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Criterion 508 Notes!

Vol. 6, Issue 4, May 2006

• Understanding JAWS Cursors

Understanding JAWS Cursors

Introduction

The following information about JAWS screen reader cursors is an excerpt from the eLearning course: Accessibility Testing Techniques Using JAWS™ 6.2 which can be purchased at Criterion's Accessibility Academy. This course is geared toward the testing and development professional that wants to add an extra dimension to their accessibility testing processes. One of the major issue incorporating assistive technologies during accessibility testing is the lack of understanding about how to correctly use the product. If a tester does not fully understanding how to use assistive technology, then accessibility testing will likely result in false positives or false negative results (i.e. Type One or Type Two errors). This course is designed for individuals who do not have a visual disability and it teaches participants how to effectively and efficiently use the JAWS screen reader—a product specifically developed for individuals with visual disabilities—to test a variety of content elements for Section 508 compliance.

JAWS Cursors

When you run JAWS for Windows, three types of cursors are important to understand:

* PC Cursor
* JAWS Cursor
* Virtual Cursor. HTML and PDF Environments

Choosing a cursor tells JAWS which cursor to activate. Each cursor is activated via the number pad, with the slash key functioning as the left mouse button. Use the Plus, Minus, and Slash keys rather than using the main alphanumeric keys.

The PC Cursor

The PC Cursor is associated with the keyboard functions of Windows and other applications. This is the default cursor when starting JAWS, and is used when typing information, moving through options in dialog boxes, and selecting options or icons. When information is typed, the PC Cursor follows along with each key pressed. If a menu selection is made or if a control within a dialog box is chosen, the PC Cursor highlights the currently selected object.

The JAWS Cursor

The Minus key on the numeric keypad activates the JAWS Cursor. This cursor is linked to mouse pointer functions in Windows and other applications. It is used to read information that the PC Cursor cannot read, such as toolbar information. The mouse follows along with the JAWS Cursor when it is moved; therefore, access to information in an application window that is beyond the scope of the PC Cursor is available. When using the JAWS cursor, the numeric keypad's Slash key is equivalent to pressing the left mouse button.

The Virtual Cursor

The Virtual Cursor is an invisible point of focus that can be moved through Web pages. The Virtual Cursor mimics the functions of the PC Cursor, but is activated by default when entering an HTML document. The Virtual Cursor speaks the number of frames in a document, as well as the number of links in the frame or page. JAWS reads with this cursor when a Web page loads. You can switch between frames and JAWS will read graphics labeled by alt tags in the HTML code.

Tips & Tricks

Only one cursor can be active at any one time. To help the user know which cursor is active, the JAWS cursor voice is set to a lower pitch and sounds different when reading information from the screen.

Source: Criterion's Accessibility Testing Techniques Using JAWS™ 6.2 eLearning Course #C508-03

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