JAWS software on internet access PC in a public library setting

[Lydia Williams]

CROSS POSTING.  Please excuse any duplication.


We are considering purchasing the JAWS software package for use on one of our internet-access PCs in order to enable visually impaired patrons to use the PC.  We run Navigator 3.0 and Explorer 3.0 as well as several ready reference products and a word processor on a Windows 95 client on an NT network.  We would use a Kurzweil (model # 7315-60) as the voice synthesizer and a Pentium PC with 16MB RAM as the workstation.

We would be interested in hearing from anyone who has JAWS installed (especially the 95 version) with regard to:

1) Is the software used with any regularity?
2) How intuitive is it for visually-impaired patrons - Do they find it easy to use, or hard?  Is it the sort of thing that can be used by a one-time patron, or is it more suited to a regular user who will go through a learning curve with the product?
3) What are training issues for staff?

We would be interested in hearing from someone running the product in an environment similar to ours with regard to:

1) How easy is it to install?
2) Does it work well with all the software used on the PC?
3) How robust is the program - does it crash easily?

Any comments about your experience would be appreciated.

Frank Blair and Lydia Williams
Independence Regional Library
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County