JAWS (screen reader)

JAWS for Windows
Developer(s)Freedom Scientific
Initial releaseJanuary 1995; 29 years ago (1995-01)
Stable release
2024.2406.121.400 / July 3, 2024; 2 months ago (2024-07-03)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeScreen reader
LicenseProprietary
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Job Access With Speech (JAWS) is a computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display. JAWS is produced by the Blind and Low Vision Group of Freedom Scientific.

A 2023–2024 screen reader user survey by WebAIM, 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 behind NVDA.[1]

JAWS supports Windows 10 and Windows 11 along with all versions of Windows Server released since Windows Server 2016. There are two versions of the program: the Home edition for non-commercial use and the Professional edition for commercial environments. Before JAWS 16, the Home edition was called Standard, and only worked on home Windows operating systems.[2][3] A DOS version is free.[4]

The JAWS Scripting Language allows the user to use programs without standard Windows controls, and programs that were not designed for accessibility.

  1. ^ "Screen Reader User Survey #10". WebAIM. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Enhancements and Improvements in JAWS 16", Freedom Scientific. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "JAWS System Requirements". Freedom Scientific. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  4. ^ "Additional JAWS for Windows Downloads". Freedom Scientific. Retrieved August 6, 2024.