Overview of JAWS Touch Support

If you have a computer running Windows 8 or later that includes a touch screen, such as the Surface™ Pro tablet from Microsoft, you can control JAWS directly from the touch screen. To use a touch screen, you will use one or more fingers to perform various gestures right on the surface of the device's screen to control JAWS and the tablet. To take full advantage of this feature, you need a touch screen that offers five or more touch points. This page describes how you can use a touch screen to control JAWS.

Gestures

Performing JAWS and Windows commands from a touch screen is accomplished by different touch gestures using one or more fingers. Gestures include taps, flicks, swipes, rotating, and pinching. The following sections describe these gestures.

Taps

Tap the screen quickly with one or more fingers. Tapping with one finger is called a tap, using 2 fingers is a 2-finger tap, and so on.

Tapping more than once quickly performs a multi-tap gesture. Tapping twice is a double tap, and three times is a triple tap. Placing and holding one finger on the screen while simultaneously tapping with a second finger is called a split tap. You can also use more than one finger in multi-tap gestures. For example, you can do a 2-finger double tap or three-finger triple tap.

Flicks and Swipes

Flicking and swiping are the primary navigation gestures and are used constantly. To flick, move one or more fingers very quickly across the screen in the direction of the flick. You can flick up, down, left, or right. For example, flick up, or two-finger flick right.

A swipe is very similar to a flick except that you drag one or more fingers in a slower motion across the screen in a particular direction. You can swipe up, down, left, or right. For example, two-finger swipe up, or three-finger swipe right. You can also swipe in one direction and then quickly swipe in a different direction. For instance, two-finger swipe up-down, or three-finger swipe right-up.

Rotate

Place two or more fingers on the screen and then turn them in a circular motion either clockwise or counterclockwise as if you were turning a dial.

Pinch

To pinch in, place your thumb and index finger on the screen and pinch them together. To pinch out, place your thumb and index finger together on the screen and then spread them apart.

Exploring the Screen

When you place a finger on the screen, JAWS will announce the element under your finger. You can then move your finger around the screen and JAWS will announce each element you encounter. As you explore, you can perform a split tap or a split double tap to have JAWS announce the character or word at the location of your finger. Elements can be anything from buttons, links, and lists of items, to edit fields, headings, and regions. This is a good way to explore and find out what items are available and where they are located.

When you lift your finger and then tap the screen once, the current element at that point is spoken. If you perform a double tap at that current point, the current element is activated. Once you become familliar with the location of various elements, you can tap the part of the screen containing the particular element instead of having to explore to locate it. For example, in the Windows Mail app, the Preview pane where the message body is displayed for the user, is positioned on the right side of the screen. So if you have moved through the inbox, and then want to move your focus to the message you are on, tapping on the right side of the screen will quickly get you to the message.

Touch Modes

The two-finger rotate gesture allows you to cycle between three gesture modes; Touch Navigation, Text Reading, and Speech Settings. Certain touch gestures will work differently depending on which mode is active. The following sections describe each mode.

Touch Navigation

In Touch Navigation mode, which is always the default mode, gestures move you to various elements on the screen.

To move to the next or previous element, flick right or flick left.

To move by a specific element type, flick down or flick up. To change what element type these gestures move by, perform a two-finger flick left or right to cycle through the available types using the navigation rotor.

For example, if you want the flick down and flick up gestures to move by headings, flick left or right with two fingers until you hear "headings. Now, flicking down or up will move to the next or previous heading.

Double tapping on the current element will move focus to that element and perform the appropriate action. For instance, opening a menu, selecting a check box, or activating a button or link. To move focus to an element without activating it, perform a three-finger flick right or three-finger flick left.

To have JAWS read all elements on the screen, perform a two-finger flick down.

Text Reading

Text Reading mode allows you to use gestures to navigate through text as well as select and edit content. In addition to using the two-finger rotate gesture, Text Reading mode will also automatically be activated when you double tap on a text element that supports cursor navigation, such as an article in the News app, or the text area of an editing application like Microsoft Word. When Text Reading is activated using a double tap on a text element, for instance, the second paragraph of a document, JAWS attempts to position the cursor at the location of the double tap.

Note: Positioning the cursor may not work in all applications due to the level of UIA support provided by the specific application.

If you explore away from the text element to another item that does not support text reading, JAWS will automatically switch back to Touch Navigation.

To move to the next or prior character, perform a flick right or flick left. This is the same as pressing LEFT or RIGHT ARROW.

To move to the next or prior word, perform a two-finger flick right or two-finger flick left. This is the same as pressing CTRL+LEFT or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW.

To move to the next or prior line, perform a flick down or flick up. This is the same as pressing DOWN or UP ARROW.

To move to the next or prior paragraph, perform a two-finger flick down or two-finger flick up. This is the same as pressing CTRL+DOWN or CTRL+UP ARROW.

To move to the next or previous page or screen, depending on the application, perform a four-finger flick down or up. This is the same as pressing PAGE DOWN or PAGE UP.

To move to the beginning or end of the current line, perform a three-finger flick left or right. This is the same as pressing HOME or END.

To move to the top or bottom of the text, perform a three-finger flick up or down. This is the same as pressing CTRL+HOME or CTRL+END.

To begin a Say All, perform a four-finger swipe down. This is similar to pressing INSERT+DOWN ARROW and begins reading from the current location in the document. Tapping once anywhere on the screen stops reading as if you pressed the CTRL key.

Performing a triple tap toggles text selection on or off. When selection is enabled, using any of the above text reading gestures will select the specific unit as well as move to it. For example, to move to and select the next line, perform a triple tap and then flick down. Text will continue being selected as you navigate until you perform a triple tap again to turn it off. Perform a two-finger triple tap to have JAWS read the selected text.

Speech Settings

Speech Settings mode gives you a quick way to change commonly used settings that might normally require several steps to access. Currently, you can adjust the speech rate and change the main system volume.

To increase or decrease the speech rate, perform a flick right or flick left.

To increase or decrease the main volume, perform a flick up or flick down.

Text Review

When you encounter an element that does not support standard cursor navigation, such as a button, or an item in a list, performing a three-finger swipe down then up opens a Virtual Viewer window containing the name of the element. You can then use the navigation gestures described above to review this information. This is useful if you want to review a control in greater detail that you did not quite understand when it was announced by JAWS during exploration or when tapping it. Performing the three-finger swipe down then up gesture again will close the Virtual Viewer.

When this mode is active, you will not be able to navigate to other items on the screen. If you explore outside of the Virtual Viewer, JAWS plays a sound to indicate you are no longer in the window.

Note: The three-finger swipe down then up gesture will not activate Text Review if it is used on a text element that supports standard cursor navigation, or if the element does not have a name, such as an unlabeled graphic.

Using the Windows Touch Keyboard

JAWS offers full support for the Windows touch keyboard, enabling you to write documents, email messages, and fill out forms on the Internet right on your device's touch screen if you do not have access to a physical keyboard. While a regular keyboard is still recommended for writing lengthy documents or performing complex editing tasks, using the Touch keyboard is convenient for writing a quick note, composing or replying to an email, or filling out a form on a web site.

To activate the Touch Keyboard, perform a four-finger swipe down then up. JAWS announces "opened Touch Keyboard" and plays an ascending sound. Once enabled, the keyboard is positioned in the bottom part of the screen and each key is represented by a button. Use flick gestures to move to each key, or drag your finger around the screen to explore and locate keys. While exploring, JAWS plays a unique set of sounds to alert you when you enter or leave the area of the screen containing the touch keyboard. Once you become familliar with the touch keyboard layout, you can tap at the location of each key.

To close the touch keyboard, perform another four-finger swipe down then up. JAWS announces "closed touch keyboard" and plays a descending sound.

Note: To change how JAWS notifies you when the touch keyboard opens and closes, open Settings Center and navigate to the Touch Keyboard Notification option. Use the SPACEBAR to cycle through the available options.

Typing Mode

When typing, there are two modes available:

• Touch Typing: A key is typed when the finger is lifted from any of the keyboard buttons, or a split tap is performed on the selected keyboard button. If alternative characters are available for the currrent keyboard button, a split double tap will open a panel of alternative keys related to the selected key. Performing a split double tap on any keyboard button in the alternative characters panel will close the panel.
• Standard Typing: A key is typed when a double tap or split tap is performed on the screen after exploring to any of the keyboard buttons. If alternative characters are available for the currrent keyboard button, a triple tap will open a panel of alternative keys related to the selected key. Performing a triple tap on any keyboard button in the alternative characters panel will close the panel.

By default, JAWS uses Touch Typing, which means that a key is typed as soon as the finger is lifted from a keyboard button, or you perform a split tap. To change the typing mode, open Settings Center and navigate to the Touch Typing Mode setting. Use the SPACEBAR to toggle between Standard Typing or Touch Typing.

Note: To change how JAWS indicates when the panel of alternative characters opens or closes, open Settings Center and navigate to the Touch Alternative Character Panel Popup Notification option. Use the SPACEBAR to cycle through the available options.

Typing Echo

Just like when typing on a physical keyboard, you can configure how much feedback you receive when typing using the Touch Keyboard. To change this, open Settings Center and navigate to the Touch Typing Echo setting. Use the SPACEBAR to cycle through the available options. You may choose either Characters, Words, Both Characters and Words, or None so that JAWS remains silent as you type using the touch keyboard. By default, JAWS ehcos both characters and words as you type.

Note: This option allows you to configure the feedback for the touch keyboard separate from the feedback for the physical keyboard. This means you can have JAWS say nothing when using a regular keyboard, but continue to announce both characters and words when using the touch keyboard.

JAWS Specific Touch Gestures

The following tables list the available JAWS commands that can be performed using touch gestures:

Gestures for Touch Navigation, Text Reading, and Speech Settings

Gestures for General Windows and JAWS Commands