JAWS Scripts for Microsoft Teams

Upgrade Scripts for Microsoft Teams Version 2!

The business world is always buzzing about which hot new collaboration platform is the best. There certainly are quite a lot of options to choose from. But one particularly useful solution stands out: Microsoft Teams. This great collaboration solution is ideal for businesses, freelancers, and just about everyone else who works in a professional team setting.

Microsoft have made great strides in ensuring the application in the most part is accessible within the context of a range of assistive technologies. For example, various statements are often sent to the screen-reader to assist with tasks. Some script files are built into the JAWS screen-reader to support Microsoft Teams. However, while the messages and procedures available are helpful, they do not improve efficiency. Our JAWS scripts for Microsoft Teams focus upon several key areas:
Providing information in a concise format so you can become ultra-efficient.
Ensuring that aspects of Teams which are not easily navigable via the keyboard are accessible.
Providing an interface which is as easy to use as possible.
And finally, there must be no compromising on speed and responsiveness. if there is any chance of a significant delay between a keystroke being pressed and receiving speech and braille output, it is probably best not to do it at all.

The scripts include these functions and more:

• A set of Windows Notification Rules which can be imported if desired, for use with JAWS version 2023, allowing for important notifications to be condensed for both speech and Braille output. See below.
• Control over the automatic speaking of incoming messages. As is the case with our scripts for Zoom, you can also control the kind of messages which are automatically spoken or sent to Braille. This includes information such as who has entered or left the room in a meeting, and there is an option which can be enabled to hear who has a hand raised. This is independent of the main message alert notifications; again, like Zoom.
• Supression of unwanted “tutor-like” messages directed through Teams so you only hear items which are relevant to you.
• Optional guided speech prompts when you move into specific areas of Teams so you know what to do when.
• A cleaner response when navigating in and out of specific areas within Teams.
• Keystrokes for quick actions, such as to change or review your status.
• Much of the output which arrives from Teams has been “refined to ensure it is more intuitive. A good example would be some of the information in the Calls Tab.
• Keystrokes to move to areas of the application which are difficult to reach with the JAWS Virtual Cursor disabled.
• Audio cues to denote raised hand and mute status of meeting participants.
• Calendar improvements. Hear only the date as you arrow left and right through days and the time slot when pressing Up or Down Arrow, together with the number of events.
• Dialog Boxes containing shortcut keys in Teams so you do not need to remember them, although the keystrokes are listed so you can become more efficient in the future. There is one Dialog Box per keystroke category. Select the desired action with the Arrow keys and press Enter to action it.
• Hear a sound when someone is typing a message, the name of the person typing, both or none of the above.
• Find out who is typing regardless of the above setting.
• A global keystroke to start (or move to Teams) from any application.
• Bookmark a window such as a “pop-out chat” so as to easily return to it.
• The ability to place the details of people who have their hands raised in meetings into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer review.
• A keystroke to move to the list of teams or chat messages.
• A facility where the scripts can be updated over the internet or if policies restrict this, the installer is always available containing the most recent version, or even a zipped archive of the files if desired.
• Highly responsive. When you press a dedicated keystroke, there is no delay before the action is carried out.
• Full Hotkey Help available by pressing Insert+H as is Vispero good practice.
• All speech prompts are output to Braille.

It is worth spending some time discussing participation in calls and meetings.

The focus of the JAWS scripts in the meetings area is so that pressing Tab is unnecessary in order to avoid moving into unwanted territory. Keystrokes therefore exist to move to Show Participants, More Actions, Show Conversation, and more. These are also beneficial when the conventional Microsoft keystrokes to set focus to a known area fail to yield the expected results. We want to ensure that there is an oreientation point where you can return to a known area. Similarly, keystrokes exist to report the elapsed time of the meeting or call, together with the status of muted audio and video output.

If you are working with JAWS version 2023 onwards, you can take advantage of our special Notification Rules. These are designed to provide more concise information when notifications arrive. For example, in the case of Microsoft Teams, ordinarily JAWS might say: “New notification from Microsoft Teams, John Jones is calling you.” It will then go on to recite the keystrokes you can press to interact with the call. If you’re a regular user of Teams, you hopefully know how to answer the call so you do not need reminding!
With our rules in place, JAWS will say, “Teams, John Jones is calling you” and nothing further.
If a new message is received, JAWS will say “Teams, Message from John Jones” and nothing further.

Similarly in the case of Microsoft Outlook, JAWS might vocalise “New notification from Outlook, John Jones, this is a good message”, then a preview of the message.
With our rules in place, JAWS announces “Outlook, John Jones, this is a good message”.

Notification rules are in place for Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook and WhatsApp.

It is imperative to state that our additional module does not in any way interfere with the default support within JAWS for Teams. This includes keystrokes already assigned. The development for both Teams and JAWS are constantly moving targets and we have a duty not to tamper with (or spoil) such functionality.

Because some aspects of Teams are tightly interwoven with Microsoft Outlook, we also include our scripts for navigating the Outlook calendar efficiently and for viewing attachments; useful for those image files you cannot easily reach. They also contain a useful function for assisting with customising the Teams Meeting Options.

Requirements.

You will need:

• Access to Microsoft Teams. This is usually part of a Microsoft Office subscription. If you are part of an organisation deploying Teams, you are likely to have access to more features than are available to individuals.
• JAWS version 2021 or above. JAWS 2024 or 2025 are highly recommended!

The cost of this package is £70 which is currently $98 US. Updates to the scripts thereafter are free for at least a period of one year.
If you are part of an organisation wishing to purchase ten units or more, there is a very substantial discount on the cost. Please contact us for details.

How to Purchase.

Please enter your JAWS or Fusion serial number here.

Alternatively, anyone can purchase the scripts by sending an Email to jaws@hartgen.org, whereupon a fully accessible electronic invoice will be sent to you which can be paid through PayPal or any major credit or debit card.

Upgrade Scripts for Microsoft Teams Version 2!

Conclusion.

Teams is a powerful and extremely useful collaboration environment that will only get more popular. Get productive and find out how to use it in an accessible and effective way!