This content originally appeared on Freedom Scientific Blog and was authored by Elizabeth Whitaker
Thanks to your valuable suggestions and feedback, the Freedom Scientific Training Team introduced you to many enhancements in 2024. As the year comes to a close, we reflect on a few of them and look forward to 2025.
Celebrated 200 Years of Braille
2024 marked the 200th anniversary of braille. In January, we held a special event to commemorate the major milestones that make up the history of braille. We were joined by some very special guests to discuss how braille is used at home, in school, and in the workplace. We also shared stories and ideas that illustrate the crucial role braille continues to play in all facets of our daily lives. You can stream or download this archive on our Webinars On Demand page, which is titled “Braille Today, Two Centuries and Counting!”
Launched Picture Smart AI
While navigating the digital landscape, you might encounter photos, charts, and other visual elements without an alternative description. This can make it challenging to understand the information provided by the visual content. The JAWS Picture Smart feature, introduced in 2019, allows you to submit a photo to be analyzed using a layered keystroke. A description of the image is then displayed in the JAWS Results Viewer window.
Picture Smart AI, introduced in the March update of JAWS 2024, is a revolutionary update to the traditional Picture Smart feature. By integrating with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology from services like Chat GPT from Open AI and Claude from Anthropic, you will now experience a whole new level of accessibility to graphical information. For example, after pressing INSERT+SPACEBAR, P to activate the Picture Smart layer, you could press F to describe the currently selected image in File Explorer, or C to describe a photo from a social media website like Facebook. You can also press INSERT+SPACEBAR, ENTER to get a description based on your current application or context. For a complete list of commands, press INSERT+SPACEBAR, P, QUESTION MARK.
Visit the JAWS Features page for additional information, and subscribe to the Freedom Scientific Training podcast for demonstrations of this feature.
Showcased the JAWS AI Suite
In the summer of 2024, we attended both the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and National Federation of the Blind (NFB) national conventions, where we hosted our first ever AI Suite. This enabled us to demonstrate two new AI features, Picture Smart AI, introduced in the March update of JAWS 2024, and FSCompanion, introduced in JAWS and ZoomText 2025. This gave users hands-on experience using these features, an opportunity to ask questions, and discover many practical applications for using them at home, school, and in the workplace.
The Freedom Scientific AI Suite was extremely successful, and we were excited to meet all of you in attendance.
Launched FSCompanion
FSCompanion, our new AI learning tool, was launched in the October release of JAWS 2025, and in the December update of ZoomText 2025. With so many features and keystrokes available between JAWS, ZoomText, Windows, and the various Office apps, it can be challenging to locate the information you need to perform a specific task or find a setting or keystroke. FSCompanion lets you ask questions about JAWS, ZoomText, and other applications and quickly provides the information you need without searching through multiple documents and web pages.
Want to know how a particular JAWS feature works, or the sequence of keystrokes to perform a specific task in Word? Ask FSCompanion. The AI tool searches through help and training resources in a matter of seconds and provides the key details in a concise step-by-step format.
To open FSCompanion when in JAWS 2025, press the layered command INSERT+SPACEBAR, followed by F1. FSCompanion is located in the JAWS Help menu under Web Resources. You can also visit FSCompanion.ai from a PC or mobile device using your preferred web browser. For additional details, visit our JAWS Features page.
To launch FSCompanion from ZoomText, click the blue Sparkle button in the upper right corner of the ZoomText or Fusion toolbar, or navigate to the ZoomText or Fusion menu and choose Help > FSCompanion.
You can also access FSCompanion directly in your web browser by going to FSCompanion.ai.
Celebrated Sharkvember and the Next Big Thing Contest
Thank you for helping to make the second annual Next Big Thing contest an enormous success! If you were unable to attend or want to review the top ideas, the archive is now available.
At the event, the top three finalists presented their feature ideas for JAWS or ZoomText to a live audience and judges. We were excited to announce that the winner of the Next Big Thing 2024 was Robin Christopherson, who presented Smart Screen Review. This JAWS feature takes a snapshot of the screen content, allows you to review it, and activates previously inaccessible controls.
A big thank you to our other two finalists who also presented their ideas, Linda Coccovizzo with Custom Tandem Codes, and David Kingsbury with JAWS Setting Enhancement.
Thank you to everyone who submitted an idea. Your imaginative and creative concepts are extremely important in shaping the future of JAWS and ZoomText.
The Next Big Thing is part of Sharkvember, our month-long celebration of accessibility, creativity, and community. As part of Sharkvember, we provided JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion keyboard command tips, called “Sharkvember Shortcuts.” Visit the Sharkvember Shortcuts page for a list of commands.
What’s Coming in 2025?
We continually add training events that tailor topics to meet your personal, educational, and professional needs. Join us in 2025 for new live webinars and other targeted training. Visit the Upcoming Webinars page for information on upcoming training. Stream or download archived webinars from our Webinars On Demand page.
If you have training questions or want to suggest a training topic, send an email to training@vispero.com. We look forward to hearing from you in 2025!
This content originally appeared on Freedom Scientific Blog and was authored by Elizabeth Whitaker
Elizabeth Whitaker | Sciencx (2024-12-31T23:38:37+00:00) 2024 Year-End Review. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/12/31/2024-year-end-review/
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