I’ve had a couple of discussions with freedom, scientific representatives. What they’ve said is that the reason why there is no Jaws screen reader on either Mac iOS or iOS is because enough people have not contacted them to request it. I believe that it would be really beneficial to have a second screen reader on these platforms. Apple is always going to be Apple. Things will sometimes get fixed, and things will sometimes get worse. I would be happy to pay a premium if it meant having a second choice and a product where the focus is primarily accessibility and issues getting more quickly resolved. So perhaps it’s time to reach out to freedom scientific,leave feedback, call them, etc to request that Jawz be brought over to macOS and iOS.
Comments
my skepticism
Having a functional, less buggy screen reader on Mac would be a godsend. Having a bug-free, fully functional screen reader that I couldn't afford wouldn't do any good. I'm sure FS could mobilize the resources to make a Mac equivalent of Jaws; I'm just not sure that such a pricey piece of software on already pricey hardware is workable, not for those outside of North America at least.
email to Ryan Jones
I sent an email Re JAWS On the Mac,and this is what I wrote.
hello Ryan,
I recently came across a forum topic on AppleVis floating the idea of JAWS for the Mac. right now, VoiceOver is a buggy mess, with parts totally inaccessible. I need sited help to do something so simple, because the new interface, system settings, has a bug that makes it inefficient for me personally. the connection button to connect to WiFi is invisible to VoiceOver. PDF access is broken, especially with large documents, there is no efficient OCR on the Mac, without terminal, which is above most computer users. there is extra sounds with help somewhat, but they are largely unnecessary. they can be disabled, but not having them, is one less thing to do to set up a Mac. I applaud Vispero for not getting into the hipe with sounds, when you know without them as default is more practical. they are irksome to power users who just want to get things done, and an unnesssessary thing to do. flexible web, in JAWS is a game changer for framiliar websites. braille support is unmatched by Apple’s offering, picture smart is loads better than image recognition, and beta testing JAWS is far simpler then macOS, for first time testers. this is do to the fact that JAWS betas install to a different folder, making switching between stable versions possible. VoiceOver, for what it is is great for casual users, but JAWS is hands down, the best screen reader for professional use.
I live in a group home, and will eventually be employed by the local disability centre, teaching Windows to sited users with intalectual disabilities. I feel that JAWS coming to macOS, would be bennificial as my JAWS skills can be kept up-to-date, thus enabling me to teach better, knowing that I have a stable UI which isn’t going to change and brake what was all ready working. I would go through some agency to keep my SMA up-to-date, as JAWS has professional features, like remote access with Sitrix, that VOICEOVER will never have. I own an SMA, with remote access and tandom direct currently, and up to date, and would love to use it on macOS, as I believe JAWS on the Mac, will fill a market Apple does not have willingness to address with VoiceOver. the professionals. Microsoft office works acceptionally well with JAWS, and unlike iWork, is industry standard. for employment, employees need to use the employers OS. that’s why the blind don;t have jobs, partly, and if JAWS was on macOS, we would be closer to sited colleagues. I truly believe, wholeheartedly, JAWS on macOS, is the nessessary thing, if blind. people want jobs and speaking from someone who is blind, and will be employed soon, equity, is what we need. sincerely,
Daniel
this comment will hopefully spark some more discussion, and I hope my viewpoints are discussed. I as well, welcome any refute of my points with valid reasoning. let’s keep it going. I’l see what Ryan says in his reply, and post that.
email as promist
hi all,
the email from Ryan Jones is as follows:
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for writing to me and sharing your story and ideas. As someone who is also a JAWS user, I understand your points around productivity and equity in the work place.
Regarding JAWS for Mac, it is something that has been considered in the past but as of now, the Mac OS is much more restrictive than Windows and thus building a version of JAWS that is on-par with Windows would not be possible. Windows is much more open to third-party software accessing it and this is what allows us to do so much with JAWS. If this ever becomes possible on Macs, it is something we could consider.
In the meantime, thank you for being a loyal JAWS user and please always let us know if we can help.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
Ryan Jones
Vispero | Vice President Software Product Management
Yep, sounds about right.
I'm glad you got a response but that sounds about right, they can't work on jaws for mac because of apple restrictions.