[Trainer-Talk] Questions regarding JAWS and NVDA

[Andrews, David B (DEED)]

Jim et al:

I think JAWS is still widely used, particularly by businesses, but the gap between it and NVDA continues to narrow. There is no real reliable data out there, the only thing is the WebAim survey done every year or year and a half -- and it can be gamed, as we saw with the one done a couple years ago.

I think that any serious user needs to be able to use two screen reading programs.  There isn't a program that will work in all situations with all browsers.  Each has strengths and weaknesses.

And, yes, I think we are seeing NVDA increasingly used at colleges and universities.

Dave



David Andrews | Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development 
State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave West, Suite 240, St. Paul MN 55114
Direct: 651-539-2294
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-----Original Message-----
From: Trainer-Talk [mailto:trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim Portillo via Trainer-Talk
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2018 10:05 AM
To: Jim Portillo <portillo.jim at gmail.com>
Cc: Jim Portillo <portillo.jim at gmail.com>
Subject: [Trainer-Talk] Questions regarding JAWS and NVDA

Good morning,

I have a couple of questions regarding both the differences and uses of JAWS and NVDA.

 

First of all, does anyone know if NVDA is used much in a work place or even school (such as college) environment?  Is JAWS still considered to be the leading screen reader for blind PC users?

Finally, in training environments, such as training centers or personal computer training, which screen reader seems to be preferred these days?

 

I'm working with someone right now who has NVDA on his computer but who would like to learn JAWS because of its wider use in school and work environments. This is why I thought it would be good to ask.

Thanks much.

Jim