Web page:
  1. Press Ctrl Shift K.
  2. Press Tab to move to the "add..." button and then press Enter.
  3. Type a meaningful name for the placemarker.
  4. Tab to the Ok button and press Enter.

To then move to the place marker you have created, you can simply press the letter K (JAWS quick key), or
Press Ctrl Shift K to open the list of placemarkers you have created for the current Web page.

Note: You can delete a permanent placemarker by accessing the list of placemarkers you have created, and pressing Delete on the placemarker's name.

Have JAWS read faster or slower, on the fly.

To increase the rate of the active voice, press Ctrl Alt Page up .
To decrease the rate of the active voice press Ctrl Alt Page Down .

these 2 commands are temporary. Once you leave the current application, the default reading rate will be restored.
To change the default reading rate:

  1. Access the Main JAWS interface with Insert J.
  2. Press Enter on "options (sub menu)".
  3. Arrow down to "Voices" and press Enter.
  4. Press Enter on the menu item titled "Global adjustment..."
  5. A series of page tabs appears. The first of these determines weather you want to adjust the rate "globally" (for all applications, or for the currently open application. Arrow up or down to either of these.
  6. Press Tab to move to the next page Tab. This one adjusts the reading pitch (otherwise known as the reading rate). Arrow up or down to your desired rate.
  7. Tab to the OK button and press spacebar.

    8. Typing echo

    By default, JAWS will read each character as you type.

    As your typing speed increases, you may want to set JAWS typing echo to read entire words instead of each character. To temporarily toggle JAWS echo modes use the follwoing keystroke:
    Insert 2.
    Note: This setting will reset to the default once you leave the current application.

    To change the global default JAWS typing echo mode:

    1. Access the JAWS main interface with Insert J.
    2. Arro down to "Utilities", and press Enter.
    3. Another menu list will appear. Arrow down to "Configuration Manager", and press Enter.
    4. The JAWS Default .jcf Configuration Manager will open. Now open the "Set Options Menu" with Alt S.
    5. The first menu item titled "User Options...", will have focus. Press Enter, to open the User Options dialogue box.
    6. Pressing TAB twice will move the focus to the Typing Echo menu.
    7. Arrow down to your desired typing echo mode.
    8. TAB until the OK button, and then press Spacebar.
    9. Press Alt F4 to close the JAWS Configuration Manager.
    10. A dialogue box will appear asking if you want to "save changes". The focus will be on the yes button, so press Spacebar to save the changes. The Configuration Manager will close.