Chrome 114 Breaks Web Page Reading with JAWS 2021 and Earlier

When launching the latest version of Google Chrome, (Version 114), with JAWS 2019, 2020, and 2021, an issue occurs that prevents web pages from being visible in the Virtual Buffer. Though the content is present, it cannot be accessed by the JAWS Virtual PC cursor, resulting in silence when navigating with the arrow keys. This occurs when a page loads and when pressing TAB to navigate through the buttons for sharing the page, bookmarking the current tab, etc. JAWS will read these buttons as you press TAB, but once you move into the body of the page, you will not be able to read the content until executing one of the following work-arounds.

This issue is also present in other Chromium browsers such as Edge and Brave when using Version 114.

Here’s What to Do

Google and Microsoft are working to resolve this issue, but meanwhile, we are providing two work-arounds to access web page content in these browsers.

Route JAWS to PC

One work-around is to route the JAWS Cursor to the PC Cursor, then activate the Virtual PC cursor.

  1. Launch Chrome. Because the web page content cannot initially be accessed by the Virtual PC Cursor, the PC Cursor will be active.
  2. Route the JAWS Cursor to the PC Cursor. If you are using a keyboard with a numpad, press INSERT+NUMPAD MINUS. If you are using a laptop without a numpad, press CAPS LOCK+LEFT BRACKET.
  3. The page content should now be readable with the Virtual PC Cursor. To activate the Virtual Cursor, press NUMPAD PLUS on a keyboard with a numpad, or CAPS LOCK+SEMICOLON on a laptop that does not have one.

You should now be able to read all web page content for the duration of that browser session. However, you will need to repeat this work-around each time you launch your Chrome, Edge, or Brave browser.

Add a Flag to the Desktop Shortcut

Another work-around is to add a flag to the desktop shortcut for your browser. If you already have a desktop shortcut to Chrome, Edge, or Brave, you can add a flag that will circumvent this issue. To do this:

  1. Navigate to the desktop by pressing WINDOWS+D.
  2. Locate your browser shortcut.
  3. Press ALT+ENTER to open the Properties dialog. Focus will be in the field containing the path to your browser shortcut.
  4. Press the END key to navigate to the end of the shortcut name.
  5. Press SPACE, type two dashes, then paste or type the following: force-renderer-accessibility
  6. There should not be a space between the dashes and the word “force.”
  7. Press ENTER.
  8. If prompted that you need administrative rights, press ENTER again.

If you do not have a desktop shortcut to Google Chrome, you can create one by doing the following:

  1. Launch Chrome. When created in Chrome, the shortcut will be to a specific web page. If you have Chrome set to open on the address bar, type a web address and press ENTER. If it is already set to load a specific page, move to the next step.
  2. Press ALT+F to access the Chrome Menu.
  3. Press L to navigate to the More Tools submenu, then press RIGHT ARROW to open it.
  4. Press DOWN ARROW until you locate the Create Shortcut option, then press ENTER.
  5. Focus is in the Shortcut Name edit field. Press ENTER to accept the default name or edit the name, then press ENTER.
  6. Press WINDOWS+D to navigate to your desktop and locate the shortcut you just created. The shortcut will launch Chrome and go to that page.
  7. Complete the steps above to add the flag.

Once the flag is added, you will not need to repeat this work-around.

If you have any questions or need assistance, access this Technical Support Bulletin for details, or send an email to training@vispero.com.