Training Links





Public EASI Webinar: Making Accessible Forms in MS Word

Thursday, October 16th at 2 PM Eastern

Presenters: Dan Clark from Freedom Scientific and Professor Norm Coombs from EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)

Visit the EASI workshop page to register for this free one-hour Webinar.

Did you ever want to send a form for people to fill out and do it in Word? Did you just leave a blank line for that information? Imagine making a genuine form with edit boxes where the people filled in the requested information? Imagine even being able to use check boxes? How about even having a drop down combo box with choices they are to select? And imagine making it so it would be fully accessible to people using adaptive technologies?

Don't imagine it any more! This Webinar will demonstrate just how you can do that. This is a much more professional way to collect information, and it isn't really very difficult.

Dan will share information on creating accessible forms in Microsoft® Word 2003 as well as Word 2007. Some of the items for discussion include:

  • Laying out form content
  • Creating accessible edit boxes, check boxes, and combo boxes
  • Adding Status Bar and Help Key (F1) help for screen reader users
  • Using sections for instructions
  • Saving and protecting forms
  • Navigating forms using the Word Bookmark feature
  • Navigation Quick Keys and list of Form Controls for JAWS users

Be sure to mark this one on your calendar!

New Surf's Up Training Posted!

Surf's Up! - Surfing the Internet with JAWS and MAGic, the Freedom Scientific Web pages that explain how to surf the Web with JAWS® screen reading software and MAGic® screen magnification software, have been updated to help instructors and students take advantage of the new JAWS 10 features. Surf's Up now also includes help with using MAGic screen magnification software on the Web. Pay particular attention to the Forms page. It gives great details for using the new Auto Forms Mode function for JAWS! In addition, you'll find many new and updated exercises for practice throughout.

Visit Surf's Up online or get the Surf's Up downloadable version for use on computers with no Internet connection.

New Fall Workshops for JAWS and MAGic Announced

Just in time for fall 2008, several new training workshops have been announced!

Basics of Scripting, New Workshop!

The original Basics of Scripting workshop is back by popular demand. This four-day hands-on workshop is designed for users who want to learn how to begin writing scripts with JAWS and MAGic. Learn how to use the Script manager to write and compile scripts. Learn the difference between scripts and functions, how to use variables and constants, speak or display messages in the virtual viewer, and more.

What's New in JAWS, New Workshop!

This new two-day workshop is designed for teachers, trainers, and others who are already familiar with JAWS, but who want to get specific training on the newest JAWS features.

Office 2007 with JAWS and MAGic, New Workshop!

This new three-day workshop is designed for teachers, trainers, and others who are already familiar with JAWS and MAGic, but who want to get specific training on how to use JAWS and MAGic with Microsoft Office 2007. Learn specific techniques in Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Outlook® using the keyboard with JAWS and MAGic.

Visit the Freedom Scientific Workshops page for the schedule of new workshops and more information on these and other upcoming training opportunities.

PAC Mate Omni Training in DAISY Text and Audio Format Now Available

The first new DAISY training books for the PAC Mate Omni are now available for download! These DAISY books are in both text and narrated audio format. As these new DAISY books are in the process of being created, more will follow in the coming days.

In addition, for those who just want to hear the audio, the MP3 files are being made available separately from the DAISY books. Go to the PAC Mate training downloads section of the training downloads page to find these and other great training files.

PowerPoint 2003 Training with JAWS and MAGic

Learn how to create and give PowerPoint® 2003 presentations using JAWS and MAGic. This lesson teaches you how to use the keyboard to create and give presentations, and includes a link to practice files.

Some of the things you will learn include how to:

  • Use JAWS or MAGic and the keyboard to create and present slide shows
  • Set a background color for all slides in the presentation
  • Use a photograph as a background for an entire slide
  • Label pictures and objects with alternate text
  • Use design templates in PowerPoint to choose a variety of different slides
  • Navigate at the object as well as the text entry level of slides
  • Insert a button to play a sound on a slide
  • Use slide animation effects to fly in bullet points one at a time
  • Rearrange animation effects for a more effective presentation
  • Insert and be able to read speaker's notes during your presentation
  • And much more!

Go to the PowerPoint 2003 with JAWS and MAGic training page now and get started, or use the link on that page to download the lesson along with practice files and work offline at your leisure.

Introduction to Windows Vista for JAWS and MAGic

Be the first to get your copy of the free book that introduces JAWS and MAGic users to the Windows Vista® environment! The new book is formatted in both text and audio DAISY format, proven to be the best for all-around learning. Read it at your own pace with JAWS or MAGic, or sit back and relax as you listen to the narrated audio. One hour and 18 minutes in length, topics covered in this book include:

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Power to Work - Power to Learn - Power to Grow

  • Installing JAWS or MAGic in Windows Vista (installation, authorization, activation, startup wizard, and RealSpeak™ Solo synthesizer installation)
  • User Account Control (UAC) - What is it? How do I enable or disable it?
  • Main parts of the Windows Vista Screen
  • Main parts of the Start menu (search edit field, all programs, right pane, tab order in the Start menu, turning off the computer)
  • Uninstall or Change a Program
  • Windows Vista Explorer
  • Volume Mixer
  • Sidebar and Gadgets

The installer puts our DAISY books in the proper place for either JAWS or MAGic users to find them. Please visit the Training Downloads page and look in the JAWS Training Downloads Section to download the appropriate version. Note that the books are exactly identical in content, they just install to the proper location for each product.

These books are also available on the Training Download page in MP3 format.



Take your magnification with you. The ONYX Deskset. Learn more!

Creating Accessible Forms in Excel Using Input Messages DAISY Book!

This DAISY book teaches how to create accessible forms in Excel®.

Authors of workbooks using the Microsoft spreadsheet program Excel can use the Input Message feature of Excel to create accessible forms that provide outstanding feedback and instructions for users of JAWS and MAGic. Hyperlinks can be used to expedite navigation within the form for JAWS and MAGic users.

The book is available for download in the JAWS and MAGic sections of the Training Downloads page. The title of the book is Creating Accessible Forms in Excel Using Input Messages and is offered in a text-only DAISY format.

Workshops in Saint Petersburg Now Include Using MAGic With JAWS

As JAWS and MAGic continue to grow and improve, so has our training. If you have not attended a JAWS workshop in the last few years, you'll want to get caught up with the latest features and techniques. Our workshops now include both JAWS and MAGic as part of the documentation and training. Use both JAWS and MAGic together during the workshop and experience the total solution! Read more about our extended training on the workshops page and sign up now to enhance your skill set.

RSS Feeds on the Web

Feeds on the Web allow you to automatically receive updated information from your favorite Web sites. Feeds are provided by more and more Web sites all the time. Basically, the process involves you subscribing to the feed, which usually is free, and then your feed reader (Internet Explorer or other feed reader) shows if there is any updated content. Here is what to look for and how it works with Internet Explorer 7.

Internet Explorer 7 checks every Web page you visit for feeds. If a feed is available, the graphic button for feeds on the Internet Explorer toolbar changes from gray to orange. JAWS verbally announces feeds on Web pages you visit, beginning with version 8.0 and later. You may have heard JAWS announce "RSS Feeds" on some pages you visit and may have wondered what that means. Finally, you can also set up Internet Explorer to play a sound when it notices a feed for a page. Choose this link to learn more about Feeds on the Web and how to subscribe to and use them.

Web Design and Using JAWS on the Internet

Bring greater accessibility to your Web site! Learn more about how JAWS works on the Web! Visit our Surf's Up Web site for examples of how to write effective HTML code and use JAWS and MAGic on the Web. Find more information on our Accessibility Tips and Web Design page, with links to free HTML tutorials, validation tools, guidelines, and other resources!

Training Lab in Saint Petersburg now Using Office 2007 and Windows Vista

When you visit the Saint Petersburg Training Headquarters to attend one of our hands-on workshops, you receive training in JAWS and MAGic using the latest versions of Windows Vista and Office 2007! If you are new to working in either of these environments, consider signing up for one of our workshops soon, even if you have been to training here previously!

Training Department Information

The Freedom Scientific Training Department's motto is, “Power to work, power to learn, power to grow.” We have grown over the years and have created some wonderful training materials that we want to share with you. Please take advantage of all of the training information and materials we have posted here on our site. We hope you will come back often to see what is new.

The Freedom Scientific Training Department
Contact us at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000, extension 1016 or 1004
FAX: 727-471-7927

e-mail: training_info at FreedomScientific.com

Pictures of students

Microsoft®, Excel®, PowerPoint®, Outlook®, and Windows Vista® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

JAWS®, MAGic®, and ONYX™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Freedom Scientific, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.