This week’s look into the new features of JAWS and Fusion 2020 will be of special interest to those who use a refreshable Braille display with JAWS to enter text.
At Freedom Scientific, we have always been a champion of Braille literacy, both in the classroom and on the job. From our popular and feature-rich Focus Blue line of Braille displays to the powerful features available in JAWS and Fusion with a compatible Braille device, we try to ensure that Braille users can access the information they need as efficiently as possible.
When using JAWS with a Braille display that offers an 8-key Perkins-style keyboard, such as the Focus, you can use Contracted Braille to type in many applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Google Docs. As you type Braille contractions and dot patterns for words, numbers, and punctuation, JAWS instantly translates your input into normal text so it can be read by a sighted teacher or parent. For users of the ElBraille, a braille notetaker that runs on Windows®, which relies on the Focus display as the primary means of operating the device, ensuring this feature works reliably is critical.
For users who prefer to enter text directly from the Braille display, JAWS 2020 offers significant improvements when typing in contracted Braille:
- Support for Contracted Braille input in more applications, including PowerPoint and TextPad.
- The ability to enter and edit text in numbered and bulleted lists in Word, WordPad, Outlook, and Windows Mail.
- Improved Contracted Braille input in WordPad, especially when editing a numbered or bulleted list created in Word and opened in WordPad. This includes properly handling wrapped items, which previously showed the number or bullet on subsequent wrapped lines rather than indenting the text.
- Improved Contracted Braille input in Chrome as well as online editors like Google Docs, which is used increasingly in schools for collaboration between students and teachers.
- Typing very rapidly using Contracted Braille in Microsoft Office and other applications no longer results in scrambled text.
Register for our webinar on January 16, 2020 at noon Eastern time (UTC-5:00) to learn more about using the Focus Blue Braille displays. You can also visit our Focus product pages for additional information.
Check out the ElBraille product page for more information about this innovative speech and Braille solution.