I Don’t Use Scripts: The Reality of a JAWS User

For those of us who use Leasey, we know how powerful JAWS scripts can be. When we think of JAWS scripts, we think of scripts for Discord, Reaper, TeamTalk, and other programs. Sometimes in the blindness community, I hear this statement: “Well, I don’t use scripts. I can get along without them.” But can you?

What Is a Script?

While I do not write a lot of JAWS scripts, I do know what a script is. A script is a small program with a defined set of parameters that tells JAWS how to behave in a given situation. Scripts can be used for just about anything you can come up with—from defining keystrokes for parts of an application (which I have done) to verifying changes to a particular window in an application.

When people say that an application does not need scripting, what they’re really saying is, “I do not need any additional scripts beyond what JAWS already does.” But the real question is: how does JAWS handle it by default?

Default Scripts

JAWS includes a powerful tool called the Script Manager, and you can use it to explore how scripts are written and what really makes JAWS tick. Despite the fact that the JAWS logo is a shark—not a clock—JAWS is, at its core, a script-driven program. Of course, there are other components required to interact with Windows and ensure the program functions correctly, but consider this: what happens when you check your battery on your laptop?

The Battery Status Script

When I was trying to figure out how to write a script for a program we were testing at my local community college, I explored the Script Manager. I found scripts for almost everything you could imagine. One that really stood out to me was the script that runs when you check your battery.

When you press Shift+Insert+B, JAWS tells you whether or not a power adapter is connected. Then it tells you the battery status, the battery percentage, and finally what network you’re connected to. That’s a lot of information from a single keystroke.

I looked up that script, and at last count, it was 64 lines of code. Yes, you heard me right—64 lines. Everything from checking your battery to reading lines of a document requires scripts and functions, either created by Freedom Scientific or by someone else.

Leasey offers a great example. If you have Leasey, press the Leasey key and then down arrow. If you did that, Leasey announces the time. The Say Time script, originally assigned to Insert+F12, is now tied to a more convenient keystroke. Another good example: pressing the Leasey key and the left arrow inserts the time into your document without needing to find it in a menu.

But I can find it in the menus, I hear some people say—why would I need this?

Increased Productivity

Microsoft Word—and Windows in general—do not always make it easy to find what we need or perform tasks efficiently. Take inserting a table into your document. Here are the steps:

1. Press the Alt key followed by the N key.
2. Press the letter T for Table.
3. Navigate with the arrow keys until you find the 5×5 option.

As you can see, there are several steps involved in creating this table. But if you wrote a JAWS script that allowed you to insert a 5×5 table with just one keystroke, wouldn’t that save you at least 20 seconds? It may not sound like much, but if you’re working on a project, you don’t want to waste time hunting through menus.

While the ribbon has keyboard shortcuts, many are quite complex. One of my favorites is: “Alt+N, then A, then F, then B.” This takes you to the “Browse for Attachments” dialog in Outlook. Yes, I can do that—but wouldn’t life be easier if I wrote a script that took me there with just one keystroke?

Conclusion

As JAWS users, we have access to a powerful system built on scripts. In your everyday use of JAWS, you are using scripts constantly. Whether you’re checking the time and date with Insert+F12 twice, spelling a word, reading the current line or word, or performing a Say All—you’re using JAWS scripts.

Tabbing through a program interface, virtualizing a window, or even using Picture Smart? Guess what—you’re using JAWS scripts.

So when you’re working with someone and hear them say, “I don’t use JAWS scripts,” remember: what they’re saying, and what they actually mean, are two very different things.