JAWS Essentials

Getting Started

1. Launch JAWS from the desktop shortcut or Start menu
2. Press Ctrl to silence speech at any time
3. Press Insert+T (or Caps Lock+T in Laptop layout) to hear the title of the current window
4. Press Insert+F1 (or Caps Lock+F1) for context-sensitive help on the current control or application
5. Press Insert+1 (or Caps Lock+1, number row) to toggle Keyboard Help mode, where pressing any key combination tells you what it does without running the command

Basic Reading

1. Press Insert+Down Arrow (Desktop layout) or Caps Lock+A (Laptop layout) to start continuous reading (Say All)
2. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to read line by line
3. Press Insert+Up Arrow (Desktop layout) or Caps Lock+I (Laptop layout) to repeat the current line (press twice quickly to spell the line)
4. Use Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow to read word by word, or Insert+NumPad 5 (Desktop layout) / Caps Lock+K (Laptop layout) to hear the current word
5. Press Left/Right Arrow to read character by character

Web Navigation

Understanding Navigation Quick Keys: When the Virtual PC Cursor is active on a web page, single-letter commands jump directly to page elements. Note how JAWS handles links compared with other screen readers:

1. Press H to jump to the next heading, or Shift+H for the previous heading
2. Use number keys 1–6 on the number row to jump to a specific heading level
3. For links, press Tab to move through links and controls, Insert+F7 (or Caps Lock+F7) to open the Links List, U for the next unvisited link, or V for the next visited link
4. Note that in JAWS, pressing K (or Shift+K) moves between PlaceMarkers on the page rather than general links
5. Press F (or Shift+F) to move between form controls, or B for buttons and E for edit boxes
6. Press R to move between regions/landmarks on modern web pages
7. Press Insert+F6 (or Caps Lock+F6) to open the Headings List for an overview of the page structure

Virtual PC Cursor vs Forms Mode

1. When the Virtual PC Cursor is active, you can read web pages with arrow keys and use single-letter Navigation Quick Keys
2. When you move into an edit box or combo box, JAWS switches to Forms Mode so your keystrokes type text instead of triggering navigation shortcuts
3. Press Enter on a form field to turn Forms Mode on manually if needed
4. Press Numpad Plus (Desktop layout), Caps Lock+Semicolon (Laptop layout) or Escape to exit Forms Mode and return to the Virtual PC Cursor
5. Press Insert+Z (or Caps Lock+Z) if you need to toggle the Virtual PC Cursor off or on for a complex web application

Adjusting Settings & Customisation

1. Press Insert+V (or Caps Lock+V) to open Quick Settings for the current application and search for options immediately
2. Press Insert+J (Desktop layout) or Caps Lock+Ctrl+Shift+J (Laptop layout) to open the JAWS window / menu (Options, Utilities, Language and Help)
3. Press Insert+6 (or Caps Lock+6) on the number row to open JAWS Settings Center for full application-specific or default configuration
4. Use Ctrl+Alt+Page Up/Down to adjust speech rate temporarily for the current session, or Ctrl+Windows+Alt+Page Up/Down to change it permanently