Freedom Scientific - Training Headquarters

New Webinars for June through October, 2013, are Posted Online

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

New free and paid Webinars have been posted online. Also be sure to check out our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Free Webinars

Many of you will be going to Windows 8 in the near future, if you have not already. Be sure to check out the free Webinars on Windows 8, as well as how to use the new ribbon interface in the "Windows Explorer in Windows 8 Webinar" below.

Webinar Training Room Orientation, June 5
Windows Explorer in Windows 8, June 19
TypeAbility for JAWS and MAGic, Typing Tutor, June 26
Voice Profiles with JAWS and MAGic, July 10
Speech and Sounds Manager, July 17
Column and Row Titles in Excel and Word for JAWS and MAGic, July 24
The Simplicity of Using Tablets - the Power of JAWS 15, July 31
Using Apps with JAWS 15 in Windows 8, August 7
Simple Word Forms with JAWS and MAGic, August 14
New in JAWS 15, Lesson One, October 9
New in JAWS 15, Lesson Two, October 16
New in JAWS 15, Lesson Three, October 30

Visit the free Webinar e-Learning page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinars

Many of you will also be transitioning to Office 2013, if you have not already. We keep you up to date with the latest training for Office 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, how to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook 2013, and various strategies to work around difficult spots in these programs when you encounter them. Be sure to check out the live, upcoming paid Webinars, as well as the paid Webinar archived recordings below. These Webinars consist of three one and a half hour lessons each. Paid Webinars through the third quarter include the following:

Excel 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, June 6, 11, & 13, $29
PowerPoint 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, July 18, 23, & 25, $29
Outlook 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, August 15, 20, & 22, $29

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinar Recorded Archives

We now have the recorded archive for Word 2013 available, in addition to having the live Webinars listed above for Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook 2013. Some of the major things that changed in Word 2013 from Word 2010 include: Spell check, grammar check, working with and creating templates, adding alternative attributes to images for describing them, and opening and saving files, among others. You will definitely want to get this training archive if you move to Word 2013.

The benefits of purchasing archived training include:

Take the lessons any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Contact the instructor with any questions by e-mail or phone
Optionally, you may also take the online exams for each Webinar
Attend the same Webinar at no charge the next time it is held live! (Free attendance is limited to the next scheduled time the same Webinar is held.)

In addition, we have the paid archived recordings of our Office 2010 and Office 2007 Webinars, as well as archived recordings of the six-part series, "Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility" and the very popular 12-part series, "JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers." Please visit our descriptions of paid Webinar archives page for more information on these and other offerings.

Hands-on Workshops

Hands-on workshops at our headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Florida for the third quarter include:

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, August 12 through 16
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, August 19 through 23

Visit the training workshops page for more information.

Tips from the Training Department

When you open documents or files from the Internet or from other potentially unsafe locations they may open in Protected View. You will hear JAWS announce this as part of the title of the document. Protected View is a read-only mode where many of the editing functions have been disabled for your security. This is to protect you from possible viruses or other content. Unfortunately, you may not be able to read or edit those documents until you turn off Protected View. It is very easy to do. In Office 2010 and 2013, just press the following combination of keystrokes:

ALT+F to open the File tab
I to activate the Info tab
E to activate the Enable Editing button.

You can also accomplish the same thing by choosing Save As to save the document to your local hard drive. Additionally, you can change Protected View settings permanently in the Trust Center, although we recommend speaking with your Information Technology manager or administrator prior to making changes to your Protected View settings.

New Webinars for 2013 are Posted Online

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 20:00:00 GMT

New free and paid Webinars have been posted online. Also be sure to check out our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Free Webinars

Windows Live Mail with JAWS and MAGic, November 28
ARIA Controls and Menus with JAWS, December 12
iTunes with JAWS, Part Three, December 19
Webinar Training Room Orientation, January 16
JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, February 6
Windows 8 with JAWS, February 13
Internet Explorer 10 with JAWS, March 6
Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic, Lessons One through Six, April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, & 15
Webinar Training Room Orientation, June 5

Visit the free Webinar e-Learning page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinars

Paid Webinars through the fourth quarter include the following:

Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility, Lessons 1 - 6, November 27, 29, December 4, 6, 11 & 13, $29
Outlook 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, March 14, 19, & 21, $29
JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers, April 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, May 2, 7, & 9, $49
Excel 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, June 6, 11, & 13, $29
PowerPoint 2013 with JAWS and MAGic, July 18, 23, & 25, $29

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register.

Hands-on Workshops

Hands-on workshops at our headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Florida for the fourth quarter include:

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, December 3 through 7
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, December 10 through 14

Visit the training workshops page for more information.

New Webinars and Workshops for the Fourth Quarter are Posted Online

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:15:00 GMT

New free and paid Webinars have been posted online. Also be sure to check out our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Free Webinars

Quick Settings: New in JAWS 13, September 5
JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, September 12
New Features in MAGic 12 Screen Magnification Software, September 18
PLEXTALK Pocket™: Creating Recordings and Voice Memos, September 19
New in JAWS 14: Part One (content to be announced later), September 20
New in MAGic 12: Speech On Demand™ & Other Items on the Speech Tab Page, October 9
Using your iDevice with the Focus Braille Displays, October 10
New in JAWS 14: Part Two (content to be announced later), October 24
New in MAGic 12: Skim Reading and Research It, October 30
Dictionary Manager in JAWS and MAGic, October 31
New in JAWS 14: Part Three (content to be announced later), November 7
Windows Live Mail with JAWS and MAGic, November 28
ARIA Controls and Menus with JAWS, December 12
iTunes with JAWS, Part Three, December 19

Visit the free Webinar e-Learning page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinars

Paid Webinars through the fourth quarter include the following:

Getting the most out of Script Utility Mode, September 11 and 13, $19
Word 2013*, Parts 1-3, November 8, 13, & 15, $29 (* We expect that Office 2013 will be released by this date. We may teach this using Word 2010 depending on the release date and time required to create the new training materials.)
Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility, Lessons 1 - 6, November 27, 29, December 4, 6, 11 & 13, $29

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register.

Hands-on Workshops

Hands-on workshops at our headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Florida for the fourth quarter include:

Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, October 15 through 19
Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, December 3 through 7
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, December 10 through 14

Visit the training workshops page for more information.

New Webinars and Workshops for Third Quarter Posted Online

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:15:00 GMT

New free and paid Webinars have been posted online. Also be sure to check out our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Free Webinars

JAWS and iTunes, Part 2, May 23
Using JAWS with Popular Antivirus Software, June 6
Using JAWS Tandem for Troubleshooting and Training, June 13
JAWS Techniques for Examining Text Formatting, June 20
Windows Explorer: Managing Files and Folders, June 27
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, Part 1, July 18
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, Part 2, July 25
Webinar Training Room Orientation, August 15
JAWS and Webmail Applications Best Practices, August 29
Quick Settings: New in JAWS 13, September 5
JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors used by JAWS, September 12
PLEXTALK: Creating Recordings and Voice Memos, September 19
Using your iDevice with the Focus Braille Displays, October 10
Dictionary Manager in JAWS and MAGic, October 31

Visit the free Webinar e-Learning page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinars

Paid Webinars through the third quarter include the following:

Word 2010, June 5, 7, & 14, $29
Outlook 2010, July 24, 26, & 31, $29
Excel 2010, August 7, 9, & 14, $29
PowerPoint 2010, August 21, 23, & 28, $29
Getting the most out of Script Utility Mode, September 11 and 13, $19

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register.

Hands-on Workshops

Hands-on workshops at our headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Florida for the third quarter include:

Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, June 18 through 22
Basics of Scripting, September 24 through 28
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, October 1 through 5
Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, October 15 through 19

Visit the training workshops page for more information.

New Webinars and Workshops for Second Quarter Posted Online

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

New Webinars and Workshops for Second Quarter Posted Online

New free and paid Webinars have been posted online. Also be sure to check out our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Free Webinars

Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic, Lessons One through Six, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, & 11
Internet Explorer 9 with JAWS, April 25
Webinar Training Room Orientation, May 9
JAWS Certification: What is it and how do I prepare for it? May 16
JAWS and iTunes, Part 2, May 23
Using JAWS with Popular Antivirus Software, June 6
Using JAWS Tandem for Troubleshooting and Training, June 13
JAWS Techniques for Examining Text Formatting, June 20
Windows Explorer: Managing Files and Folders, June 27
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, Part 1, July 18
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, Part 2, July 25

Visit the free Webinar e-Learning page for more information or to register.

Paid Webinars

Paid Webinars through the second quarter include the following:

PowerPoint 2010, Lessons One through Three, March 6, 8, & 15, $29
Web Page Testing with JAWS, Lessons One through Six, March 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, & 29, $29
JAWS for Teachers and AT Trainers, Lessons One through Twelve, April 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, May 1, 3, 8, & 10, $49
Word 2010, June 5, 7, & 14, $29

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register.

Hands-on Workshops

Hands-on workshops at our headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Florida for the second quarter include:

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, April 16 through 20
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, April 23 through 27
Web Page Testing with JAWS, May 14 & 15
Supporting and Teaching Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, June 11 through 15
Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, June 18 through 22

Visit the training workshops page for more information.

JAWS 13 Basic Training is Released; New Low Pricing on Paid Webinars

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:30:00 GMT

JAWS 13 Basic Training Released

The Basic Training for JAWS 13 has been revised and updated to include the latest in new JAWS 13 features. The newly-revised training is available in both text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules.

Updated items include:

Using the new Quick Settings in JAWS 13
Using Settings Center for configuration changes
Updated lessons on surfing the Internet
Using Windows Explorer in Windows 7
JAWS user interface changes
And much more

Use Check for Updates to Download Training Materials

The new JAWS 13 Basic Training is included on the JAWS program DVD. It is also available now on the Training Downloads page. JAWS 13 users can also use the JAWS Check for Updates feature to find it. Here's how to use the Check for Updates feature:

Go to the JAWS Help menu and press P to choose Check for Updates. A dialog box appears that contains a list of check boxes for all updates that are available, including any DAISY training materials.
Press UP or DOWN ARROW to move through the list.
Press SPACEBAR to check any items you want to download and install.
Then press ENTER to activate the Install button. The download begins and when finished, a new dialog box appears that asks if you want to install the files, with a Yes and No button.
Choose Yes. After the installation is complete, the final dialog box appears that tells you that the updates were successfully installed.
Choose the OK button, and the dialog box closes. Now you can use FSReader DAISY player to read the newly installed book. In FSReader, just choose CTRL+O to reopen the File Open dialog box and choose the new book.

NOTE: All of the books for the JAWS Basic Training were updated for JAWS 13 except for book 4. It will not appear in the check for updates dialog box.

Greatly Reduced Pricing on Paid Webinars Announced by the Training Department

Thanks to a very successful and popular reception of our paid training Webinars, the Training Department is pleased to announce greatly reduced pricing on our paid Webinars. "We realize that training is important to everyone's continued success, whether at work, home, or school," said Dan Clark of the Training Department. "Reducing our prices for paid training makes it much more easily affordable for everyone, and it is a win-win for both us and our loyal customers worldwide." In addition, a couple of the introductory paid Webinars have been made available for no charge. The new pricing follows:

Office 2010

Office 2010 Overview and Introduction, free
Word 2010, parts 1-3 (Three 1.5 hour Webinars), $29
Outlook 2010, parts 1-3 (Three 1.5 hour Webinars), $29
PowerPoint 2010, parts 1-3 (Three 1.5 hour Webinars), $29
Excel 2010, parts 1-3 (Three 1.5 hour Webinars), $29

Office 2007

Office 2007 Overview and Introduction (archive), free
Word 2007, parts 1-3 (archive), $29
Outlook 2007, parts 1-3 (archive), $29
PowerPoint 2007, parts 1-3 (archive), $29
Excel 2007, parts 1-2 (archive), $29

Other Webinars

Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010, free
JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers, (12 one-hour lessons), $49
Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility, (6 one-hour lessons), $29
Writing Scripts for Web Pages with JAWS and MAGic - Parts 1 & 2 (archive), $19
Introduction to Creating Accessible HTML Tables (archive), $19
Introduction to Creating Accessible HTML Forms (archive), $19

See the paid Webinar schedule in the next section. We are beginning the Office 2010 training again starting in November and continuing through the first part of 2012. Now is a great time to sign up and join us as we repeat this series using JAWS 13.

Paid Webinar Schedule

Office 2010 Overview and Introduction, November 22 - now free!
Word 2010, Lessons One - Three, December 1, 8, & 15
Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel 2010 to be posted soon for 2012

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Also don't forget to take advantage of our growing collection of free Webinar training and recorded archives.

Hands-on Workshops

Please also consider attending one of our hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida. This is a great opportunity to get up-to-speed with the newest version of JAWS 13, including new features such as Quick Settings and Convenient OCR.

Web Page Testing with JAWS, November 8 and 9
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, December 5 through 9

Visit the Training Workshops page for more information or to register for the hands-on workshops listed above.

New Training Webinars and Workshops Posted for the Third Quarter

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:45:00 GMT

New Webinars and workshops have been posted online by the Freedom Scientific Training Department for the third quarter. New items include:

Free Webinars

Webinar Training Room Orientation, July 19
Internet Explorer 9 with JAWS 12, August 2
Research It, August 23
Settings Center - New in JAWS 12, August 25
PAC Mate for Instructors, August 30
Speech and Sounds Manager, September 8
Focus 40 Blue Braille Display, Part One, September 13
Focus 40 Blue Braille Display, Part Two, September 15
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, September 20
OpenBook, Part Two, September 27

Visit the free Webinars page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Paid Webinars

Outlook 2010, June 21, 23, and 28
Excel 2010, July 21, 26, and 28
PowerPoint 2010, August 4, 9, and 11
Visual Studio 2010 with JAWS, September 1
Introduction to Creating Accessible HTML Tables, September 22
Introduction to Creating Accessible HTML Forms, September 29

Visit the paid Webinars page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Hands-on Workshops

Supporting and Teaching Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, August 22 through 26
Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, October 17 through 21
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, October 24 through 28

Visit the Training Workshops page for more information or to register for the hands-on workshops listed above.

New Training Webinars and Workshops Posted

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:10:00 GMT

New Webinars and workshops have been posted online by the Freedom Scientific Training Department. New items include:

Mail Merge with Word 2007 - 2010; New Low-cost Paid Webinar

NOTE: This is a special reduced price Webinar. We know how important mail merge is to you, so we are offering this paid Webinar at 60% less than our normal paid Webinars - it's only $20. If you have not participated in our paid Webinars because you could not afford them, this gives you a chance to do so at a greatly reduced price.

To register for this Webinar just go to the Freedom Scientific e-learning page or choose the Register for Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007 - 2010 paid Webinar button. You will receive an e-mail with more instructions on how to purchase the Webinar.

In addition to this new low-cost paid Webinar, the Training Department has added several new free Webinars to the schedule. Read the next section for more details.

Free Webinars

Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic! April 5 - 21
(You can still join this one in mid-stream by reviewing the archives of the prior few Webinars. When you register for a Webinar already in progress, we automatically send you links to the recorded archives of the lessons that you may have missed.)
Strategies for Navigating Difficult Web Pages with JAWS, May 3
Webinar Training Room Orientation, May 12
Text Analyzer - New in JAWS 12, May 31
Facebook with JAWS and MAGic, Part Two, June 7
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, June 21
Twitter with JAWS and MAGic, June 30

Visit the free Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Paid Webinars

Office 2010 Overview and Introduction, May 19
Word 2010, May 24, 26, and June 2
Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010, June 9, Promotional Price - $20
Outlook 2010, June 21, 23, and 28
Excel 2010, July 21, 26, and 28
PowerPoint 2010, August 4, 9, and 11

Visit the paid Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Hands-on Workshops

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, May 9 through 13, 2011
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, May 16 through 20, 2011
Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic - NEW, June 13 through 17, 2011
Supporting and Teaching Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic, August 15 through 19
Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, October 17 through 21
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, October 24 through 28

Visit the Training Workshops page for more information or to register for the hands-on workshops listed above.

Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007 - 2010, Special Price Webinar

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:30:00 GMT

Have you ever had to send the same letter to several different contacts? If so, you know that retyping the letter or even copying and pasting is time-consuming. Typing individual envelopes or mailing labels is also very time-consuming. In this Webinar you will learn to use the Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 mail merge feature to create envelopes and a letter to mail to your contacts.

Topics covered in this paid Webinar include:

Use a data file to collect contact information
Learn how to navigate in the Word mail merge task pane
Use the step-by-step mail merge wizard in Word to:

Create envelopes that merge information from the data file to the envelopes
Save the master document of envelopes for later printing

Create a master letter to send to all of your contacts
Add mail merge fields in the appropriate places within the document
Complete the merge and save the file for later printing

To register for this Webinar just go to the Freedom Scientific e-learning page and choose the Register for Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2007 - 2010 paid Webinar button. You will receive an e-mail with more instructions on how to purchase the Webinar.

OpenBook Overview, a New Training DAISY Book, is Available

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:00:00 GMT

The Freedom Scientific Training Department has released a new DAISY training book for OpenBook® scanning and reading software. This full text and audio DAISY book is available now in the following formats:

For DAISY text and audio use the Check for Updates in the JAWS Help menu, or visit the Training Downloads page
MP3 audio files of the books are also available for download separately on the Training Downloads page

This book demonstrates how to get started with OpenBook using the new PEARL® Portable Reading Solution.

Topics covered in the new book include:

Launching and closing OpenBook
Changing the voice settings in OpenBook
Acquiring and reading text with the default OpenBook settings
Context-sensitive help
Key Describer
Switching to a different workflow to acquire multiple pages of text automatically
Creating a new workflow from an existing workflow
Saving files, opening files, and editing text
The OpenBook Dictionary feature
The OpenBook Help System
Saving your OpenBook settings

Four New JAWS Training DAISY Books are Available

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:00:00 GMT

The Freedom Scientific Training Department has released four new DAISY training books for JAWS® screen reading software. These full text and audio DAISY books are available now in the following formats:

For DAISY text and audio use the Check for Updates in the JAWS Help menu, or visit the Training Downloads page
MP3 audio files of the books are also available for download separately on the Training Downloads page

Excel Column and Row Headers

Those who use Microsoft Excel® on a regular basis know how quickly one can get lost in a spreadsheet without the use of row and column titles. When a sighted user navigates a spreadsheet, she can lock the row and column titles into place by using the Freeze Panes option from the Window menu in earlier versions of Excel or the View tab of the ribbon in Excel 2010. When this is done, the titles for the rows and columns remain on the screen as the user scrolls horizontally or vertically through the spreadsheet.

Topics covered in this book include:

Use the Define Name feature of Excel to add row and column header information directly to an Excel worksheet to make your documents more accessible to JAWS screen reader users, even if you do not personally use or own JAWS
Learn how to manually set up header information when the document author does not include this information at the time the document is created
Instructions for Excel versions 2003, 2007, and 2010
Practice files for you to use during the lesson

Settings Center

Brand new in JAWS 12, Settings Center replaces the old Configuration manager, and makes it a breeze to find the exact settings you want to change. Settings Center provides a consistent interface and central access point for JAWS features and settings. In this DAISY book we explore Settings Center in detail. Learn just how easy it is to find and change the things you want to in JAWS 12 and later.

Topics covered in this book include:

Start and close Settings Center
Look at the different parts of the Settings Center window
Practice exercises using Settings Center
How to modify last changed settings

Text Analyzer

When editing a document using speech only, inconsistencies such as unmatched parentheses, unintentional format changes, extra whitespace, and stray punctuation can often be missed. The new Text Analyzer feature introduced in JAWS version 12 is a tool that notifies you of these errors in your document by using a spoken message or WAV file. You can configure JAWS to announce discrepancies by count, by description, or by sound while proofreading the document by line, sentence, paragraph, or Say All command. Braille users benefit from this since a sound is emitted before the user has time to read the entire line looking for errors.

Topics covered in this book include:

Enabling or disabling Text Analyzer
Temporary or permanent changes when using Text Analyzer
Exercises and practice document included

Virtual Ribbon Menus Feature

The ribbon is a new style of menu available in many new applications being released today. Ribbons first appeared in Office 2007 programs, but are now becoming more common in other applications tailored for the Windows® 7 operating system. Ribbons create an accessibility challenge due to inconsistent navigation between various groups and items. For example, the lower ribbon contains groups of icons, sometimes arranged in several rows. When you press the ARROW keys to move between items in a group, you can skip items if there is a row above or below the one you are on. When pressing the ARROW keys or TAB, no indication is given when focus leaves one group and enters another. You cannot use first letter navigation in the ribbons, because pressing keys might activate ribbon key tips. Finally, because of a group's layout, you do not know if you should navigate up, down, left, or right to select an item.

The new virtual ribbon menus feature in JAWS provides predictable navigation, lets you see everything in the ribbon, and offers consistency when navigating with the ARROW keys. For example, each group on the lower ribbon is treated as a submenu. Once you open the group submenu, you can press DOWN ARROW to move through all of the items within that group. When you reach the bottom of the items in that group, focus wraps back to the top item, and vice versa. You can also use first letter navigation in the virtual ribbon menus.

This book is recorded using Windows 7 and WordPad, but you can also follow along if you have Office 2007 or 2010 in either Windows Vista or XP.

Topics covered in this book include:

Differences between using the JAWS virtual ribbon menus feature as opposed to the Microsoft ribbon
Enabling or disabling the virtual ribbon menus feature
Practice exercises
First letter navigation in the virtual ribbon
Using the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) with the virtual ribbon menus

Training Webinars and Workshops Posted for First Part of 2011 - NEW

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT

New Webinars and workshops for the first part of 2011 have been posted online by the Freedom Scientific Training Department. New items include:

Free Webinars

Webinar Training Room Orientation, January 6, 2011
Virtual Ribbon Menus Feature - New in JAWS® 12, January 11, 2011
Getting Help with JAWS and MAGic®, January 18, 2011
Voice Profiles with JAWS and MAGic, January 25, 2011
JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, February 1, 2011
Skype™ with JAWS and MAGic, February 8, 2011
PAC Mate Omni™: FSEdit Basics, February 15, 2011
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, February 22, 2011
OpenBook®, an Introduction, March 1, 2011
Facebook with JAWS and MAGic, March 8, 2011
Virtual Ribbon Menus Feature - New in JAWS 12, March 10, 2011
Leveraging the Freedom Scientific Web Site, March 22, 2011
PAC Mate Omni - A Settings Overview, March 29, 2011
Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic! April 5 - 21, 2011

Visit the free Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Paid Webinars

Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility, January 11 - 20, 2011
JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers, Date: February 1 - 24, 2011
Writing Scripts for Web Pages with JAWS and MAGic, an Introduction - Part 1, March 24, 2011
Writing Scripts for Web Pages with JAWS and MAGic, an Introduction - Part 2, March 31, 2011

Visit the paid Webinars section on the e-Learning page for more information or to register for the Webinars listed above.

Hands-on Workshops

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, May 9 through 13, 2011
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, May 16 through 20, 2011
Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS and MAGic - NEW, June 13 through 17, 2011

Visit the Training Workshops page for more information or to register for the hands-on workshops listed above.

JAWS 12 Basic Training and What's New in JAWS 12 Released

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:30:00 GMT

JAWS 12 Basic Training

The Basic Training for JAWS 12 has been revised and updated to include the latest in new JAWS 12 features. The newly-revised training is available in text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules.

Updated items include:

Using the new Settings Center for configuration changes
Updated lessons on surfing the Internet
JAWS user interface changes
JAWS Startup Wizard changes
And much more

Use Check for Updates to Download Training Materials

The new JAWS 12 Basic Training will be included on the upcoming JAWS program DVD. It is also available now on the Training Downloads page. JAWS 12 users can also use the JAWS Check for Updates feature to find it. Here's how to use the Check for Updates feature:

Go to the JAWS Help menu and press P to choose Check for Updates. A dialog box appears that contains a list of check boxes for all updates that are available, including any DAISY training materials.
Press UP or DOWN ARROW to move through the list.
Press SPACEBAR to check any items you want to download and install.
Then press ENTER to activate the Install button. The download begins and when finished, a new dialog box appears that asks if you want to install the files, with Yes and No buttons.
Choose Yes. After the installation is complete, the final dialog box appears that tells you that the updates were successfully installed.
Choose the OK button, and the dialog box closes. Now you can use FSReader to read the newly installed book. In FSReader, just press CTRL+O to reopen the File Open dialog box and choose the new book.

What's New in JAWS 12 DAISY and MP3 Files Available

Listen to Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Product Management, introduce and demonstrate the new and exciting features available in the JAWS 12 release.

PlaceMarkers DAISY Book - NEW

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:45:00 GMT

The PlaceMarkers training materials book has been completely re-written, and it is now available in full text and audio DAISY format.

Those who have been using JAWS to browse the Internet for a few years know how greatly access to Web pages has improved since the beginning. The introduction and evolution of such features as the Virtual Buffer, List of Links, List of Headings, List of Form Controls, and Navigation Quick keys have transformed the Web page access for blind users from a frustrating and painful experience to one that is often simple and efficient. So, how can Internet access be further improved? The answer is through the use of two JAWS features, PlaceMarkers and the Custom Page Summary. These tools allow you faster and more efficient access to information on Web pages that you visit frequently.

A PlaceMarker is very much like a bookmark in a word processor. A PlaceMarker allows the user to tell JAWS that a specific spot on a given Web page is important and that the user wants a marker set there so it is simple and quick to return to that spot every time the page is visited.

The PlaceMarker feature in JAWS was updated in JAWS 11. After reading or listening to this DAISY book you will understand, be able to discuss, and/or perform the following tasks:

Use the PlaceMarker list, CTRL+SHIFT+K
Move between PlaceMarkers on Web pages with the navigation quick keys K and SHIFT+K
Use numbers row 7 through 0 to read the first four PlaceMarkers on a Web page
Use SHIFT plus numbers row 7 through 0 to move to the first four PlaceMarkers on a Web page
Create Web-page-specific PlaceMarkers
Create PlaceMarkers for an entire Domain
Use the Anchor Text control to enable JAWS to find the PlaceMarker, even if the Web page is dynamically updated, or if the Web page changes frequently
Use the Custom Page Summary feature of JAWS to:

Speak the information at the PlaceMarker location automatically when the page loads or refreshes
Use the Virtual Viewer to display the information at the PlaceMarker location in a window that you can read with speech and Braille

Use the JAWS Check for Updates, located in the JAWS Help menu, to find the new book. You can also visit the Training Downloads page to get either the PlaceMarker DAISY book or the PlaceMarker MP3 file.

Surf's Up Training Web Site (HTML Challenge) Updated for JAWS 12

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:45:00 GMT

The Surf's Up training Web pages have been updated to reflect changes in JAWS 12, as well as changes in keystrokes and functionality of the way JAWS works with the Internet. New pages for demonstrating ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) live regions have also been added.

Learn more about how JAWS works on the Web. Visit the updated Surf's Up Web site.

For practice where there is no Internet connection, you can download a ZIP file of Surf's Up to install on a local computer hard drive. Get the Surf's Up! Downloadable Version (ZIP 365KB) here.

Webinar and Workshop Schedule for Freedom Scientific Training, Fall and Winter 2010

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

The schedule of Webinars (both free and paid) and hands-on workshops for the Fall and Winter of 2010 has been posted by the Freedom Scientific Training Department. Several brand new Webinars are featured, including:

New Webinars

PAC Mate Omni™, an Introduction, October 5
Virtual Ribbon Menus - New in JAWS® 12, November 15 (registration to be posted soon)
Settings Center - New in JAWS 12, November 16
Text Analyzer - New in JAWS 12, November 30

Free Webinar Schedule, Fall and Winter 2010

The schedule of free Webinars for the rest of this year follows:

JAWS and MAGic® Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, August 31
Voice Profiles with JAWS and MAGic, September 8
Webinar Training Room Orientation, September 21
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, September 28
PAC Mate Omni, an Introduction, October 5
What Are JAWS and MAGic Scripts? Basics of Scripting, October 19
Research It for the Everyday JAWS User, November 9
Virtual Ribbon Menus - New in JAWS 12, November 15 (registration to be posted soon)
Settings Center - New in JAWS 12, November 16
Text Analyzer - New in JAWS 12, November 30

Choose this link to read more and register online for free Webinars.

Paid Webinar Schedule, Fall and Winter 2010

The schedule of paid Webinars for the rest of this year follows:

Office 2007 Overview and Introduction, September 9
Word 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, September 23, 30, and October 7
Outlook® 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, October 13, 15, and 20
Excel® 2007, Two One and One-Half Hour Webinars, November 10 and 17
PowerPoint® 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, December 2, 7, and 9

Choose this link to read more and register online for paid Webinars.

Hands-On Workshops in Saint Petersburg, Fall and Winter 2010

The schedule of hands-on workshops in Saint Petersburg, Florida, for the rest of this year follows:

Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, August 9 through 13
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, August 16 through 20
Supporting and Teaching Windows with JAWS and MAGic, September 13 through 17
Web Page Testing with JAWS, October 26 and 27
Basics of Scripting with JAWS and MAGic, November 1 through 5
Supporting and Teaching Windows with JAWS and MAGic, December 6 through 10
Script Development with JAWS and MAGic, December 13 through 17

Choose this link to read more and register online for hands-on workshops.

JAWS® and MAGic® are registered trademarks of Freedom Scientific, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida and/or other countries.

Outlook®, PowerPoint®, and Excel® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

JAWS Tandem DAISY Book Released

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:10:00 GMT

Have you ever installed a software program that you wanted to show to a friend, but your friend lives across town, or maybe even in another state or country? Have you ever tried to help someone who just doesn't understand computers to accomplish a task on a computer while talking to them on the telephone? Perhaps you are interested in doing training for people but you cannot physically get to their home or office, for whatever reason. Maybe you're a consultant and one of your client's teenagers installed a new software game, which in turn caused a cascade of bad things to happen to the programs you had installed for the client originally. Do you want to do it now, without the hassle and expense of travel? Well if so, JAWS Tandem™ is for you!

JAWS Tandem is a feature that lets you access another computer running JAWS, so that you can provide hands-on technical support, write scripts from a distance, or perform remote JAWS training. It is used by support personnel, distributors, dealers, consultants, trainers, and friends. Any two people who have JAWS can connect their computers together over the Internet and accomplish any or all of the above.

Use the JAWS Check for Updates, located in the JAWS Help menu, to find the new book. You can also visit the Training Downloads page to get either the Tandem DAISY book or the Tandem MP3 file.

Word Index DAISY Book Released

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Word Index DAISY Book Released

Word Index, the latest DAISY book from the Freedom Scientific Training Department, is now available.

Do you need to find sentences that contain a certain word? Which words occur the most in a document or Web page? With Word Index, JAWS® screen reading software builds a list of words that appear in a document or on a Web page. You can easily have JAWS display the sentences containing the word you are interested in, and then move directly in the document to a sentence that interests you.

Word Index (INSERT+CTRL+W) is an ideal tool for those who do a lot of reading for study and research purposes. The words are sorted so that the highest occurrence appears first, followed by an alphabetical list of words that only appear once.

Use the JAWS Check for Updates, located in the JAWS Help menu, to find the new book. You can also visit the Training Downloads page to get either the Word Index DAISY book or the Word Index MP3 file.

Research It DAISY Book Updated

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

The Research It DAISY Book Is Updated for JAWS 11 Update 1

The Research It DAISY book has been newly updated to reflect the latest changes in JAWS. With JAWS 11 Update 1 the Research It dialog box has been simplified and new lookups have been added. Use the JAWS Check for Updates, located in the JAWS Help menu, to find the new book.

If you had previously installed the Research It DAISY book, the original book will be uninstalled and the new book will take its place. The process is automatic once you press ENTER to install the new book.

You can also visit the Training Downloads page to get either the Research It DAISY book or the Research It MP3 file.

E-learning Webinar Schedule for the First Part of 2010

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:45:00 GMT

E-learning Schedule for the First Part of 2010

Free Webinars

Webinar Training Room Orientation, February 22, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT)
Research It, March 1, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT)
JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, March 15, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, March 22, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
JAWS and MAGic Voice Profiles, March 29, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
Webinar Training Room Orientation, April 12, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic!, April 26 - June 8 (6 individual lessons), 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
Webinar Training Room Orientation, June 28, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)

Visit the e-Learning page of Freedom Scientific to register or to get more details.

Paid Webinars

Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility, January 12 - 21 (6 individual lessons), 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT)
JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers, February 2 - 25, (12 individual lessons), 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT)
Office 2007 Overview and Introduction, February 26, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT)
Outlook 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, March 2, 16, and 23, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (17:00 GMT for the first lesson; 16:00 GMT for the remaining lessons)
Word 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, April 27, May 4, and May 11, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
PowerPoint 2007, Three One and One-Half Hour Webinars, June 29, 30, and July 1, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)
Excel 2007, Two One and One-Half Hour Webinars, July 13 and 20, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (16:00 GMT)

Archives of Paid Webinar Training

NEW for 2010! By popular request we are making archives of previously held paid webinar training available for purchase. The benefits of purchasing archived training include:

Take the lessons any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You don't have to wait for the next live class to begin.
Contact the instructor with any questions by e-mail or phone.
Optionally, you may also take the online exams for each webinar. Earn a score of 80% or higher and receive a certificate of completion and Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

THERE IS AN ADDED BONUS! Anyone who purchases paid archives of our training may also attend the same webinar at no charge the next time it is held live! Meet your training needs now, and also get a free refresher course later in the year the next time the same webinar is held. (Free attendance is limited to the next scheduled time the same webinar is held.)

Choose any of the following links to purchase archives of paid training:

Using JAWS to Test Web Page and Document Accessibility paid archive, $300

JAWS Training for Teachers and AT Trainers paid archive, $600

Office 2007 Overview and Introduction paid archive, $50

Outlook 2007 paid archive, $199

Word 2007 paid archive, $199

PowerPoint 2007 paid archive, $199

Excel 2007 paid archive, $130

Archives of Free Webinar Training

Can't wait for the next live Webinar? Take advantage of the archives of prior versions of upcoming webinars now. The majority of our archives are comprised of lessons in the following format:

The actual archived recording itself (HTML text of the lesson, chat history, and audio)
HTML files only, with any practice files included
MP3 recording only

Remember, you can take the archived lessons any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You don't have to wait for the next live class to begin.

Visit the e-Learning page of Freedom Scientific to register or to get more details.

Research It DAISY Book Available

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Research It DAISY Book Released

Research It, the newest DAISY book from the Freedom Scientific Training Department, is now available. This text and audio DAISY book demonstrates how to use Research It.

Research It, included with JAWS® screen reading software, is a versatile tool that provides quick access to data while also making it easy to return to your primary task. If you have JAWS 11 or later (whether you are using the full version or a demo version) and an Internet connection, you can begin using Research It. It uses a lookup source to find information and then posts it in the Virtual Viewer. Some examples of things you can look up quickly with Research It include:

Dictionary definitions using Wiktionary
Amazon product search
Bookshare book search
Yellow pages (business) or white pages (people) search
FedEx and UPS tracking
Health search on WebMD
Weather forecasts
Top news stories
Sports scores and game listings
Stock prices
Encyclopedia articles
Area codes and time zones
And many other things

Using just a few keystrokes, you can start Research It from any application on your computer. In addition, you can easily set which lookup module to use as the default for all applications. You can even create a default lookup for a specific application. This book examines some of the basic lookup sources included with JAWS, and also explores the different ways to launch and use Research It.

Visit the Training Downloads page or choose the Check for Updates item in the JAWS help menu to get your copy of the Research It DAISY book. It is also available on the Training Downloads page in MP3 format.

New Office 2007 Webinars from Freedom Scientific for the Fourth Quarter of 2009

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:05:00 GMT

The Freedom Scientific Training Department is pleased to offer several new paid Webinars on Office 2007. In addition to the paid Webinars, several free Webinars are also offered during the fourth quarter, including new Webinar training room orientation.

To register for any of these free or paid Webinars and to find out more information about them, please visit the e-Learning page of the Training Department at Freedom Scientific.

Here's a little more information about the paid Webinars from Freedom Scientific:

Webinars are instructor-led in an accessible online training room
An online exam is included as part of each Webinar to help ensure each participant learns the concepts
A certificate of completion is provided to those who score 80% or higher on exams
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded to those who pass the exams
Pick and choose the Webinars you want
Pay for only the training you need
If you cannot attend at the time scheduled you receive a link to the archive, enabling you to study online at any time

Schedule of Webinars in the Fourth Quarter

JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, September 23 (free)
Webinar Training Room Orientation, October 1 (free)
Office 2007 Overview and Introduction, October 6
Outlook 2007 Part One, Introduction, October 8
Outlook 2007 Part Two, October 13
Outlook 2007 Part Three, October 15
Webinar Training Room Orientation, October 19 (free)
Word 2007 Part One, Introduction, October 27
Word 2007 Part Two, October 29
Word 2007 Part Three, November 3
Webinar Training Room Orientation, November 5 (free)
PowerPoint 2007 Part One, Introduction, November 17
PowerPoint 2007 Part Two, November 19
JAWS and MAGic Voice Profiles, November 24 (free)
PowerPoint 2007 Part Three, December 8
Webinar Training Room Orientation, December 10 (free)
Excel 2007 Part One, Introduction, December 15
Excel 2007 Part Two, December 17

To register or get more information visit the e-Learning page of the Training Department at Freedom Scientific.

Free Webinars from Freedom Scientific for the Third Quarter of 2009

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:00:00 GMT

To register for any of these free webinars and to find out more information about them, please visit the e-Learning page of the Training Department at Freedom Scientific.

PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, July 28, 2009

Are you afraid of PDF (Portable Document Format) files? Would you like to know more about how to read them with JAWS and MAGic? If so, this Webinar is for you.

Learn how to read PDF documents and use different strategies to obtain a better idea of why some PDF documents do not read well, or may not read at all. Learn how to test a PDF document for accessibility. Learn how to determine if a PDF document is a scanned image and not text that can be read with a screen reader. Then learn what you can do to convert the PDF document so that it CAN be read. Learn how to interact with forms and form controls, tables, hyperlinks, and more, all in PDF documents of different types.

What Are Scripts? Basics of Scripting, July 30, 2009

What are scripts? What are functions?

Every time you start JAWS, a group of default settings or configuration files is loaded. Included in this group of files is the default script file, default.jsb, which contains all of the functionality JAWS needs to access and speak information within the Windows® operating system and Windows-based programs.

Each time you press a keystroke, JAWS performs a series of steps to determine if the keystroke is associated with a script, is a keystroke that activates an action within the program you are using, or does not do anything.

In this one hour Webinar, you will learn the definition of a script and function, the differences between scripts and functions, how JAWS processes scripts and functions and more.

Script Manager, Basics of Scripting, August 4, 2009

What is the Script manager in JAWS and how is it used?

You use the Script manager to create new and modify existing scripts and user-defined functions. It is a full-featured text editor that provides built-in capabilities that you will not find in other text editors and word processors. In addition, the Script manager provides hot keys you can use to read through the scripts in your script file more efficiently.

After you have completed creating your new script or function, you save your script file just as you would when using another text editor or word processor. However the Script manager automatically performs an additional step not found in those applications. It compiles your script file. Compiling a script converts the file from text to machine-readable information. The Script manager saves the original text file with a JSS (JAWS Script Source) file extension, and the compiled or binary version (machine-readable language) is saved with a JSB (JAWS Script Binary) file extension.

In this one and one half hour Webinar, you will learn the file types used by the Script manager, the commands used to navigate through existing script files and how to view the documentation for existing scripts and user-defined functions. You will also learn how to create new scripts using the New Script dialog box, how to insert functions into scripts, check for errors that violate the rules of correct script writing, save and compile your script files, and more.

Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic! August 12 - September 16, 2009

Learn to use JAWS screen reading software and MAGic screen magnification software to read and navigate the Internet! Do you want to become a power JAWS or MAGic user on the World Wide Web? Do you want to learn how JAWS or MAGic can help you navigate the vast resources of entertainment, education, and information available on the Web? Join the Freedom Scientific training team, and go through the Surf's Up training Web site in a series of six (6) free Webinars.

Using the Keyboard with T&T Technology: J-Tools and J-Tunes, August 20

Guest presenter: Brian Hartgen, United Kingdom

This webinar is for anyone who is interested in learning more about products from T&T Consultancy entirely written using the JAWS scripting language. J-Tools is for people who wish to carry out everyday computing tasks with greater efficiency. If you are a Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Twitter user, you are sure to find something of value in J-Tools version 2.0. J-Tunes, on the other hand, links JAWS together with the iTunes® music management software.

JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS, September 23

This is a core concept Webinar. It should be taken by anyone who is interested in learning to use JAWS® screen reading software for reading, work, or for accessibility testing purposes.

Reading the screen is done by pressing keys on the numeric keypad, or NUM PAD, sometimes in combination with other keys on the keyboard. When JAWS is loaded, the NUM LOCK is turned off, so that the keys represent movement keys, such as left arrow, right arrow, page up, and so on. Learn to read by character, word, line, sentence, paragraph, and more. MAGic® screen magnification software uses the same reading commands as JAWS, so learning the keyboard commands for one product provides a seamless transition to the other.

One of the key concepts of how JAWS works relates to the multiple cursor system that has been developed. Cursors discussed in this Webinar include the PC cursor, JAWS (mouse pointer) cursor, and the Virtual cursor.

Free Webinar on Accessible Tables in Word and Ranges in Excel - June 24 at 2 PM Eastern

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Date: June 24, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time (18:00 GMT)
Presenter: Dan Clark, trainer for Freedom Scientific
Host: Professor Norm Coombs of EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
Webinar: Medium to advanced concepts
Cost: No charge
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Length: One and one half hours

(Note: This is the first Webinar in a two-part series. Part two will be on August 26 and will cover Accessible Tables in PDF and HTML.)

Description:

People who use tables in Microsoft Word or ranges in Microsoft Excel on a regular basis know how quickly one can get lost in the maze of rows and columns without the use of row and column titles. Learn to use the bookmark feature in Word and the naming function in Excel to create built-in column and row header names for a cell or a range of cells. JAWS looks for certain specific names to identify which cells contain row and column titles. If the titles are defined in this fashion, the information is stored right in the document rather than in a JAWS file and can be used to speak the title information to anyone using JAWS 6.1 or later. Furthermore, anyone can build these row and column names into a table or range without even having JAWS installed.

Learn some easily applied principles that increase the accessibility of documents you create. In addition, learn how users can more easily access information by knowing helpful features in their adaptive technology.

Note: This Webinar will be approximately one and a half hours in length (90 minutes) to allow time for interactive practice. Participants will be given the opportunity to switch away from the presentation room (while still listening to the instructor) to use sample practice documents that will be provided. The practice documents open in Microsoft Word and in Microsoft Excel.

Visit the EASI Web site now to register.

Four New Free Webinars from the Training Department to Celebrate in July

Fri, 29 May 2009 19:15:00 GMT

Basics of Scripting: Keyboard Manager, July 14, 2009
Basics of Scripting: What Are Scripts? July 16, 2009
Basics of Scripting: Script Manager, July 21, 2009
PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic, July 28, 2009

Are you interested in learning more about scripting for JAWS, MAGic, or the PAC Mate? These three Basics of Scripting Webinars will help you build a solid foundation for learning more about script writing.

Do you avoid PDF documents whenever possible? Perhaps you would like to know more about them, including strategies for testing them for accessibility, why some PDF documents don't read well or at all, or how to interact with forms and other controls in PDFs? If so, this Webinar is for you.

Visit the e-Learning entrance page of the Freedom Scientific Training Department now to register for these new free Webinars.

Links to Archived Webinars, MP3 Files, and HTML Lessons Added to e-Learning Page

Fri, 22 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Anyone who registers for a Webinar at Freedom Scientific automatically receives a link to the archive of that Webinar when it is finished. Now, due to popular demand, we are posting the latest archives of our free training Webinars online. In addition to the archives, which contain audio, HTML screens, and text chat areas, we are making the following available:

MP3 files - the MP3 files are made available separately for those who want to download them and put them on a stand-alone player
HTML files - the HTML files (including practice exercises, when available) are made available separately for those who want the text of the lesson without the audio

Visit the e-Learning entrance page of the Freedom Scientific Training Department now to listen to the archives or download the MP3 audio or HTML text files for each lesson.

Glen Gordon: Free Webinar on ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

Mon, 11 May 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Date: May 26, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time (18:00 GMT)
Presenter: Glen Gordon, Chief Technology Officer for Freedom Scientific
Co-hosts: Dan Clark of Freedom Scientific and Norm Coombs of EASI
Webinar: Medium to advanced concepts
Cost: No charge
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Length: One hour

TIP: Did you know that if you miss a Webinar, a link to the archive of the Webinar will be sent to you if you register? That way, you can make up the Webinar at a later date. Would you like to join a series of Webinars already in progress? You can register at any time, review the archives for any lessons you missed, and join a series of Webinars already in progress.

Glen Gordon from Freedom Scientific will give a free Webinar on ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications), hosted by EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information).

Webinar description: What is ARIA and why is it important? Why is ARIA necessary? What challenges do ARIA and Web 2.0 sites present to screen reader developers and users? Join this Webinar to listen to Glen Gordon describe how Freedom Scientific is preparing JAWS for this new wave of the future. Learn about ARIA features and how JAWS users will interact with these dynamic Web-based applications.

Visit the EASI Web site now to register.

Free JAWS and MAGic Training Webinars March 24 and 26

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The Freedom Scientific Training Department is offering two free JAWS and MAGic training Webinars in March.

JAWS and MAGic Reading Commands and Cursors Used by JAWS
Date: March 24, 2009

Time: 3:00 PM Eastern Time (19:00 GMT)
Webinar: Basic concepts
Cost: No charge
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Length: One hour

This is a core concept Webinar. It should be taken by anyone who is interested in learning to use JAWS® screen reading software for reading, work, or for accessibility testing purposes.

Surf's Up! Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic!
DATE: March 26 - April 29, 2009 (individual lesson dates are listed below)

Time: 3:00 PM Eastern Time (19:00 GMT)
Webinar: Basic concepts
Cost: No charge
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Length: One hour

Join us for a series on Surfing the Web with JAWS and MAGic. This five part free Webinar series uses our training Web site "Surf's Up! Surfing the Web with JAWS and MAGic" to demonstrate how to use JAWS and MAGic on the Web. It should be taken by anyone who is interested in learning to use JAWS or MAGic for reading and navigating Web pages on the Internet. It should also be taken if you plan to use JAWS for accessibility testing purposes. The Surf's Up series consists of five free Webinars over the following dates:

Lesson one, March 26, 2009
Lesson two, April 8, 2009
Lesson three, April 15, 2009
Lesson four, April 22, 2009
Lesson five, April 29, 2009

Go to the Freedom Scientific e-Learning entrance page for more information and to register.

Announcing the Spring/Summer 2009 Training Workshop Schedule

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:15:00 GMT

The Freedom Scientific Training Department announces the spring/summer schedule of training workshops at our headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. If you want to update your knowledge of the JAWS® screen reader, want to learn how to customize JAWS or MAGic® screen magnification software using the powerful scripting language, or are interested in learning how to work with Microsoft® Office 2007 with JAWS and MAGic, then we have a training workshop for you.

The spring schedule begins with the Microsoft Office with JAWS and MAGic training workshop on May 12 - 15, 2009. Next, the exciting new workshop, Web Page Testing with JAWS, is being held either May 27 - 28, or, June 3 - 5, 2009. Help us decide which set of dates to hold this exciting new workshop by contacting the Training Department and letting us know the dates that best fit your schedule. To view the complete spring and summer schedule of training workshops, visit the workshop schedule on the Freedom Scientific Web site.

Discounted Tuition Rates and Free Products

Anyone who is interested in attending one or more workshops back-to-back is entitled to a discounted tuition rate for both workshops. We also offer discounted tuition rates for two or more people from the same organization who attend the same workshop. In addition, anyone attending a Freedom Scientific training workshop in 2009 receives free copies of:

TypeAbility, the outstanding talking typing tutorial from YesAccessible!
J-Tools, a new suite of software tools for users of JAWS 9 and later that assists when working with word processing, e-mail, calendar, and the Internet, from T&T Consultancy

You can learn more about these exciting products being offered free to anyone taking part in a Freedom Scientific training workshop by visiting the Training Headquarters page of the Freedom Scientific Web site.

Contact the Training Department

If you are interested in attending any of the workshops being held this spring or summer, complete a registration form available via download from the workshops page of the Freedom Scientific Web site. Return the completed registration form to the Training Department at Training_Info@FreedomScientific.com. For general questions about our training workshops, you can either e-mail the Training Department with your questions, or you can contact the Training Department at:

Freedom Scientific, Inc.
Attn: Training Department
11800 31st Court North
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805
Phone: 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 extension 1004 or 1016
Fax: 727-471-7927

Revised Basics of Scripting Manual Posted

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:45:00 GMT

The Basics of Scripting manual has been updated to reflect changes in JAWS 10 along with the Keyboard and Script managers. The manual is a great resource for anyone who is interested in learning how to customize JAWS through the use of the powerful JAWS scripting language. This comprehensive manual walks you through the very basics of the JAWS scripting language and includes exercises at the end of each chapter to help reinforce the concepts taught in that chapter. Concepts taught include:

Using the Keyboard Manager to add, change and update keystrokes for JAWS
What are scripts?
The differences between scripts and functions
Using the Script manager to create and compile scripts and functions
Script file documentation and structure
Using the New Script and Insert Function dialog boxes
Manipulating cursors to read areas of text on the screen
Controlling flow: sequential, conditional, and iterative (looping)
Passing keystrokes
Types of functions including: built-in, event and user-defined
Virtual Viewer concepts
and much more

Download the Basics of Scripting Manual.

Choose this link to go to the Training Downloads page and get the Basics of Scripting manual.

Three New Ways to Learn How To Test Web Pages with JAWS

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:10:00 GMT

Are you a Web page developer or person who needs to test a Web page or other document with JAWS? These workshops are designed for Web page authors, Web masters, accessibility testers, and anyone else who is interested in learning how JAWS can be used to test and validate accessible Web page design.

There are several different ways to participate in one of these new workshops from the Training Department at Freedom Scientific:

Online learning - the first new online workshop is six one-hour Webinars from February 11-March 4, 2009, and costs $300. Read more about it and register on the e-Learning page of the Freedom Scientific Training Department.

Hands-on training in Florida - this new two-day workshop is priced at $499 per person and is scheduled for either May 27-28 or June 3-4, 2009, at Freedom Scientific in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Read more about it and register on the JAWS workshop page of the Freedom Scientific Training Department.

Hands-on training at your location - this two-day workshop can be brought to your location. If you have between six and twelve people who might benefit from this training it is less expensive to bring the Freedom Scientific trainer to your location. Read more about hosting a workshop at your location.

If you have any questions, please contact the Training Department at Freedom Scientific for more information.

Freedom Scientific, Inc.
Attn: Training Department
11800 31st Court North
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805
Phone: 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000 extension 1016 or 1004
Fax: 727-471-7927
E-mail: training_info at FreedomScientific.com

Online Learning Now Available from the Freedom Scientific Training Department

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Learn to use JAWS® screen reading software, MAGic® screen magnification software, PAC Mate Omni™ accessible Pocket PC, and more from the convenience of your home or office. With travel expenses on the increase, working online to learn new skills makes even more sense than ever. Visit the e-Learning Webinar page of the Training Department for more information on this new learning opportunity from Freedom Scientific. View the schedule and register now for upcoming Webinars.

What's New in JAWS 10 DAISY and MP3 Files Posted

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Listen to Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Product Management, as he discusses What's New in JAWS 10. This just-released DAISY book is also available as an MP3 audio download.

Use Check for Updates to Find the What's New in JAWS 10 DAISY Book

JAWS 9 and 10 users can use the JAWS Check for Updates feature to find and download the What's New in JAWS 10 DAISY book. Here's how to use the Check for Updates feature:

Go to the JAWS Help menu and press P to choose Check for Updates.
A dialog box appears that contains a list of check boxes for all updates that are available for your version of JAWS, including any DAISY training materials.
Press UP or DOWN ARROW to move through the list.
Press SPACEBAR to check any items you want to download and install.
Then press ENTER to activate the Install button. The download begins and when finished, a new dialog box appears that asks if you want to install the files, with a Yes and No button.
Choose Yes. After the installation is complete, the final dialog box appears that tells you that the updates were successfully installed.
Choose the OK button, and the dialog box closes. Now you can use FSReader to read the newly installed book. In FSReader, just choose CTRL+O to reopen the File Open dialog box and choose the new book.

MP3 Version of the What's New in JAWS 10.

If you would rather download the MP3 file, choose this link to go to the Training Downloads page and get the MP3 version of the What's New in JAWS 10.

JAWS 10 Basic Training Released!

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:46:00 GMT

The Basic Training for JAWS 10 has been revised and updated to include the latest in new JAWS 10 features. The newly-revised training is available in both text and audio DAISY format as well as individual MP3 modules.

Updated items include:

Changes in the JAWS user interface
JAWS Tandem™
Voice Profiles
Revisions to Internet Explorer modules using the new Surf's Up
Auto Forms Mode for HTML forms
Navigation Quick Key manager
And much more!

Use Check for Updates to Download Training Materials

The new JAWS 10 Basic Training will be included on the new JAWS program CD. It is also available now on the Training Downloads page. JAWS 10 users can also use the JAWS Check for Updates feature to find it. Here's how to use the Check for Updates feature:

Go to the JAWS Help menu and press P to choose Check for Updates.
A dialog box appears that contains a list of check boxes for all updates that are available, including any DAISY training materials.
Press UP or DOWN ARROW to move through the list.
Press SPACEBAR to check any items you want to download and install.
Then press ENTER to activate the Install button. The download begins and when finished, a new dialog box appears that asks if you want to install the files, with a Yes and No button.
Choose Yes. After the installation is complete, the final dialog box appears that tells you that the updates were successfully installed.
Choose the OK button, and the dialog box closes. Now you can use FSReader to read the newly installed book. In FSReader, just choose CTRL+O to reopen the File Open dialog box and choose the new book.

Getting Started with JAWS Updated for JAWS 10

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:45:00 GMT

The Getting Started with JAWS audio has been revised for the JAWS 10 release.

Since JAWS version 7, full copies of JAWS now include the "Getting Started with JAWS" audio cassette. It explains the fundamentals of using JAWS on your computer. You'll also learn how to use FSReader to access the more detailed Basic Training and other DAISY training materials included with JAWS. The newest version of "Getting Started with JAWS" that ships with JAWS has been improved to keep up with the latest changes in JAWS 10 as well as changes in the operating system, Windows Vista®. It now includes more than 50 minutes of instruction per side. In addition, learn about:

"What's in the Box?"
JAWS authorization, installation, and activation
The JAWS Startup Wizard
Installation of RealSpeak™ Solo Direct synthesizers
Play and pause audio with FSReader in the background
And much more!

Visit the JAWS MP3 files section on the training downloads page to download your copy of the Getting Started with JAWS audio modules today!

Public EASI Webinar: Making Accessible Forms in MS Word

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:45:00 GMT

Thursday October 16 at 2 PM Eastern

Presenters: Dan Clark from Freedom Scientific and Professor Norm Coombs from EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)

Visit the EASI workshop page to register for this free one-hour Webinar.

Did you ever want to send a form for people to fill out and do it in Word? Did you just leave a blank line for that information? Imagine making a genuine form with edit boxes where the people filled in the requested information? Imagine even being able to use check boxes? How about even having a drop down combo box with choices they are to select? And imagine making it so it would be fully accessible to people using adaptive technologies?

Don't imagine it any more! This Webinar will demonstrate just how you can do that. This is a much more professional way to collect information, and it isn't really very difficult.

Dan will share information on creating accessible forms in Microsoft® Word 2003 as well as Word 2007. Some of the items for discussion include:

Laying out form content
Creating accessible edit boxes, check boxes, and combo boxes
Adding Status Bar and Help Key (F1) help for screen reader users
Using sections for instructions
Saving and protecting forms
Navigating forms using the Word Bookmark feature
Navigation Quick Keys and list of Form Controls for JAWS users

Be sure to mark this one on your calendar!

JAWS Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:10:00 GMT

JAWS® screen reading software has Navigation Quick Keys for Microsoft® Word that provide you with an easy and efficient way to move through a document. Quickly move the insertion point to a number of different page elements, including headings, footnotes, endnotes, comments, tables, form fields, pages, sections, and more, with simple keystrokes. This feature is similar to the Navigation Quick Keys JAWS uses in Internet Explorer, but is especially designed to help you navigate Word documents.

Navigation Quick Keys are automatically enabled while you are reading with the SayAll command. If you want to use this feature when not performing the SayAll command, press INSERT+Z. Then, use the keystrokes to move the insertion point to the next or previous page element of the given type. To turn off Navigation Quick Keys, press INSERT+Z again. JAWS also turns off Navigation Quick Keys if you switch from one Word document to another document, or to another program.

Visit the JAWS Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word training page for:

Word 2003 and Word 2007 documents for practice using Navigation Quick Keys
Keystrokes listing the Navigation Quick Keys available with Microsoft Word
Information on the new JAWS 10 Navigation Quick Key manager

New Surf's Up Training Posted

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:01:00 GMT

NEW! Surf's Up! - Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic, the Freedom Scientific Web pages that explain how to surf the Web with JAWS and MAGic, have been updated to help instructors and students take advantage of the new JAWS 10 features. Surf's Up now also includes help with using MAGic screen magnification software on the Web. Pay particular attention to the Forms page. It gives great details for using the new Auto Forms Mode function for JAWS! In addition, you'll find many new and updated exercises for practice throughout.

Visit Surf's Up online or get the Surf's Up downloadable version for use on computers with no Internet connection.

New Fall Workshops for JAWS and MAGic Announced

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Just in time for fall 2008, several new training workshops have been announced!

Basics of Scripting

New Workshop!
The original Basics of Scripting workshop is back by popular demand. This four-day hands-on workshop is designed for users who want to learn how to begin writing scripts with JAWS and MAGic. Learn how to use the Script manager to write and compile scripts. Learn the difference between scripts and functions, how to use variables and constants, speak or display messages in the virtual viewer, and more.

What's New in JAWS

New Workshop!
This new two-day workshop is designed for teachers, trainers, and others who are already familiar with JAWS, but who want to get specific training on the newest JAWS features.

Office 2007 with JAWS and MAGic

New Workshop!
This new three-day workshop is designed for teachers, trainers, and others who are already familiar with JAWS, but who want to get specific training on how to use JAWS with Microsoft Office 2007. Learn specific techniques in Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Outlook® using the keyboard with JAWS.

Visit the Freedom Scientific Workshops page for the schedule of new workshops and more information on these and other upcoming training opportunities.

PAC Mate Omni Training in DAISY Text and Audio Format Now Available!

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:52 GMT

The first new DAISY book for the PAC Mate Omni is now available for download! This DAISY book is in both text and narrated audio format. These new DAISY books are in the process of being created, and more will follow in the coming days. Be sure to get the first one, Introduction to the PAC Mate Omni QX (DAISY 3.7MB), and check back soon for more.

In addition, for those who just want to hear the audio, the MP3 files are being made available separately from the DAISY books. Go to the PAC Mate training downloads section of the training downloads page to find these and other great training files.

PowerPoint 2003 Training with JAWS and MAGic

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:17:59 GMT

Learn how to create and give PowerPoint® 2003 presentations using JAWS® screen reading software and MAGic® screen magnification software. This lesson teaches you how to use the keyboard to create and give presentations, and includes a link to practice files.

Some of the things you will learn include:

Use JAWS or MAGic and the keyboard to create and present slide shows
Set a background color for all slides in the presentation
Use a photograph as a background for an entire slide
Label pictures and objects with alternate text
Use design templates in PowerPoint to choose a variety of different slides
Navigate at the object as well as the text entry level of slides
Insert a button to play a sound on a slide
Use slide animation effects to fly in bullet points one at a time
Rearrange animation effects for a more effective presentation
Insert and be able to read speaker's notes during your presentation
And much more!

Go to the PowerPoint 2003 with JAWS and MAGic training page now and get started, or use the link on that page to download the lesson along with practice files and work offline at your leisure.

Introduction to PAC Mate Omni from Jonathan Mosen, MP3 Audio

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:33:44 GMT

Download the MP3 audio file from Jonathan Mosen introducing the PAC Mate Omni and hear some of the new features described and demonstrated.

Introduction To the PAC Mate Omni by Jonathan Mosen (MP3 32.4MB)

Creating Accessible Forms in Excel using Input Messages, New DAISY Book!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:17:00 GMT

A new DAISY book that teaches how to create accessible forms in Excel® is available from the Training Department.

Authors of workbooks using the Microsoft® spreadsheet program Excel can use the Input Message feature of Excel to create accessible forms that provide outstanding feedback and instructions for users of JAWS® screen reader software and MAGic® screen magnification software. Hyperlinks can be used to expedite navigation within the form for JAWS and MAGic users.

The new book is available for download in the JAWS and MAGic sections of the Training Downloads page. The title of the book is Creating Accessible Forms in Excel using Input Messages and is offered in a text-only DAISY format.

Training Lab in Saint Petersburg now Using Office 2007 and Windows Vista

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:16:00 GMT

When you visit the Saint Petersburg Training Headquarters to attend one of our hands-on workshops, you receive training in JAWS and MAGic using the latest versions of Windows Vista® and Office 2007! If you are new to working in either of these environments, consider signing up for one of our workshops soon, even if you have been to training here previously!

Training Downloads - New Web Page from the Training Department!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT

A new Web page with links for training materials has been posted by the Freedom Scientific Training Department. The Training Downloads page is your one-stop source for finding all of the free training materials we have available! Find that DAISY book or MP3 file you are looking for. Find training for multiple products in one place, instead of having to search through several different product pages. Please take advantage of all of the training information and materials we have posted here. We hope you will come back often to see what is new!

The Hadley School for the Blind to Sponsor a Webinar on JAWS and MAGic Training Resources

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:45:00 GMT

Eric Damery and Dan Clark from Freedom Scientific join George Abbott, Dean of Educational Programs and Instruction at the Hadley School for the Blind, on Wednesday, November 28, at 3:00 PM CST and 21:00 GMT, to discuss training resources for teachers, trainers, and users of JAWS® for Windows® screen reading software and MAGic® screen magnification software. Eric and Dan each have more than 10 years of adaptive technology industry experience, and work constantly to improve the methods and delivery of training materials.

To participate, please register for the seminar well in advance to get a password.

Basic Training for JAWS 9 Posted in DAISY and MP3 Format - Brand New!

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:45:00 GMT

The brand new JAWS 9 Basic Training has been posted in both DAISY (text and audio) and MP3 formats. The Basic Training for JAWS 9 was completely redone and recorded in Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. This DAISY book contains almost nine hours of comprehensive training for all the essential functions of JAWS, including practice files you can use to follow along. You'll learn everything you need to know to get started quickly with JAWS and how to make use of its extensive set of features.

Download the Basic Training lessons complete DAISY files for JAWS 9 (325 MB).

For the JAWS 9 Basic Training in MP3 format, you have a choice of downloading the entire package or individual MP3 files. Visit the MP3 download section for JAWS 9 Basic Training to view the different modules available. New modules include:

The Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box
The JAWS Startup Wizard
Office 2007 with MAGic and JAWS
Script Writing with MAGic and JAWS
And much more!

What's New for JAWS 9 Posted - New!

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:40:00 GMT

The What's New for JAWS 9 is now available for download in both DAISY and MP3 format! Get a preview of what's coming and listen as Eric Damery, Product Manager for JAWS, discusses The JAWS Startup Wizard, HTML formatting retained when selecting, copying, and pasting, the newly designed INSERT V JAWS options dialog box, and many other new additions! Download the What's New for JAWS 9 in one of the following formats:

Basic Training for MAGic 11 Posted in DAISY and MP3 Format - Brand New!

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:01:00 GMT

The brand new MAGic 11 Basic Training has been posted in both DAISY (text and audio) and MP3 formats. The Basic Training for MAGic 11 was completely redone and recorded in Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. This DAISY book contains over five hours of comprehensive training for all the essential functions of MAGic, including practice files you can use to follow along. You'll learn everything you need to know to get started quickly with MAGic and how to make use of its extensive set of features.

Download the Basic Training lessons complete DAISY files for MAGic 11 (190 MB).

For the MAGic 11 Basic Training in MP3 format, you have a choice of downloading the entire package or individual MP3 files. Visit the MP3 download section for MAGic 11 Basic Training to view the different modules available. New modules include:

Office 2007 with MAGic and JAWS
SayAll and Alternate SayAll with RealSpeak Solo® SAPI 5 synthesizer for MAGic
Focus Enhancements
Script Writing with MAGic and JAWS
And much more!

Introduction to Vista for MAGic and JAWS Revised

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:00:00 GMT

The DAISY book XTraJAWSAndMAGicIntroToVista has been revised. Because the installer puts them in the proper place for either JAWS or MAGic users to find them, please download the appropriate version. JAWS users please download XTraIntroToVistaJAWS and MAGic users please download XTraIntroToVistaMAGic. Note that the books are exactly identical in content, they just install to the proper location for each product.

These books are also available on the JAWS and MAGic Training Headquarters Web pages in MP3 format.

What's New for MAGic 11.0

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:46:00 GMT

The What's New for MAGic 11.0 is now available for download in both DAISY and MP3 format! Get a preview of what's coming and listen as Dusty Voorhees, Senior Product Manager, discusses Windows Vista™ support, Microsoft Office 2007 support, the inclusion of the new RealSpeak Solo speech synthesizer, the new Focus Enhancement feature, and many other new additions! Download the What's New for MAGic 11.0 in one of the following formats:

MAGic Keystrokes List Updated

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:45:00 GMT

To coincide with the release of the MAGic 11.0 public beta, the MAGic Keystrokes Web page has been updated. We've added new keystrokes and made some corrections in the Microsoft Excel keystrokes section. It contains a list of all the MAGic keystrokes in one HTML page. Use the MAGic list of headings to move to the keystroke section you want or use the Find command to search through the entire document to search for different items. An updated version of the MAGic keystrokes in accessible PDF format is also available for download.

JAWS and MAGic: an Introduction to Windows Vista - New DAISY book

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

NEW from the Training Department at Freedom Scientific!

Be the first to get your copy of the free book that introduces JAWS and MAGic users to the Windows Vista environment! This brand new DAISY book is available for download on the Freedom Scientific JAWS Training Headquarters Web page. The new book is formatted in both text and audio DAISY format, proven to be the best for all-around learning. Read it at your own pace with JAWS or MAGic, or sit back and relax as you listen to the narrated audio. One hour and 18 minutes in length, topics covered in this book include:

Installing JAWS or MAGic in Windows Vista (installation, authorization, activation, startup wizard, and RealSpeak Solo synthesizer installation)
User Account Control (UAC) - What is it? How do I enable or disable it?
Main parts of the Windows Vista Screen
Main parts of the Start menu (search edit field, all programs, right pane, tab order in the Start menu, turning off the computer)
Uninstall or Change a Program
Windows Vista Explorer
Volume Mixer
Sidebar and Gadgets

Visit the JAWS Training Headquarters and choose the link JAWS and MAGic: an Introduction to Windows Vista to begin the download. The book is also available on the JAWS Training Headquarters in MP3 format.

NEW! Supporting and Teaching Windows with JAWS and MAGic, Now Includes Using MAGic With JAWS

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

As JAWS and MAGic continue to grow and improve, so has our training. If you have not attended a JAWS workshop in the last few years, you'll want to get caught up with the latest features and techniques. Now includes MAGic as part of the documentation and training. Use both JAWS and MAGic together during the workshop and experience the total solution! Read more about our extended training on the JAWS training workshops page and sign up now to enhance your skill set.

Laptop Keystrokes DAISY Book

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:15:00 GMT

Laptop Keystrokes with JAWS is the latest new free DAISY book from the Freedom Scientific Training Department. This brand new text and audio DAISY book is posted on the JAWS Training Headquarters page. Laptop Keystrokes with JAWS shows you how to make the most of JAWS when using a laptop keyboard instead of a regular desktop keyboard.

Learn why power JAWS users set JAWS to laptop layout even when they are using a regular keyboard.
Use the included sample practice document to practice laptop reading commands with JAWS.
Use the included complete list of JAWS keystrokes to find other keystrokes you may not be familiar with.

Laptop Keystrokes with JAWS is available for download today! The new DAISY book is 17 minutes in length and will prove invaluable to students and business people alike who routinely use a laptop with JAWS.

Supporting and Teaching Windows with JAWS--Updated, Now Five Days

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:10:00 GMT

As JAWS continues to grow and improve, so has our training. If you have not attended a JAWS workshop in the last few years, you'll want to get caught up with the latest features and techniques. Read more about our extended training on the JAWS training workshops page and sign up now to enhance your skill set.

MAGic Keystrokes Guide

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:05:00 GMT

New from the Training Department! Now available: a list of all the MAGic keystrokes in one HTML page. Use the MAGic list of headings to move to the keystroke section you want or use the Find command to search through the entire document to search for different items. A version of the MAGic keystrokes in PDF format is also available.

New JAWS Training Workshops Posted

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:00:00 GMT

JAWS Training in Athens, Georgia, July 10-11, 2007, at Advanced Learning Technologies (ALT)

The Alternative Media Access Center (AMAC) will host a two-day training seminar on the use of JAWS, a powerful accessibility solution that reads information on the computer screen using synthesized speech. The seminar will be held July 10th and 11th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the offices of Advanced Learning Technologies in Athens. (Directions to ALT)

The seminar is free to participants from University System of Georgia (USG) schools who are members of AMAC. The cost is $150.00 for participants from USG non-member schools, and $300.00 for participants from other institutions. Seating is limited to 15 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Lunch is not included in the registration. CEUs are available.

In addition to its screen reading capabilities, JAWS, by Freedom Scientific provides many useful commands that make it easier to use programs, edit documents, and read Web pages. With a refreshable braille display, JAWS also can provide braille output in addition to, or instead of, speech. An array of versatile features and customizable options lets the user tailor JAWS for individual needs and preferences.

To register for the seminar please visit the training Web page for AMAC.