Thanks to your valuable suggestions, the Freedom Scientific User Education and Outreach Team introduced many enhancements and new training initiatives in 2022. As the year comes to a close, we reflect on those successes and look forward to 2023.
Themed Webinars
This past year we began offering themed webinars on common features of frequently used applications, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and web browsers. Your suggestions resulted in task-specific topics, such as proofing, revising documents, and customizing web page navigation.
Theme-based webinars provide highly targeted, in-depth training on essential tasks regularly performed in school and in the workplace. Webinar series include “Prep and Proof” and “Power Tips.” Visit the Webinars On Demand page to stream or download these webinars. We will continue offering these types of series in 2023.
Training Schedule
In mid-2022, we began posting our training schedule so users can mark their calendars and plan for upcoming events.
Our upcoming monthly schedule provides the date and time of each event, a brief description, and details on how to participate. Subscribe to the Freedom Scientific Blog or visit the Freedom Scientific Training Schedule page for the latest schedule.
Eric Damery’s Retirement and Reflections
For more than 28 years, Eric Damery advocated for JAWS and made countless contributions to the blind and low vision communities. In a blog post about his retirement, Eric reflected on his commitment to helping users gain independence, shared some of his favorite moments working for Vispero, and discussed the impact of notable software features. Read about Eric’s journey on the Freedom Scientific Blog.
Partnered with the Blinded Veterans Association
The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) offers VetTech training each Wednesday at 2 PM Eastern time and sessions are open to the public. Vispero partnered with BVA to host a session once a month. Our topics center around both hardware and software products, such as using Freedom Scientific software with third-party applications.
VetTech sessions are offered on the Zoom conferencing platform[DS1] . Visit the Freedom Scientific Training Schedule for details on the upcoming event.
Fusion Suite 2023 Release
In October, Fusion Suite 2023 was released with exciting new features, including:
- Smart Glance, which enables JAWS and Fusion users to quickly locate different types of text on web pages. Attributes of text that can be found include colors, fonts, or other methods used to draw attention to the text.
- Improvements to the Notification History feature, which was introduced in the June 2022 update of JAWS and Fusion.
- Dell Waves MaxxAudio issues are resolved for users running JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion on a Dell computer.
- JAWS now supports devices with ARM64 processors.
- Tethered View, a new feature in ZoomText and Fusion, enables you to view activities outside the magnified viewing area when using higher magnification levels.
Visit the What’s New pages for JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion 2023 to learn more about these exciting new features. For instructions on downloading the software updates, see the Freedom Scientific Blog.
Updates to Our Software Certification Programs
Our JAWS and ZoomText certification exams to ensure they include features from our latest software releases. Electronic certificates are free to those who pass the certification exams, as is the option of being listed on our web page of certified individuals. In addition, we have lowered the cost of first-time and renewal certifications for those who would like a printed or braille certificate mailed to them for displaying in their homes or offices. You can learn more on our Certification page.
Student of the Month Program
The Freedom Scientific Student of the Month Program features K-12 students living in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired and use Freedom Scientific technology to achieve educational goals. Complete our nomination form to self-nominate or nominate a student. Visit the Freedom Scientific Student of the Month page for details on the program and to learn about the students.
What’s Coming in 2023?
Beginning in January 2023, our Ask Sharky training events will take place simultaneously on Clubhouse and Zoom. Join via Zoom or download the Clubhouse app from the iOS App Store or Google Play to participate on your mobile device. Visit the Freedom Scientific Training Schedule page for dates and times.
We continually add new training events that tailor topics to meet your personal, educational, and professional needs. Join us in 2023 for new live webinars and other targeted training. Visit the Free Webinars page for information on upcoming training. Stream or download archived webinars from our Webinars On Demand page.
If you have training questions or want to suggest a training topic, send an email to training@vispero.com.
[DS1]Aren’t they also offered on Clubhouse?