Jaws for Windows - a Short History Lesson

By: Simon Highsmith

JAWS for Windows is a software program for visually impaired computer users produced by Freedom Scientific in Florida, USA.

JAWS for Windows allows visually impaired people to use any of the applications on a computer by converting the text displayed on a screen, into speech or, to a refreshable Braille display.

JAWS for Windows was originally called JAWS (Job Access With Speech). JAWS Version 1.0 was released in 1989 by Ted Henter, a former motorcycle racer who lost his sight in a 1978 car accident.

In 1985, Henter along with Bill Joyce, founded the Henter-Joyce Corporation in St. Petersburg, Florida. Joyce sold his interest in the company back to Ted Henter sometime in 1990.

JAWS was created for computer users who used the DOS (Disk Operated System). A unique feature of the JAWS program, was its use of cascading menus in the style of the popular Lotus 1-2-3 application.

A significant distinction of JAWS to that of other screen readers of that era, was its use of macros. Macros allowed users to customise the user interface and so work better with numerous computer applications.

Ted Henter and Rex Skipper wrote the original JAWS code in the mid-1980s, releasing version 2.0 in 1990. When Skipper left the company, Charles Oppermann was hired to maintain and improve the JAWS program.

Oppermann and Henter continually added minor and major features and frequently released new versions of JAWS. Freedom Scientific now offer JAWS for MS-DOS as a freeware download from their web site.

In the early 1990s, Microsoft Windows became more popular and Oppermann started to design a new version of JAWS. A principle design goal was to maintain the natural user interface of Windows and to continue to provide a strong macro facility. It was around this time that JAWS was renamed JAWS for Windows (JFW) and Beta versions of JAWS for Windows went on show and were demonstrated at many conferences throughout 1993 and 1994.

During this time developer Glen Gordon started working on the JAWS for Windows code, ultimately taking over its development when Oppermann was hired by Microsoft in November of 1994 and in January 1995, JAWS for Windows 1.0 was released.

In April 2000, Henter-Joyce, Blazie Engineering, and Arkenstone, Inc. all merged together to form Freedom Scientific.

Freedom Scientific released the latest version of JAWS for Windows V8.0 on 17 November 2006, you can visit their website here:

http://www.freedomscientific.com

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