Opening Microsoft Word

OPENING WORD

Tap on the Windows Key.
The Start Menu will open.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say All Programs.
Press Enter.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say Microsoft Office.
Press Enter.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say Microsoft Office Word.
Press Enter.
You have now opened a blank Word document.
From here you can begin writing a document from scratch.

CLOSE A DOCUMENT:

While holding onto the Alt key tap on the F4.
Microsoft Word should now be closed.

Opening a Document from the Thumb Drive

OPEN A DOCUMENT FROM A THUMB DRIVE:

The Thumb Drive is called the Thumb Drive because it is roughly the size of a human thumb.
Thumb Drives are also known as Flash Drives or USB Drives.
Think of them as small storage cabinets to hold information.

With Word open, insert your disk into the thumb drive slot of the computer.
Hold onto the Ctrl Key and tap on the O Key.
The Open Window will appear.

Begin by finding the metallic end of the drive.
Once you have found it, explore the front of the computer to find two vertical slots.
Now, attempt to stick that metal end of the thumb drive into one of the vertical slots.
Do not force it, if it does not fit right away try turning it over.
Once it is in, give it a few seconds for the computer and the thumb drive to talk to each other.
You may hear a few pinging sounds and JAWS saying Found New Hardware.
That means that the computer recognizes the thumb drive.


With the Open Window open,
Hold onto the Alt Key and tap on the D Key.
You will hear JAWS say Address Edit Combo.
Tap on the Escape Key.
You will hear JAWS say Desktop Spilt Button.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key.
At first, JAWS will not say anything.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key again and JAWS will begin announcing the names of different locations.
Continue to tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Computer.
Press Enter.
Now, tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Computer again.
From here, tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Removable Disk.
That removable disk is your thumb drive.
Press Enter.
Then tap on the Tab Key until you hear JAWS say Not Selected and the name of a folder.
Down arrow until your reach the document you wish to open.
Press Enter.
Or, if that unselected folder is the one you want to open, tap on the Space Bar to select it.
Then, tap on the Enter Key.

EXERCISE 1
Follow the series of steps listed below to open the Gettysburg Address from the thumb drive.
Tap on the Windows Key.
The Start Menu will open.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say All Programs.
Press Enter.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say Microsoft Office.
Press Enter.
Down arrow until you hear JAWS say Microsoft Office Word.
Press Enter.
You have now opened a blank Word document.

Begin by finding the metallic end of the drive.
Once you have found it, explore the front of the computer to find two vertical slots.
Now, attempt to stick that metal end of the thumb drive into one of the vertical slots.
Do not force it, if it does not fit right away try turning it over.
Once it is in, give it a few seconds for the computer and the thumb drive to talk to each other.
You may hear a few pinging sounds and JAWS saying Found New Hardware.
That means that the computer recognizes the thumb drive.

With Word open,
Hold onto the Ctrl Key and tap on the O Key.
The Open Window will appear.

With the Open Window open,
Hold onto the Alt Key and tap on the D Key.
You will hear JAWS say Address Edit Combo.
Tap on the Escape Key.
You will hear JAWS say Desktop Spilt Button.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key.
At first, JAWS will not say anything.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key again and JAWS will begin announcing the names of different locations.
Continue to tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Computer.
Press Enter.
Now, tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Computer again.
From here, tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Removable Disk.
That removable disk is your thumb drive.
Press Enter.
Then tap on the Tab Key until you hear Jaws say Not Selected and Gettysburg Address.
Tap on the Spacebar to select the Gettysburg Address, then tap on the Enter Key to open the document.

To make sure you opened the Gettysburg Address, hold onto the Ctrl Key and tap on the T Key.
JAWS should say, Title List Gettysburg Address.
You have just open the Gettysburg Address.

Downloading from NLS BARD using JAWS and Windows 7

Tap onto the Windows Key to access the Start Menu.
Down Arrow until you hear JAWS say All Programs.
Press Enter.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Internet Explorer
Press Enter.
Hold onto the Ctrl Key and Tap on the O Key to Open the Internet Address Window.
Type www.google.com.
Press Enter.
Once in Google’s search field, type NLS BARD.
A list of links will appear in Google’s results page.
Tap on the H Key to navigate this list.
Once JAWS says, BARD, press Enter.
You will be taken to BARD’s Login Page.
Tap on the F Key until you hear JAWS say Email Address.
Either tap on the Space Bar or the Enter Key.
You will hear a Pop Sound.
You can now begin typing in your email address.
Once you have finished typing in your email address, tap on the tab key.
You should now be in the form field for your password.
Type in your password.
Press Enter.
You should now be taken to BARD’s Main Page.
Tap on the Ctrl Key to stop JAWS from speaking.
Then, tap on the F Key until JAWS says Search the Collection.
Once JAWS says Search the Collection, tap on the Spacebar or the Enter Key to enter forms mode.
Type in search terms for the book you want.
Common search terms are the title, the author or the book number.
Once you have entered your search terms, tap on the Enter Key.
You will be taken to the search results page.
Tap on the H Key until you hear the title of the book you want to download.
Hold onto the Insert Key and tap on the F7 to call up the Links List.
Down Arrow until JAWS says Download followed by the title you wish.
After a few moments JAWS will say: File Download, Do You Want to Open or Save this File?
You want to Save the file.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Save.
You will hear the Download window open.
In addition, the Save As Window will open.
This is where you choose the location where you want the book to go.
In this case, you want it to go to your Removable Disk.
Hold onto the Alt Key and tap on the D Key.
You will be in the Address Bar of Windows Explorer.
Tap on the Escape Key.
Down arrow once and you will not hear anything (this is a bug within windows and JAWS, you’re not missing anything of significance only JAWS is not announcing the appearance of an additional menu).
Down Arrow an additional time and you should hear JAWS say Menu, Computer.
Tap on the Enter Key.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Tree View, Tree View
Tap on the R Key until JAWS says Removable Disk.
Tap on the Enter Key.
JAWS will not say anything, but you should now be in the appropriate spot to save the BARD book onto your removable disk.
Now, hold onto the Alt Key and tap on the S Key and the Saving process should begin.
It may take several minutes to download the entire book depending on your internet connection.
Once the process is completed, you will hear JAWS say One Hundred Percent and begin copying the material to the removable disk.
Once that process is finished, the Download Complete window will appear.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Open Folder.
The window containing the contents of the Removable Disk will appear, although JAWS will remain silent.
If you want to make sure you are in the correct location, hold onto the Insert Key and tap on the T Key and JAWS will tell you the title of the current window you are in.
The book you downloaded should already be selected.
Now, the book is in a format called Compressed or Zipped.
Zipped files allow for the transfer of large sets of data.
However, the NLS Digital Player will not be able to read zipped files and you will have to Unzip or Extract them.
To do so, tap on the Applications Key.
The Applications Key is to the left of the Ctrl Key on the right hand side of the keyboard.
To find it, locate the Spacebar and move three keys to the right.
Once you have used the Applications Key, you will hear JAWS say Context Menu.
Once in the Context Menu, tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Extract All.
JAWS will begin to read a lot of information, including the title and author of the book you want.
Go ahead and tap on the Ctrl Key to stop JAWS from speaking.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Extract Button.
Tap on the Enter Key or the Space Bar to start the extraction process.
JAWS will announce how many items it is extracting and the amount of storage space they use.
In addition, JAWS will keep you posted on the process, by announcing the percentage of material extracted.
Once the process is completed, the file will open showing the items inside.
Hold onto the Alt Key and Tap on the F4 Key to close this window.
Make sure all the windows pertaining to the removable disk are closed.
Now, you need to safely remove the disk from your drive.
To do so, hold onto the Windows Key and tap on the B Key.
JAWS will say, Notification Chevron Button, to Activate Press the Space Bar.
Go ahead and tap on the Spacebar.
JAWS will not say anything, but a menu will have opened containing a number of items.
Tap on the Up Arrow Key.
JAWS will say Customize.
Continue to tap on the Up Arrow until you hear JAWS say Safely Remove Hardware.
Press Enter.
You will hear JAWS say Context Menu, Open Devices and Printers.
Tap on the Down Arrow until you hear JAWS say Eject Flash Disk.
Press Enter.
JAWS will announce that it is Safe to Remove the Hardware.
You can now remove the device from your computer.

Mobile Sites Make the Internet Accessible

Mobile websites have had the unintended consequence of making the internet more accessible to screen reader users. For context, the webpages of large organizations can be complex and confusing for screen reading applications such as JAWS, Window Eyes, NVDA etc. They are non-linear, filled with graphics and advertisements, have popups, etc. However, many of these large organizations have a mobile website designed for designed for cellular telephones.

These sites, while designed for cell phones, can be viewed on a standard computer. Why is this important?

Mobile sites are universal design in reverse. While they were created for the benefit of a sighted population, they are advantageous to the blind community and other screen reader users. They bring webpages back to their fundamentals. They are clean HTML, in liner format, that can be read with greater ease by screen readers.

The best part is, because these are used by a large number of major organizations, if you are having trouble viewing a standard site of such a group, try typing m and a period before that group’s standard web address.

For example, the Washington Post is typical of large media organization’s websites. The Home Page is very crowed and difficult to navigate for screen readers. Instead of typing washingtonpost.com type m.washingtonpost.com.

While the Post’s mobile site is one good example, there are ton’s more. Linked to the blog is a list of mobile sites you can access. In addition, here are some of my favorites:

• Yahoo

  Yahoo’s mobile site is making me reconsider teaching Gmail . It is much simpler to navigate than their standard page. You can use Yahoo to search the web, get the latest headlines, email and more

  m.yahoo.com

• Foodler

  You can use Foodler to search and order from nearby delivery places in your area. Contains menus of the restaurants and prices.

  m.foodler.com

• The Washington Post

  Good listing of national and local news. Very well structured for screen readers with few, but well placed headings.

  m.washingtonpost.com

• Facebook

  In their accessibility statement, Facebook makes the point to include its mobile site as an accessible option for screen reader users. And many screen reader users already use it

  m.facebook.com

New Training Website

I have constructed a new pilot website tutorial to teach JAWS users internet basics. Please visit Adaptive Services Internet Classroom.
I invite you to make comments and suggestions on the site and point any errors I have missed.

I plan to add additional lessons in the near future.

Introduction to the Victor Reader Stream.

The Victor Reader Stream is a multimedia device produced by Humanware. The device allows users to play Talking Books Produced by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, other downloadable audio books, text files created on Microsoft Notepad, downloadable music files, and audio notes. The Adaptive Services Division of the DC Public Library has created a basic curriculum for the device for the benefit of our users. This curriculum includes an introduction to the functions of the device and how to use the device to download NLS talking books.

The Top of the Player

On the top right is the power port.

It is a small circular hole.

The SD Card is in a long horizontal slit on the top center of the player.

The USB port is located on the top left hand side of the player it is a small rectangular shaped hole.

The Left Hand Side of the Player

On top of the left hand side of the player is a small circular button.

That button is the player’s power button.

Hold down on the power button until the Victor Reader Stream beeps.

It will say "Welcome to Victor Reader."

The Victor Reader Stream will pick up from its last location before it was turned off.

Below the power button are the volume control and speed control keys.

The key facing the top of the player increases the volume and speed wile the one facing the bottom decreases the volume and speed.

The Right Hand Side of the Player

Toward the top of the player there are two small holes arranged vertically.

The hole on the top is for headphones.

The hole on the bottom is for a microphone.

On the lower half of the right hand side of the player is the record button.

Users are able to locate the record button by finding the patches of raised dots.

The button is in the center of those patches of raised dots and has one raised dot in its center.

The Go to Key

To the top front of the player are two sets of speakers.

Below the speakers is a square shaped button on the left and a diamond shaped button on the right.

The square button is the "Go to Key" and allows users to navigate to different positions within documents.

Press it once and enter the page number then press pound (#).

After pressing pound the Victor Reader Stream will confirm the page number you chose.

Users may also simply press the play key.

If a user presses the "Go to Key" and then presses play by itself without entering a number, the Victor Reader Stream will direct them to the beginning of the book.

If the user presses the "Go to Key" followed by the fast forward key, the Victor Reader Stream will direct them to the end of the book.

The Bookmark Key

The diamond button allows users to bookmark sections of documents.

To bookmark a section of a book, press the bookmark key twice or hold down on the bookmark key.

The Victor Reader Stream bookmarks sections of books in numerical order.

To return to a bookmarked section, press the bookmark key then press the number of the bookmark you wished. afterward, press pound (#).

The Victor Reader Stream will confirm the bookmarked section.

Or press play and the Victor Reader Stream will simply play from the section.

The Numerical Keypad

Below the square and diamond shaped buttons is a numeric keypad.

Like a telephone, numbers 1,2, and 3 are on the top of the keypad.

The Star (*) key, zero key, and pound (#) are the bottom of the numeric key pad.

The number 5 key is in the center.

The 5 key includes a raised element making it easier to find

On either side of the 5 button is the 4 and 6 button

Immediately below the 5 button is the 8 button.

On either side of the 8 button is the 7 button on the left and the 9 button on the right.

The Compass

The 2, 8, 4 and 6 buttons act as a compass.

The 2 points up.

The 8 points down.

The 4 points left.

The 6 points right.

Sleep, Play, Stop, Rewind and Fast Forward

Below the numeric key pad is a dividing line.

Below the dividing line is an oval shaped button.

The oval shaped button is the "sleep" button.

The sleep feature functions in fifteen minute increments.

If pressed multiple times the segments increase by fifteen minutes.

After a sleep segment ends, the player shuts down.

Below the sleep button are the last three buttons on the bottom of the player.

The rectangle in the center is the play and pause button.

To the left of the play/pause button is the rewind button.

If pressed and held it will jump back one minute then 5 minutes then fifteen minutes and so on.

To the right of the play/pause button is the fast forward button.

If pressed and held it will jump ahead one minute then 5 minutes then fifteen minutes and so on.

THE NUMBER KEYS

THE 1 KEY

Use the 1 Key to navigate the Victor Reader Stream bookshelves.

The Victor Reader Stream has several bookshelves.

The first is for NLS Talking Books.

The second is for Other Downloadable Books.

The third is for Podcasts.

The fourth is for Text Files.

The fifth is for Recorded Notes.

To navigate between items on the bookshelf, press the 1 Key until the desired section is reached.

To access the user guide, press the 1 key and hold.

THE 3 KEY.

The 3 key is used to delete books and elements.

After pressing it once, press the Pound (#) Key to confirm you want to delete that book or element.

THE 5 KEY

The 5 Key announces the position of the book without interrupting the reading.

THE 7 KEY

The 7 key is the menu

It is used to customize the Victor Reader Stream’s configuration

THE 9 KEY

The 9 Key determines playback mode

It is also used for random play in the music folder.

THE 0 KEY

The 0 Key is the information key.

Press it once and the Victor Reader Stream will announce information about the book and the Stream itself.

NAVIGATION KEYS

THE 2 KEY

The 2 and the 8 keys are use to determine the level of desired navigation

There are two choices level one and level two.

Level One the majority of the time means Chapter.

Level Two the majority of the time means Section.

After determining the level of navigation, the 4 and 6 keys will navigate along those lines.

THE 4 KEY

Use the 4 key to move forward an element.

For example, once in the talking book section of the stream use the 4 Key to move forward through book titles.

THE 6 KEY

Use the 6 key to move backward through elements.

Downloading Talking Books onto the Victor Reader Stream

Downloading NLS Talking Books onto Victor Reader Stream
These instructions involve using the Victor Reader Stream companion software. If you do not have the Victor Reader Stream companion software, it is available for free at:
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/vr_stream_software

Part 1: Searching for BARD Books
Begin at the desktop with no other windows, except JAWS, running.
Press the Windows Key.
The Start Menu should open.
Down Arrow to the All Programs option.
Press Enter.
Tap on the Down Arrow key until JAWS says Internet Explorer.
(Note: do not hold down on the arrow keys, but gently tap each one).
When the website is finished loading, JAWS will begin reading the content.
Tap on the Ctrl Key to stop JAWS from reading.
Hold down on the Ctrl Key then (while holding the Ctrl Key) press the O Key.
This opens the internet address window in Internet Explorer.
An internet address is the location of specific web pages.
Type www.google.com.
When the site is finished loading, there will be a pop and JAWS will say Edit.
Type nls bard.
Tap on the H Key for headings until JAWS says Search Results.
Everything below the Search Results heading are the results of your query.
Tap on the H Key until JAWS says BARD Main Page.
Press Enter.
Internet explorer will take you to a new website.
This is the login site for NLS BARD users.
When the site is finished loading, JAWS will begin reading the content.
Tap on the Ctrl Key to stop JAWS from reading.
Tap on the F Key until JAWS says email address.
Type in the email address you used when registering for the BARD service.
Tap on the Tab Key.
Jaws will say Password Colon Edit.
Type in your password.
Tap on the Tab Key.
Jaws will say Login Button.
Press Enter
Internet Explorer will take you to a new website.
This is the Bard Search Page.
Hold on to the Insert Key and tap on the F5 to bring up the Forms List.
Press the Home Key to go to the top of the list.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key until Jaws says Search the Collection.
Press Enter.
Enter the desired search term.
For example, type The Angel’s Game
Angel’s Game is spelled A N G E L apostrophe S, G A M E
Press Enter.
Internet Explorer will display a new webpage.
That webpage is the results page for a search for the Angel’s Game.
Tap on the H key for headings.
JAWS will say BARD Books Containing Keywords: the angel’s game.
Tap on H again.
The website will first display how many books were found with that keyword search in the title.
JAWS will say In the Title (1 book).
Tap on the H again.
JAWS should say the title: The Angel’s Game.
Part 2: Downloading BARD Books.
Hold on to the Insert Key and tap on the F7 to bring up the Links List.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key until JAWS says Download the Angel’s Game DB 69158
Press Enter.
The File Download window will appear.
It will ask if you want to open or save the file.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Save Button.
Press Enter.
The Save As window will appear.
Hold onto the Alt Key and Tap on the I key.
JAWS will say Save In.
Tap on the Up Arrow until JAWS says Desktop.
Press Enter.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Save Button.
Press Enter.
The Download process will begin and could take from several seconds to over a half an hour depending on your internet connection.
After the process is over, the download complete window will appear.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Close.
Press Enter.
You have just downloaded a book to your desktop.
Part 3: Transferring BARD Books to the Victor Reader Stream.
Attach the smaller end of the USB cable into the small rectangular port on the top left-hand side of the player.
Attach the wider end of the USB cable into your computer.
Turn the Victor Reader Stream on.
The Victor Reader Stream will say Welcome to Victor Reader, Player Connected.
Wait for several seconds.
Jaws will announce that the computer has found new hardware.
The computer will also announce new hardware by making ringing sounds.
That new hardware is the Victor Reader Stream.
Most of the time, but not always, a window will appear and JAWS will say This disk or device contains more than one type of content. What do you want Windows to do?
If this window appears, you want to close it.
You may either hold onto the Alt Key and press F4 or,
Tap on the T Key until JAWS says Take No Action and press Enter.
After closing the window, hold on the Windows Key and tap on the M Key to go to the Desktop.
Tap on the S Key until JAWS says Stream Companion.
Press Enter.
JAWS should say Talking Book on PC, List View.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Browse PC.
Press Enter.
Tap on the Up Arrow until JAWS says Desktop.
Press Enter.
Tap on the Tab Key until Jaws says Talking Books on PC List View.
JAWS will also say Not Selected and the title of a book.
If that book is the Angel’s Game, press the Spacebar to select that book.
If not, tap on the Down Arrow until you hear JAWS say Not Selected the Angel’s Game.
After selecting the book by pressing the Spacebar, tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Transfer/Remove Selected Talking Books.
Press Enter.
Now the transfer process should begin and could take several minutes depending on the size of the book.
The Victor Reader Stream companion software will keep users updated on the process by making beeping sounds.
In addition, JAWS will announce periodically the progress of the download process.
After the process is complete tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Close.
Press Enter.
The Victor Reader Stream companion software will note that by closing the software, users will be redirected to the process to safely remove the hardware.
Press Enter.
A new window will open asking which device you wish to remove.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Stop Button.
Press the Space Bar.
A new window will open asking you to confirm that you want to remove the drive.
Tap on the Tab Key until JAWS says Ok Button.
Press Enter.
You can now remove the device.
Turn the Victor Reader Stream off by holding on the power button on the top left-hand side of the player.
Then turn the device back on by using the same button.
The device should say, Welcome to Victor Reader and announce its position.
Press the 1 key until the Victor Reader Stream says talking books.
If The Angel’s Game is not the first book it comes to, press the 6 key until you hear the title.
Press play.
The Victor Reader Should now begin reading the book.

Introduction to Email and Gmail

What Is Email?
The term email is short for Electronic Mail.
Early in the life of email as a service, concepts from regular, post office mail were transferred to email.
Therefore, think of email as the paper based system you are already familiar with.
First, when you establish an email account, you will have an email address.
The email address is in two halves.
The first half you choose.
It is a user name that will be unique to you.
The second half is the email provider you use.
Therefore, think of the first half as your address, and the second half as the street.
That said, your address most likely should not be solely a number.
It can be a combination of letters and numbers if you want.
If it is not already taken, it can be anything of your choosing.
For instance, a common example is the last name combined with the first two initials.
For example, Jane Ann Smith may choose her email username as smithja.
If smithja is already taken, she can add her birth month and day.
For example, smithja0312.

What is Gmail?

Gmail is an internet based email provider.
This means, you can access your email using a website, and this gives you access to all your messages from any computer connected to the internet.

Creating a Gmail Account.

First, Begin at the desktop with no other windows, except Jaws running.

Tap the Windows Key.

The Start Menu should open.

Tap on the Down Arrow Key until you reach the All Programs option.

Press Enter.

Tap on the Down Arrow Key until you reach Internet Explorer.

(Note: do not to hold down on the arrow keys, but to gently tap each one).

Press Enter when you reach Internet Explorer.

Quickly, press the Ctrl Key to stop JAWS from reading continuously through the web page.

Now, hold onto the Ctrl Key and press O.
This opens the internet address window in Internet Explorer
Type www.gmail.com.

There will be a pop sound and JAWS will say Username Edit.

This means users who have a gmail account can enter their username in that field.
The username is also the first half of your email address.

To set up a new account, open the Links List.
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F7.
Press C until you hear JAWS say Create an Account.
Press Enter.
You are in a website so press Ctrl to stop JAWS from speaking through it.

Hold onto the Insert key and press F5.
This opens the Forms Fields List.
Forms Fields are spaces to type text.
Down Arrow through each item to become familiar with the fields.

There is a space to type the First Name.
There is a space to type the Last Name.
There is a space to create a Username.
There are two spaces to create a Password.
There is a space to create a Security Question.
There is a space to answer the Security Question.
There is a space to enter a Birth Date.
There is a space to type in characters.

After hearing the options, press the Home Key or 7 on the number pad to go the top of the list.
Tap on the Down Arrow Key until you hear JAWS say First Name.
Press Enter.
There should be a pop sound and JAWS should say First Name Colon Edit Type in Text.
Type the first name.
Hold onto the Insert key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Tab on the Down Arrow key until you hear Jaws say Last Name.
Press Enter.
There should be a pop sound and JAWS should say Last Name Colon Edit Type in Text.
Type the last name.
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow once until JAWS says Desired Logon Name.
This is the Username and the first half of your email address.
The second half will be the @ symbol and gmail.com.

Usernames should be as simple as possible so that when someone sends an email to the address they are less likely to make mistakes.
Also, it is best that usernames are not provocative.
This means no strange sounding names that may offend or disturb others.
This is especially true for email users who will use their email address on there employment applications.
A common example of a proper username is the last name combined with the first two initials of the email user.
For example, Jane Ann Smith may choose her email as smithja.
If smithja is already taken, she can add her birth month and day
For example, smithja0312.

After a username is chosen, hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow twice until JAWS says Choose a Password.
A password should be something you are able to remember that no one else is able to guess.
This is the key to the address.
Gmail will not allow for a password to be less than eight characters.
A password can be a combination of letters and numbers.
Commonly, email users will choose birth months and days of a loved one.
For example, January01.
Or your favourite president.
For example, Lincoln16.
Notice there are no spaces.

As the password is typed, JAWS will say star for each digit.
This represents the symbols on the screen preventing others from seeing your password.

Because this prevents normal proof reading, and due to the password’s importance, users are required to retype it to make sure you typed it correctly the first time.

Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow once and Jaws should say Re-Enter Password.
Press Enter.
Retype the password.
As the password is typed, JAWS will say star for each digit.
If the passwords you typed do not match, Gmail requires users to retype them.

After typing the password twice
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow until you hear Jaws say Security Question Combo Box.
Press Enter.
Security questions exist in case email users forget their passwords.
Gmail offers several options from which to choose from.
Users who do not want to choose one of the questions Gmail gives them can Down Arrow to the bottom of the list and Gmail will prompt them to create a question.
Questions should be something only the user can answer.
For example, What is your mother’s maiden name?
In the event that users forget their passwords, Gmail will ask them the security question they chose.
After choosing the security question
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow once and JAWS will say Answer.
Press Enter.
Type the answer to the security question chosen.

Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow several times until Jaws says Birthday.
The birthday should be typed with a two digit day, two digit month and four digit year with slashes separating each.
For example 01/12/1980.

Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow until JAWS says Type the Characters you See or Numbers you Hear.
Below that is an editable field.
Press Enter.
This is in response to a captcha.
A captcha is a series of randomly generated characters displayed in a format that computers are unable to read.
Its purpose is to prevent fraudulent email accounts from being created.
Unfortunately, JAWS is unable to read captchas
Gmail attempts to find a way around this problem by having an audio file read off a series of numbers and letters.
However, even for expert JAWS users, this is not easy.
Therefore, it may be simpler for the volunteer to type the captcha for the user.
If there is no volunteer, assistance is available from the reference desk.
If at home, ask a trusted friend or loved one to type the captcha.

After the captcha is entered
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F5 to return to Forms Mode.
Down Arrow until JAWS says I Accept, Create My Account Button.

If all the required forms fields are filled out, the passwords match and the captcha is entered correctly then users should be taken to a web page congratulating them for signing up with Gmail.

From there, hold onto the Insert Key and press the F7.
This will bring up the links list.
Down Arrow until you hear JAWS say Take me to My Account.
Now users should be in the Inbox.

Please see the next lesson on how to best set up a Gmail account to read email.


Introduction to Email and Gmail by Chris Corrigan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at atthdc.blogspot.com.

Checking Email on Gmail

JAWS reads Gmail best when it is switched to Basic HTML.
After signing in for the first time, users need to switch to Basic HTML.

To do so
Hold onto the Insert Key and press F7.
This will bring up a Links List.
Type the letter B.
Press Enter when JAWS says Basic HTML.

If doing this for the first time, users should set Basic HTML as a default.
Hold onto Insert and press F7 again for the Links List.
Press S until JAWS says Set Basic HTML as Default.
Press Enter.
From then on Basic HTML will be a permanent feature of the user’s inbox.

Users are taken immediately to the Inbox after signing in.
From here users are able to immediately check for new messages, and compose messages of their own.

Gmail stores email messages in a Table.
The first email in the inbox is at the top of the table.

Therefore, JAWS quick keys for finding tables on the internet are a shortcut for going to messages in the user’s inbox without having to listen to the whole page first.

Press the letter T by itself and JAWS will say Colum One, Row One, Check Box not Checked.
Check boxes are a tool for managing mail.
Down Arrow once and JAWS will say who the email is from.
Down Arrow again and JAWS will announce that the user is on a link, and say the subject of the email.
That link is your email.
Press the Enter to select the link.
Users should be redirected to the inside of their email message.
Remember the subject of the email from the previous page and press the H key for headings.
The Subject of the email is re-listed as a heading.
Continue to press H until JAWS reads the subject of the email.

From there, hold onto Insert and press Down Arrow to read the email.
Before users hear the body of the email message, there will be information informing users who sent the message.
When it was sent.
If it was sent to anyone else.
The times etc.
There is also a list of links.
These links give you options for what to do with the email.
While JAWS is reading those links, users should listen for JAWS to say Show Original.
The Show Original link is the last link before JAWS comes to the body of the email message.
It will read the message all the way through unless the user presses the Ctrl key.

After JAWS has completed reading the body of the message, it will say Quick Reply.
Press Ctrl to stop JAWS from speaking.


Checking Email on Gmail by Chris Corrigan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at atthdc.blogspot.com.

Replying to Email Messages

To reply to an email, users should be in the webpage containing the email to which they are replying.
Gmail gives users the option to reply to an email as a link.
Therefore, to activate that link, users should use the Links List.
Hold onto the Insert key and press F7.
Press the R key until JAWS says Reply.
Press Enter.

Users are taken to a webpage where they can compose a message of their own.
JAWS will say To colon Edit.
JAWS will also say Contains Text and Forms Mode.
This means that first area users are taken to is a section to type the email address where the message is going.
In this case, there is already an address in that field which is why JAWS said Contains Text.

In order for users to type a response, they need to go the appropriate field.
To get there, they should tap on the Tab key 7 Times until they hear JAWS say Message Body Edit.

This indicates that they have arrived at the appropriate section to type their response.

To send the response
Tap on the Tab key once.
JAWS will say Out of Table, Send Button.
To activate the send button, press the Space Bar or Enter
The message should have been sent.


Replying to Email Messages by Chris Corrigan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at atthdc.blogspot.com.