[Pibe-division] Internet and JAWS-Which browser to use

[Dr. Denise M. Robinson]

Internet and JAWS-Which browser to use 
I have many browsers on my machine as each one does something different...some very annoying features and some fantastic.

When I want a great virtual connection with video plugins and there is 
not a blind child on the other end, but I will be joining a meeting, I 
go Chrome. It truly is a fast browser. However, if I try to turn JAWS on
 while Chrome is open.... JAWS will NOT open. As soon as I close Chrome,
 JAWS starts chatting away. Let's just say there are compatibility 
issues here.

Internet Explorer (IE) offers some good features and in general, you can
 move around quite easily and get to where you want to go. There are 
hotkeys for almost everything and in general, it is very friendly. 
However, if you want to do video plugins, for example, Google chat or 
video plugins, JAWS in general will tell you what you are typing, if you
 hit backspace he may just say blank, blank, blank. When someone replies
 to you, you will NOT hear what is typed. So there are inaccessible 
features with IE and JAWS.

For a great browser that makes a huge majority of things accessible 
where they would not be, Firefox is it. Example, if you want to chat 
using Gmail, you hear everything you type, JAWS repeats the letters you 
erase, AND you hear everything the other person is typing. JAWS will 
even tell you someone is texting you and JAWS will tell you who it is. 
Firefox keystrokes can take you far and wide easily with JAWS.

Safari is completely inaccessible...well, you can fool it in some places, but forget it, and it is too much work.

However, none of the browsers offers you keystrokes to access video. Shameful!

So what should a blind person do if they want to video chat to their Mom
 and Dad in France or Argentina? Or a student to teach?...enter SKYPE. 
You can download special JAWS scripts to allow JAWS to talk everything 
in SKYPE. You can make calls, video, chat, add contacts, you name it, 
all for free, even calling thousands of miles away. When someone is 
texting you, SKYPE tells you their name and you hear a typing sound as 
they type in their text. When they hit enter and send the text to you, 
you hear everything in the text. You can disconnect and connect with 
ease. You can do everything you want using JAWS. 

So for now, or at least with the knowledge I have right now, I find 
SKYPE to be the best in video, chat, text, and all features accessible 
with JAWS though it is not a browser but a great addition to browsers: 
Internet Explorer is good for a huge majority of surfing and Firefox if 
you just want everything accessible...or at least most things.
 
       Denise 
 
Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D. 
Teacher of the Blind & Visually Impaired
TechVision-Independent Contractor
Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
509-674-1853     deniserob at gmail.com
 
http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
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