Custom JAWS Scripts For Discord
Doug Lee
Last Revised May, 2019
This document describes the custom scripts for Discord and provides
tips for using this application with JAWS.
This document can be opened from within the application via a double press
of JAWSKey+F1 (or Insert+F1)
when the scripts are running.
This document is laid out for easy navigation using JAWS HTML heading
navigation commands: H will move through all headings,
2 through major sections, and 3 and 4
through any subsections and subsubsections.
Table of Contents
In addition to any system requirements for the application, the following
apply for JAWS users:
- The workstation should be running Windows 10.
- JAWS 17.0 or later should be used. The scripts will not
work with or install into JAWS versions older than 17.0.
JAWS versions older than 2019 have not been carefully tested.
To install these scripts on a new system:
- Load JAWS if this has not already been done. This will require
administrative privileges on the computer.
- Run JAWS as the user for whom the scripts are to be installed.
This and the following steps must be performed for each user of the computer
who will be using JAWS with these scripts.
- Download and run, or run directly, the installer for these scripts; and follow the on-screen
directions. Be sure to install the scripts in the currently running
JAWS version if a JAWS version list is presented.
- To verify successful installation, type Ins+Q from
within the application. Part of the JAWS spoken response should be a
revision number. If you do not hear a revision number, the scripts are
not correctly loaded.
In some cases, restarting JAWS may fix this issue.
These scripts may incorporate commands that consist of sequences of keystrokes, all beginning with a common prefix, or "command key."
This approach allows many script commands without conflicting with application keystrokes.
By default, the command key is the left bracket ([) key; see below for how to change it if necessary.
This document may refer to this key as [ or Command;
so, for example, [ Tab and Command Tab both refer to typing the prefix key, then separately the Tab key.
Some sequences may consist of more than two keys, or "levels"; for example, [ d r would refer to typing [, then d, then finally r.
In addition to the commands documented elsewhere, the following commands are also available, at any level, for exploring what script commands are available for this application:
- Tab and Shift+Tab at any level cycle through commands at that level, speaking a description for each command along with the keystroke that would activate it.
This is a quick way to find available script commands and levels.
- Ins+Tab repeats the last command's description spoken by Tab or Shift+Tab.
- Enter executes the command whose description was last spoken.
This does not work for keys that enter a new level.
- Esc exits the command sequence system without executing a command, so that keystrokes can again be sent to the application.
If you need to change the command key,
type the current command key followed by either JAWSKey+C or Ins+C. An edit box will appear into which you may type your desired command key. The current key will initially appear in the box.
Then Type or spell out your desired command key and press Enter to apply the change.
If the keystroke requires modifiers like Shift or Ctrl, spell those out; do not simply type, for example, A when you mean shift+a.
Example keystrokes exactly as they should be typed:
- [ (normally the default key)
- shift+[ (Note, do not just type {)
- Ctrl+Shift+; (for control, shift, and semicolon together as a command prefix)
Warning: If you accidentally set the command key to something you cannot type, you will currently need to edit it in these scripts' .jcf file in the JAWS user directory under the MKCSOptions section.
These scripts provide the following general commands beyond those provided by the application itself:
- Command Space, when typed while the JAWS virtual cursor is positioned over a button, will click the button.
This is useful for buttons and badges for which Space and Enter do nothing.
- JAWSKey+Q, along with announcing the active configuration name, will announce the revision number of these scripts.
- Ins+F1, typed twice in quick succession, opens this document in the default browser.
These scripts provide the following means of efficiently reading chat messages (direct and text channel):
- Alt+Home and Alt+End move to and read the first and last message in the chat area, respectively.
- Alt+Left and Alt+Right move through the chat messages one at a time backward and forward, respectively.
- Alt+NumPad5 and Alt+Enter (for those without a number pad) repeats the last message read by any of the above commands.
The following issues are known and may be encountered during use of the application with these JAWS scripts.
These issues may be fixed in a future update to the scripts or to the application itself.
Braille support is not well tested and is likely incomplete.
This is the revision history of these scripts, most recent revision first:
- Revision 16, May 9, 2019, tested against application version 0.0.305
- Initial release for Aleric to test:
- The Insert+T fix appears to work.
- [ Space clicks badges and buttons that otherwise don't respond to keystrokes.
- Some Close buttons are named properly.
- Pressed buttons, like Member List, report the "pressed" state as appropriate.
- Chat commands exist but say "Not yet implemented."