leasey

Welcome to the World of Leasey!

Learn, Enable, Advance - So Easy!

Leasey - Copyright © Hartgen Consultancy 2023.

Hartgen Consultancy

Telephone from within the United Kingdom: 02921-051325.

Telephone in the United States: 239-256-7779.

Telephone From Any Other Country: +442921-051325.

Introduction.

Thank you for using Leasey!

Leasey is ideal for the complete computer beginner as well as the user who is more advanced with using Microsoft Windows with screen-reading software. Whether you are just starting out with your very first computer, you do not feel comfortable working with computers and need some additional support, or if you have been using a screen-reader for many years, Leasey can help in lots of different ways.

Using her structured easy-to-use menu system, human voice and context sensitive help, we hope that people who have never used a computer before will be able to take full advantage of word processing, Email management, the world wide web, radio and audio-related services, books, Skype, a fully featured Address Book, Diary, Clock, Facebook, iTunes and much much more! We call this part of the product "Leasey Basic". This menu-driven functionality is only available in the product known as Leasey Total Package.

However Leasey is much more than a product for new computer users. She also provides advanced users of screen-reading technology with a wide range of tools, utilities and services which will improve productivity when working with the computer together with lots of entertainment. This is referred to as "Leasey Advanced". For example, check the local weather, learn how to spell a word or check its meaning, read the local news, find out about public holidays in your country or easily enjoy YouTube videos!

Leasey stands for Learn, Enable, Advance - So Easy! We hope that Leasey not only makes it possible for you to start out with the basics of using a computer, but will encourage you to grow. But she is always there if you need her, and to say again, a host of invaluable tools can also be found for advanced users. Improved accessibility for specific applications and websites is also far greater when using Leasey.

When using Leasey Advanced in the Leasey Total Package product, if you want to return to the menu structure at any time, this can easily be achieved through pressing a single keystroke. Thus, if you are new to computing, Leasey can be used as a stepping stone while you begin to learn what we might call more traditional computing tasks.

We very much hope you enjoy using Leasey!

The Two Leasey Products.

There are two Leasey packages which can be purchased.

"Leasey Total Package" contains everything Leasey has to offer, including audio spoken menus, human narrated help and the "Getting Started" DAISY tutorial for complete computer beginners. It teaches you how to use a computer from the time of switching it on to shutting it down.

Leasey Advanced contains all the tools, utilities and services offered by Leasey Total Package. However, the differences are as follows:

• There is no audio spoken menu system.
• There is no menu-driven interface.
• No human narrated help is available. However, Leasey Advanced does contain a very powerful and easy-to-use help utility of its own.
• You will not receive the "Getting Started" DAISY guide for complete computer beginners.

This User Guide applies to both products and as we progress through each section, we will outline anything which a Leasey Advanced user would not be able to access. If you are in any doubt which product you need, please discuss this with ourselves at Hartgen Consultancy or your Leasey distributor. However, a general rule to follow would be this. Unless you specifically need a very structured menu system for complete computer beginners, you should purchase Leasey Advanced.

Technical Support.

We very much hope that working with Leasey is a trouble-free experience. However, should you require technical support in the day to day usage of Leasey, this can be obtained by sending an Email message to support@leaseycentral.com. Please give as much information about the problem as you can. The more information we have, the faster the response time will be. You can also contact us by telephone:

Telephone (in the UK) 02921-051325.

Telephone (in the United States of America) 239-256-7779. Support is given between 9 AM to 5 PM UK time, excluding weekends and public holidays.

In the event that we need to remote onto your computer to resolve a problem, we use a system called Remote Incident Manager. This is accessed by pressing the Grave Accent key, (referred to as the Leasey Key), followed by the Backspace key.

If Remote Incident Manager is not installed, it will be downloaded to your computer. When the download is complete, a Dialog Box will be available, asking if you would like to install the program. Press Enter to continue.

When the install begins, it is likely to take a minute or two to complete but it will prompt you when the process has concluded.

When the software has been installed, from this point forward you can press the Grave Accent key followed by Backspace. A web-page-like environment will be available with an Edit Field which should be focused. The title of this page is: Remote Incident Manager: Receive Remote Help. Focus is immediately in the edit field. Some text is below this which is as follows: Please enter the keyword you received from the person helping you.

When prompted by the technician on the phone, type in the key word which you will mutually agree between you, then press Enter.

You may also like to subscribe to our Leasey Email list. This is a good way to get support from the Leasey developers and other users of the product. You can also suggest ideas for future improvement.

To join the Leasey Email list, send a blank Email message to Leasey+subscribe@groups.io.

A Note to Trainers and Those Assisting with Installation.

If you are assisting a user who has limited computing skills, we strongly recommend that you ensure the person is aware of the "Getting Started" DAISY guide for Leasey. If you have purchased Leasey Total Package, this will have been provided for you. This makes it easy for someone to follow along with the tutor as he walks through many of the basic tasks of working with Leasey for the first time.

For users who are complete computer beginners, we highly recommend a level of one-to-one training. This can be provided either remotely over the internet at a low cost, or at an on site premises, such as a person's home or place of work. Please contact us (or your local Leasey distributor) for details of training programs. Learning how to use a computer for the first time can be very daunting and one-to-one training can be important when a person is in this situation. We also recommend that at least parts of the training session are recorded in audio form for later reference.

We also hope that, once a person has become used to working with the basic functions of Leasey, he or she will wish to improve their computing skills and do more things. Training is recommended too in this situation, especially since the range of applications Leasey is making accessible is increasing.

What Is LeaseyCentral?

LeaseyCentral is a one stop shop for everything you need concerning Leasey. It is an area of the Hartgen Consultancy website containing documentation, a support Email list, upcoming news of program developments, audio podcasts/tutorials, and more. You can access LeaseyCentral by browsing to www.leaseycentral.com. It is also accessible through Leasey's Hotkey Help utility or from the Leasey Main Menu, "Get Help" option, described later.

Installing and Configuring Leasey.

Introduction.

In this Chapter we will walk you through the process of installing Leasey. We will also describe how to activate Leasey as well as some initial configurations which are required for your computer and Leasey to work together correctly. Working through the sections of this Chapter concerning the customisation of your computer's applications will ensure that your screen-reader will perform optimally with JAWS, irrespective of whether Leasey is installed or not.

We suggest that you follow this section of the User Guide carefully and systematically. Missing a step (or not carrying it out correctly) could mean that Leasey will be unable to function.

Before You Begin.

The Keyboard, for Leasey Basic Users.

Very careful consideration should be given to the keyboard a computer beginner will use to access Leasey and screen-reading.

After reading this User Guide, you will understand that three keys are required to operate three of Leasey's core functions. These are by default assigned to the "Print Screen", "Scroll Lock" and "Pause/Break" keys.

Ideally, the desktop keyboard to be purchased for the new user should conform to an extremely conventional basic layout. It is helpful if the user has some input into choosing the keyboard. Tactile markers may also help in terms of keyboard orientation.

In particular, it is helpful if the three above mentioned keys for operating core Leasey functions are situated to the righthand side of the top row of keys, to the right of function key F12 so that they are easy to locate.

A desktop keyboard can be connected to a laptop computer, and at least in the initial stages of learning, this is recommended.

An optional computer module, "TypeAbility", can be installed to assist with keyboard learning and practice. It is a fun way to learn how to use a computer and is highly engaging and interactive. Please contact your Leasey distributor for details of purchasing TypeAbility.

If you live in the United Kingdom, we can supply an excellent keyboard ideal for both blind and low vision users.

JAWS for Windows and Computer Considerations.

In order for Leasey to function, the JAWS for Windows screen-reader from Vispero should be purchased, installed and successfully activated. If you do not own a copy of JAWS, and you live in the United Kingdom, please contact us directly. If you live outside the UK, please contact the developers of JAWS, Vispero, or a JAWS distributor.

Here are some important things to think about prior to (and during) the installation of JAWS.

• Leasey will function on any computer capable of running the JAWS software successfully, although in terms of computer specification, faster is always better. Hartgen Consultancy can sell to you a desktop or laptop computer with JAWS and Leasey preinstalled.
• Leasey will function using JAWS version 18 or later. The build of JAWS being used is not important. However, we highly recommend JAWS version 2023 for best performance.
• Leasey will work well using Windows7, Windows8.1, Windows10 and Windows11.
• We suggest you download JAWS from Vispero and install it onto the computer which will host Leasey. Then, try navigating through menus and Dialog Boxes etc and listen to whether JAWS is speaking the information as you would expect. Are you receiving responsive feedback as you move through Windows components? If you type text into a Microsoft Notepad or Microsoft Word document, is JAWS able to read it back using the Up or Down Arrow keys? (Using Microsoft Notepad is a very good test.) If the answer is "Yes", there is every possibility that Leasey should function optimally.
• To repeat, when JAWS has been installed, it should be successfully activated in accordance with the documentation provided with your JAWS software. If you are in any doubt as to whether JAWS is activated, please contact your JAWS or Leasey distributor.
• When JAWS is installed for the first time, (and the computer re-started following the installation), the JAWS "Startup Wizard" will appear. This contains commonly used options you can customise for your specific requirements. It is quite acceptable to make changes in the "Startup Wizard" at this stage if you wish.
• Note that if you have an earlier release of JAWS installed on your computer, you may well be asked if you wish to migrate your settings from an earlier JAWS version. This is not recommended. Indeed, if using JAWS version 2023, and Leasey is detected as being installed into version 2022, the migration wizard will immediately terminate. Should you wish to use the migration tool, you should uninstall Leasey from the earlier version of JAWS and then the migration facility will function. Leasey can then be installed into JAWS version 2023.

It is important now to discuss some of the software packages Leasey is able to function with. Many such packages are downloadable from the LeaseyCentral website and this is a good starting point for evaluating appropriate software.

We also recommend that you subscribe to the Leasey Email list (discussed elsewhere in this document), and particularly follow Hartgen Consultancy on Mastodon or Facebook. The username for Facebook is HartgenConsult. The Mastodon address currently is hartgenconsult@tweesecake.social.

In terms of access to preparing documents and Email management, Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, 2016, 365 or 2019 are highly recommended. HJPad (which is installed with the JAWS software automatically) can be used for word processing and is a good alternative. Windows Live Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird are adequate for Email management but our very strong preference is Microsoft Outlook.

For playback of audio content, we recommend either Foobar2000, VLC Media Player or Winamp.

Facebook, Twitter, Spotify and iTunes all require accounts creating for them. Where appropriate, within the relevant sections of this User Guide we will explain how to create such accounts in an accessible way. However, if you are someone who is working alongside a visually impaired person in order to set up a computer with Leasey, feel free to go ahead and create the accounts at this stage.

Leasey is compatible with iTunes version 12.7 and above and Spotify version 1.1.59.712 and above.

In respect of Skype, it is a good idea to take advice as to the most appropriate release to use. We regularly monitor the availability of Skype updates and try to ensure that Leasey keeps pace with them.

It is always a good idea to talk to your Leasey distributor about appropriate software packages and tools prior to installing Leasey so as to obtain the latest information and to ensure you have a good experience when working with your computer.

Installing Leasey.

Under most circumstances, it is not necessary to remove any JAWS script files you may have previously installed. However, before installing Leasey, we advise that you check with us to determine whether or not there are likely to be any conflicts.

If you have installed JAWS and have not made any modifications, there should be no difficulty and you can proceed immediately.

Please read the next paragraph extremely carefully as people do make mistakes here.

Prior to installing Leasey, you should be logged onto the Windows account belonging to the person who will use the product. That account should have Administrator Rights during the installation process. If this is not possible, the location of the installation of the JAWS scripts can be changed as you proceed with installing Leasey. We will point out where this is done within this section of the User Guide.

If you have downloaded Leasey from the internet, please locate the file entitled LeaseyTotalPackage.exe (or LeaseyAdvanced.exe) and press Enter to begin the installation.

If you are already using Leasey, (and you wish to install it into the same JAWS version as before), you can achieve the same effect by activating Leasey's Help system (Leasey Key then "H"), and, from the main help category, select the last item, "Download and Install the Full Leasey Package". When the installer is downloaded, it will ask if you would like to run it. The default Button is "Yes" so press the Space Bar to proceed.

Installing Leasey is extremely straightforward. Simply run the installer program, the majority of prompts for which will be announced by your JAWS screen-reading software automatically.

In most cases, pressing Enter to activate the “Next” Button on each screen should be sufficient. Following the opening screen, you will be asked to accept the Licence Agreement. Press the Tab key to reach a group of Radio buttons, any one of which can be selected by pressing the Up or Down Arrow keys. You should select the Radio button so as to accept the Licence Agreement, then press Enter to proceed. If you wish, you can read the Licence Agreement by pressing the Tab key so as to reach its Edit Field, and then work through it in the usual manner for reading text.

On the next screen, the Leasey installer detects the versions of JAWS which are installed onto the machine and presents you with a series of Radio Buttons, inviting you to choose which release you would like to install Leasey into. Press the Down Arrow key to select the version of JAWS you wish to use,, then press Enter. Leasey can be installed into JAWS versions 18 through to 2023.

If you wish to install Leasey into another JAWS version at a later date, this can easily be achieved by running the installer a second time and choosing a different version of JAWS from the list. Please also refer to the notes below concerning migrating Leasey settings into alternative releases of JAWS.

You will next be asked for a language folder into which Leasey should be installed. This refers to the JAWS language settings to be used. You should press the Down Arrow key until "enu (English US)" is selected, then press Enter. Indeed, this is usually the first item in the list.

Prior to copying the necessary files to the computer, you will be asked to confirm the location of the installation of JAWS script files. If JAWS is being used by a person with an alternative Windows account to the one shown, you should correct this in the Edit Field before proceeding, changing the text so it points to the Leasey user's account instead. The majority of users will not have to be at all concerned with this screen and can just press Enter to continue with the Leasey installation. For I T Administrators in a corporate environment however, (who may be logged onto the computer using a different account to that of the user), this will be particularly important.

When the installer has completed creating the additional folders required for Leasey, and copying files to them, you will be prompted to restart the computer and you should comply with this request. This is critical!

Activating Leasey.

When the computer is restarted, (and if you are using Leasey Total Package), you will hear a message spoken in Leasey’s own female voice, “Leasey Advanced is Active”. We will explain the concept of Leasey Basic and Advanced in a later section of this User Guide.

If you are using Leasey Advanced, you will know that Leasey is installed because you will hear the Leasey version and build number being spoken. If you do not hear this, then Leasey has not been installed correctly. We have a number of questions from people with vision who like to know that Leasey is installed. The trick is: Please Listen! Leasey is a product for the visually impaired. Therefore, we should be listening to what is happening and not looking. So please listen out for the Leasey information when JAWS starts.

When the Windows operating system is fully loaded, please wait for approximately one minute. After this time, Leasey will check the LeaseyCentral server to determine whether or not an activation file for the product is available for you. This is based on your JAWS for Windows serial number.

If an activation file is not found, you will hear messages periodically given, stating that Leasey is running in "Demonstration Mode".

"Demonstration Mode" is designed for people who wish to try Leasey for a limited period. The product is fully functional, however you can only use Leasey for up to 15 Demonstration Sessions . What is a Demonstration Session? Good question. A Demonstration Session lasts a period of two hours. When the two hours have elapsed, the number of Demonstration Sessions is incremented by one. Moreover, if you restart JAWS, the number of Demonstration Sessions is also incremented by one. What this means in practice is that you can gain a maximum of 30 hours trial of Leasey which ought to be more than sufficient for anyone to decide whether the program is suitable or not.

When you reach the 14th Demonstration Session, you will be advised of this.

In addition, a message will be spoken every 10 minutes, stating that Leasey is running in "Demonstration Mode".

When you have exceeded the 15 Demonstration Session limit, a message is spoken every 10 seconds. We strongly advise at that point you either uninstall Leasey or purchase an activation file. Leasey can be uninstalled from the Windows Control Panel.

If an activation file is found, it will automatically be downloaded to your computer and placed in the correct location on the machine. You will be advised of this. A Dialog Box will appear, asking if you would like Leasey to restart the JAWS screen-reader and that the activation file will not become active until JAWS is restarted. Press the letter “Y” to activate the “Yes” Button, confirming that you would like JAWS to be restarted.

After a short pause, JAWS will be closed and then restarted. All being well, you should hear the words, “JAWS for Windows is ready, Leasey Advanced is Active”.

If you have purchased an activation file, and you find that Leasey is operating in "Demonstration Mode", please contact your Leasey distributor immediately!

Please note: You can install Leasey onto multiple machines provided the same JAWS serial number is being used. In other words, JAWS must be activated with the same serial number on each of the computers to host Leasey.

Updating Leasey.

Leasey is updated on a very regular basis. We strongly suggest that you check for updates regularly to ensure you have the latest release and that you are benefiting from the many enhancements and features to come!

If an update is available, when the computer is started Leasey will let you know this information by saying "A Leasey update is available".

There are two ways of checking for updates. If using Leasey Advanced, press the Grave Accent key, release it, then press the letter "H". This takes you into Leasey's Hotkey Help. Press Down Arrow until you reach "Check for Updates" and then press Enter.

If you are using Leasey Basic, the option "Check for Updates" can be found by activating "Get Help" from the Leasey Main Menu.

Either way, if an update is found, you will be advised of this and it will be downloaded automatically. JAWS will be restarted following the update.

Sometimes, updates are not detected or they will not download to the computer. Should this happen, you can always download the latest full installer of Leasey from our company website. Any Leasey customisations will not be affected if you download the program and install over the top of the existing version. This is by far the safest way of ensuring Leasey is fully up-to-date.

I've Installed Leasey, What Next?

If you are not an experienced JAWS user, there are some keystrokes you may like to get familiar with right away so we will list them here.

At any time, pressing Control+Windows+Shift+Up or Down arrow keys will increase or decrease the computer's system volume. This is ideal especially if you have purchased a new laptop computer and have no idea how to change the volume settings. So, hold down Control, the Windows Key, and the Shift Keys and, while doing so, press Up or Down Arrow. You will hear the volume changing and JAWS will announce the percentage reached. Use similar keystrokes to increase or decrease the volume by smaller increments, Control+Windows+Shift+Left or Right Arrow.

If you wish to mute or unmute speech, press JAWS Key+Space then ALT+S. On a desktop computer keyboard, the JAWS Key is the Insert key. On a laptop keyboard, it is the caps lock key. This is a toggle action. When speech is muted, you will hear a "clunk" sound to indicate this.

Pressing the Insert Key with figure 2 on the main QWERTY keyboard will cycle through the JAWS "Typing Echo" modes. Unlike JAWS default behaviour, the setting is permanently stored. These options are:

• "Characters", (meaning that every character is spoken as you type),
• "Words, (characters are not echoed as you type, but when you press the Space Bar, the word which has just been typed will be spoken),
• "Characters and Words", (each character is echoed as you type and, when you press the Space Bar, the word previously typed is also spoken), and
• "None", (nothing is spoken when you type text, or when the Space Bar is pressed.

Pressing ALT+Control+Windows+Page Up will increase the JAWS speech rate. Pressing ALT+Control+Windows+Page Down will decrease the JAWS speech rate. Both settings are permanently stored.

Computing Application and Operating System Adjustments.

In order for Leasey to work correctly, there are a few adjustments which may be required to the Windows operating system and associated applications. Should you have any difficulty making the adjustments below, please contact Hartgen Consultancy or your Leasey distributor before proceeding. If necessary, we can perform what we call a "Leasey Health Check" on your computer. This means that we will connect to the machine and ensure it is configured to perform optimally with your assistive technologies. This should take about 15 minutes. It is important to book in your "Leasey Health check" within a few days of needing it.

Windows or File Explorer Adjustments - Critical!

Windows or File Explorer must be set so as to display the full path of a folder within the application Title Bar.

Within Windows7:

1. Launch any folder within File Explorer.
2. Select “Tools”.
3. Select “Options”.
4. Select the “View” Property Sheet.
5. From the list of options available, (which you can reach by pressing Tab and displayed in a Tree View), Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly so as to select “Display the full path in the title bar”. Press the Space Bar to select this option if it is not already selected. When it is enabled, JAWS speaks the word “On”.
6. Continue to press Down Arrow until the option “Hide Extensions for Known File Types” is selected. If JAWS reports this as being “On”, press the Space Bar to disable it. JAWS will say the word “Off”.
7. Press Shift+Tab to reach the “Apply to Folders” Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.

Within Windows8.1 or Windows10:

1. Launch any folder within File Explorer.
2. Prress ALT+V to activate the “View” section of the Ribbon.
3. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the entry entitled “Options – Change settings for opening items, file and folder views and search”. Press Enter to activate this option.
4. The highlighted item is now “Change folder and search options”. Press Enter to move into this Dialog Box.
5. Press Shift+Tab once to reach a series of Tabbed Pages.
6. Press Right Arrow to reach the “View” Tab.
7. Press the Tab key three times so as to focus upon a Tree View of options.
8. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly so as to select “Display the full path in the title bar”. Press the Space Bar to select this option if it is not already selected. When it is enabled, JAWS speaks the word “On”.
9. Continue to press Down Arrow until the option “Hide Extensions for Known File Types” is selected. If JAWS reports this as being “On”, press the Space Bar to disable it. JAWS will say the word “Off”.
10. Press Shift+Tab repeatedly until you locate the Button "Apply to All Folders". Press the Space Bar on the Button.
11. If a Dialog Box appears asking if you would like the view to be applied to all folders, press the letter “Y” to activate the “Yes” Button.
12. Press Shift+Tab repeatedly to reach the “OK” Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.

Within Windows11:

1. Launch any folder within File Explorer.
2. Press the “ALT” key to focus upon the menu bar.
3. Press the “Right Arrow” key until you reach the Button labelled “More” and press “Enter” to activate it.
4. Press the “Down Arrow” key to reach “Options” and press “Enter” to activate the item.
5. Press “Shift+Tab” once to reach a series of Tabbed Pages.
6. Press “Right Arrow” to reach the “View” Tab.
7. Press the “Tab” key three times so as to focus upon a Tree View of options.
8. Press the “Down Arrow” key repeatedly so as to select “Display the full path in the title bar”. Press the “Space Bar” to select this option if it is not already selected. When it is enabled, JAWS speaks the word “On”.
9. Continue to press “Down Arrow” until the option “Hide Extensions for Known File Types” is selected. If JAWS reports this as being “On”, press the “Space Bar” to disable it. JAWS will say the word “Off”.
10. Press “ALT+L” to activate the option to apply the view to all folders.
11. If a Dialog Box appears asking if you would like the view to be applied to all folders, press the letter “Y” to activate the “Yes” Button.
12. Press “Shift+Tab” repeatedly to reach the “OK” Button and press the “Space Bar” to activate it.

Foobar2000.

If you wish to use Foobar2000 for the playback of audio CD’s, audio files (such as those created in MP3 format) and playlists, you will need to make an adjustment within the Foobar2000 application. If you are using Windows10, there is a slightly different way of associating audio files with your chosen player. Please see below.

1. From the Windows Desktop, select Foobar2000 and press Enter to launch it.
2. Press ALT+L, then C” to launch the option “Library”, “Configure”.
3. Focus will be within a Tree View of options. Press Down Arrow until you reach “Shell Integration”.
4. Press Tab once to reach the hyperlink entitled “Manage file type associations”. Press Enter to select.
5. A new window will appear comprising a list of audio file types supported. We recommend that you press Tab until you reach the option “Select All”. Press the Space Bar to check this box if it is not already checked.
6. Press Tab twice to reach the “save” Button, then press Enter.

Winamp.

If you wish to use Winamp for the playback of audio CD’s, audio files (such as those created in MP3 format) and playlists, you will need to make an adjustment within the Winamp application.

1. From the Windows Desktop, select Winamp and press Enter to launch it.
2. Press Control+P for "Preferences", and from the Tree View of options displayed, press the letter "F" to reach "File Types".
3. Press the Tab key repeatedly until the "Associated File Types All" Button is focused and press the Space Bar to activate it.
4. Press Tab repeatedly until the "OK" Button is focused and press the space Bar to save the settings.

Associating Audio Files with a Player Using Windows10.

Rather than working through the above steps to configure your audio player of choice using Windows10, you can use this alternative procedure if you find it easier. There are various different ways of being able to achieve our objective, and what follows is just one way of doing it. If you are having difficulty, please contact us for assistance.

1. Go to the Windows settings with Windows+I.
2. Type Default Music Player and press Enter.
3. Now Tab once and press Enter on the item in the list, "Default Music Player".
4. Press Space Bar on the button associated with your media player. By default this is "Groove Music".
5. Press Tab repeatedly to find VLC and press Space Bar.
6. That's all. Now any file type associated with audio at least should be associated with your media player.

Associating Audio Files with a Player Using Windows11.

Unfortunately using Windows11, the procedure for setting your default media player is made more difficult.

1. Go to the Windows settings with Windows+I.
2. Into the resulting Edit Field, type "Default Apps".
3. Press Enter.
4. Press the Tab key once and choose the first option, "Default Apps".
5. Press Enter.
6. The easiest way of achieving the objective is to type a file extension into the focused edit field, such as .mp3.
7. Press the Tab key and you should find that the file extension has been detected. JAWS will announce the file type, followed by the player associated with the file format.
8. If you wish to change this to your preferred media player, press Enter.
9. Press Tab to reach a list box of audio players detected. Your desired player should be in the list. Use the Down Arrow key to select the preferred player, then press Enter.

VLC Media Player.

There is a small requirement if VLC Media Player is to be used for audio playback.

You need to ensure that the Status Bar in VLC is visible for Leasey to work. This can be enabled from the "View" menu. The shortcut for the "View" menu is ALT+I, not "V" as that is for "Video". Arrow down until JAWS says "Status Bar". If it does not say "Checked", press Enter to check it. If the Status Bar is not visible, JAWS should announce this as you launch the player.

iTunes.

Aside from the creation of an account, (obtaining an Apple ID), the following should be configured within the iTunes program.

1. Following the installation of iTunes, you should accept the License Agreement.
2. Press Control+Comma for the iTunes Preferences.
3. Press Tab repeatedly until you are focused upon the Button labelled "General".
4. Press Right Arrow repeatedly until the option "Advanced" is selected.
5. Press Tab until the Check Box "Enable Full Keyboard Navigation" is selected. It may already be checked. If it is, press Escape to exit the Dialog box. If not, press the Space Bar to Check the box and then press Enter to close the Dialog Box.
6. If you intend to play "Podcasts", when first entering this section of iTunes by pressing Control+4, you may encounter some introductory text which you can move through by pressing the Tab key. You are likely to find a Check box which asks whether you would like Podcast episodes to be downloaded automatically. You can Check or Uncheck this option as appropriate. Press Tab to reach the "Continue" Button and then the Space Bar to activate it.

Skype Version 8.

There are no special setup instructions for Skype version 8. The only point to make is that if you are using Leasey Basic in order to launch Skype, we are assuming from this point forward that it will be version 8 that you are using.

Microsoft Word.

With Microsoft Word open:

1. Press ALT+F, then T, to move into the application's options.
2. You are focused on the "General" Tabbed Page. If this is not in view, press the Up or Down Arrow keys to reach it.
3. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the Check box "Open e-mail attachments and other uneditable files in reading view". If the Check Box is checked, which it is by default, press the Space Bar to uncheck it.
4. Press Tab repeatedly until you reach the Check Box "Show the Start screen when this application starts". Press the Space Bar to uncheck this option. If you do not find this option within your release of Microsoft Word, please do not be concerned.
5. Press Tab repeatedly until you reach the list of categories again, however this time, select "Prooffing".
6. Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach the option "Check Spelling As you Type". Press the Space Bar to check this option.
7. Press ALT+A to activate the "Auto-Correct Options" Button.
8. Press Control+Tab twice to reach the "AutoFormat As You Type" Tab.
9. Press Tab repeatedly to reach the "Automatic bulleted lists" Check Box and uncheck it by pressing the Space Bar.
10. Press Tab repeatedly to reach the "Automatic numbered lists" Check Box and uncheck it by pressing the Space Bar.
11. Press Enter to save the options in this Dialog Box.
12. Press Shift+Tab repeatedly until you reach the list of categories again, however this time, select "Save".
13. Press Tab repeatedly until you reach the option "Don't Show the Backstage When Opening or Saving Files". Press the Space Bar to check this option. If you do not find this option within your release of Microsoft Word, please do not be concerned.
14. Press Enter to save.

Microsoft Outlook.

With Microsoft Outlook open and focus within the Email Inbox:

1. Press ALT+V, then P, then N to open the "Reading Pane".
2. Press Down Arrow until the option entitled "Off" is selected. Press Enter to disable it.

The Leasey Games Module.

Leasey contains many games which can be played either alone, online with other people, or against the computer. In order to take advantage of these, you will need to download the Leasey Games Module.

There are several ways in which the Leasey Games Module can be downloaded and installed. By far the easiest is to press the Grave Accent key, (which we call the Leasey Key), followed by the letter G. If the Leasey Games Module is not installed, you will be advised of this and asked if you would like to install it. Press the letter Y to confirm that you would like to do this.

The JAWS script files for the games will then be retrieved from the internet. This will take a few seconds.

When the download is complete, you will then be prompted to download the games. Press Enter which is the default option to download the file.

The download process will then commence. It will take a few minutes so please be patient.

When complete, a Dialog box will appear, asking if you would like to run the installer. Activate the "Yes" button and the installer will begin.

No further interaction is required on your part. The installer should only take a few seconds and will give you an indication as to its progress by periodic reading of percentage values.

When the installation has been completed, focus will be placed in the Leasey Games menu. Press Escape to exit for the time being.

TinySpell.

TinySpell, as the name suggests, is a small program which can live on your computer. Its purpose is to alert you of inaccurate spelling when typing words or for you to check the spelling of a word at any time. A link to download TinySpell, free of charge, can be found on the LeaseyCentral website.

When the program is installed:

1. Press Insert+F11 to select the list of icons in the System Tray or Notification Area. TinySpell should be in this list. If it is not, you'll want to enable it from the "Task Bar" settings of the Windows Control Panel.
2. Select the TinySpell item and press Enter.
3. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly until you reach "Settings", then press Enter.
4. You will now be able to press Tab repeatedly so as to move through each option in turn. Most options are Check Boxes which you can activate or deactivate by pressing the Space Bar. There is one exception to this which we will describe shortly. The first Check Box is "Run tinySpell at startup". Please check or uncheck this option according to your requirements.
5. "Check clipboard text". We suggest you check this item.
6. "Check spelling on the fly". We suggest you check this item.
7. "Copy replacement word". We suggest you check this item.
8. "Beep on error". This is a matter of personal preference. Having this option enabled can be distracting for some people.
9. "Insert replacement word". We suggest you check this item.
10. The next few options are not critical and again can be set according to your personal preferences. However, the most critical option is "Hotkey Replacements List". This requires that you press a key on the keyboard which you would like to use to bring into view the list of spelling alternatives. In development, we have this key set to ALT+Control+F9. Press your chosen keystroke and then press Tab.
11. Now press Tab repeatedly to reach the "OK" Button and press Space Bar.

Configuring the Leasey Application, for Leasey Basic Users.

Leasey contains its own configuration utility called the “LeaseyManager”. From here, you can select various options relating to the applications which Leasey supports, together with a number of other preferences. It is very important that the LeaseyManager is worked through in order to run specific applications depending upon the tasks you wish to undertake with your computer.

In order to launch the LeaseyManager, press the Grave Accent Key (situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the desktop keyboard), release it, then press Control+Shift+M. The LeaseyManager screen will appear.

LeaseyManager consists of a number of Dialog Boxes. Each Dialog Box contains a specific question. When you have answered a question, please press Enter to move to the next step or click the "OK Button". Please do not worry if you make a mistake. You can always go back and edit the preferences later, or start again from the beginning. You will also be able to check the settings which have been applied at any time as it is dynamically updated when an option is set.

Should you wish to cancel the configuration at any stage, please press Escape or click the "Cancel" Button.

The following paragraphs describe all the options in the LeaseyManager.

Using LeaseyManager for the First Time.

If the LeaseyManager has not been run before, you will be presented with question 1, which relates to selecting your word processor. If it has been run previously, you will be able to view the stored settings. We are assuming for the moment that the LeaseyManager has not been run before.

Select Word Processor.

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

This is a List Box with two choices. Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through them and press enter to select.

Select Email Client .

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

This is a List Box with three choices. Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through them and press enter to select.

Select Facebook Site.

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

This is a List Box with two choices. Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through them and press enter to select. This option relates to whether you wish to use the Facebook Mobile site for access or the regular larger site.

Select Date Format .

This is a List Box with two choices. Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through them and press enter to select. It is particularly important to set the way in which dates are interpreted so as to use LeaseyDiary and some aspects of the LeaseySearch facility.

Path to Music Folder .

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

Leasey needs to know the location of your primary music folder. You will be asked if you know the path pointing to it. Press the letter "Y" if you do know it and "N" if you do not. If you do not wish to store this now, press the letter "Y", then press Enter so as to create a blank entry.

If "Yes" is chosen, an Edit Field will appear in which you should type the path pointing to the music folder, then press Enter to move to the next step. If you do not know the full path, press the letter "N" and a Message Box will appear inviting you to press Enter so as to browse to it using File Explorer.

When the music folder is located, press the Grave Accent key, followed by Control+Shift+M to continue the process. Leasey will confirm the location which has been stored. Press Enter to continue.

Path to Books Folder.

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

Leasey needs to know the location of your primary DAISY books folder if you have one. You will be asked if you know the path pointing to it. Press the letter "Y" if you do know it and "N" if you do not. If you do not wish to store this now, press the letter "Y", then press Enter so as to create a blank entry.

If "Yes" is chosen, an Edit Field will appear in which you should type the path pointing to the books folder, then press Enter to move to the next step. If you do not know the full path and you wish to browse to it, press the letter "N", and a Message Box will appear inviting you to press Enter so as to browse to it using File Explorer.

When the books folder is located, press the Grave Accent key, followed by Control+Shift+M to continue the process. Leasey will confirm the location which has been stored. Press Enter to continue.

Changing the Three Core Leasey Keys.

This option is only relevant if you are using LeaseyBasic and accessing the application through the menu system.

As described later in this document, Leasey needs three keys in order to operate some of its core functions. These are by default the Print Screen Key, the Scroll Lock and the Pause/Break Key. These reflect the Leasey Main Menu, the Leasey Application Menu and the Leasey Context Sensitive Help. If you do not have a standard desktop computer keyboard containing these keys, you now have the opportunity of changing them.

First, you will be asked if you wish to change the Leasey Main Menu key. If "Yes" is selected by pressing the letter "Y", you will be asked to type the keystrokes, in words, to represent this item in the future. For example, if you wanted "ALT+Control+F10" to represent this keystroke instead, you would type "ALT+Control+F10", without the quotation marks. You can review this text in the Edit Field if you are unsure as to its accuracy. Press Enter to move to the next step.

Proceed in the same manner to change the remaining two keys if you wish. You can always press letter "N" on each option if you do not wish to make changes.

If you are in any doubt about which keys are suitable, or how to work through this process, please contact Hartgen Consultancy prior to making the changes.

Confirmation and Summary Screens.

The Leasey configuration is now complete. You are presented with a Dialog Box stating that all the options have now been set. Press Enter to move to the Summary Screen.

Press Down Arrow to move through the Summary Screen which is now in view. You will hear details of all the options you have configured so you can check they have been applied correctly. If you have not stored an option, (such as a path to the books folder), you will hear the words, "Not Stored". At the bottom of this screen, there is an option to delete your customisation and to start again. Press Enter on this item if you wish to do this or Press Escape to close the Summary Screen.

Editing the LeaseyManager Configuration.

As described previously, at any time you can always check your LeaseyManager settings by pressing the Grave Accent Key then Control+Shift+M.

Now that you have run the LeaseyManager, you will be presented with a list of all the items you have configured. Press Down Arrow to move through the list to verify your settings.

If you wish to change any option, (such as the date format), press Enter on the focused item. You will then have the opportunity of changing just that setting. When you have finished changing the setting, press Enter to save.

Again at the bottom of the "Summary" screen you will find an option to delete your current LeaseyManager configuration settings and to start again. Press Enter to do this.

Configuring the Leasey Application, for All Users.

There are some additional configurations you may like to make in respect of Leasey features to be described later. You do not have to go through these steps now as we will guide you through them again at the appropriate points in the User Guide. But given this is the setup and configuration section they are detailed below. To configure these options, we will visit the Leasey Hotkey Help.

1. Press Windows Key+M to move to the Windows Desktop.
2. In order to launch the Leasey Hotkey Help, press the Grave Accent Key (situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the desktop keyboard), release it, then press letter H.
3. You are in the list of keystroke categories and utilities. We will return to this extensively later on. For now, press number 1 on the keyboard above the letter keys. You will reach the option "1. Set Default Country for store Searches".
4. Press Enter to activate this item.
5. This option relates to searching the stores EBay and Amazon within LeaseySearch. Use the Down Arrow key to select your default country if it appears in the list, and then press Enter.
6. Once again, press the Grave Accent Key followed by the letter H. You return to the Hotkey Help category list and the focus is in exactly the same place you previously selected.
7. Press number 2 or the Down Arrow Key so as to reach "2. Set Default Time for Leasey Diary, Holidays and Time Conversions". Press Enter.
8. As stated, this option allows you to select whether Leasey will interpret dates as day first then month, or month first then day. Use the Down Arrow key to select the appropriate option if necessary, and press Enter to select.
9. Once again, press the Grave Accent Key followed by the letter H. You return to the Hotkey Help category list and the focus is in exactly the same place you previously selected.
10. Press number 3 or the Down Arrow Key so as to reach "3. Set Default Location for Time Conversion". Press Enter.
11. If you wish to use the LeaseySearch Time Conversion feature, so as to convert between one time zone and another, this makes it easier to carry out this process. Into the Edit Field which is focused, type your location. We suggest the town name, followed by the region or state, such as: Caerphilly South Wales, Orlando Florida, or Elkview wv.
12. Press Enter to save the settings.

Getting Started LeaseyBasic.

Introduction.

In this Chapter, we will begin using Leasey for the first time and learn some important keystroke concepts.

Leasey’s Dual Modes.

Leasey has two modes of operation as indicated in the "Introduction" section of this User Guide. These are LeaseyBasic and LeaseyAdvanced. LeaseyBasic is for complete computer beginners and is only available if you have purchased Leasey Total Package.

To switch between LeaseyBasic and LeaseyAdvanced, hold down the Control key and, while doing so, press the Grave Accent key. As you repeatedly press this keystroke, you will hear Leasey say, using her own voice, either “Leasey is Active” or “LeaseyAdvanced is Active”. The setting remains permanent until you change it, even if you restart the computer. Please note that if you have not purchased Leasey Total Package this does not apply. Consequently, pressing the aforementioned keystroke will cause no speech output to occur.

There are a number of other important keystrokes. We will begin with the three keys, situated to the right of the F12 key on the desktop keyboard. Typically, these are labelled, from left to right, “Print Screen”, “Scroll Lock” and “Pause/Break”. From a Leasey perspective, these are, from left to right:

1. “Leasey Main Menu”. This key will always take you back to the Leasey Main Menu irrespective of the program which is running. So if you are unsure what to do next, a good way to get back to a known point is to press the Leasey Main Menu key. Please note that the Leasey Main Menu key is also available in Leasey Advanced. So if you prefer launching programs through menus, this key can be used.
2. The Leasey Application Menu Key. This provides a menu relative to the application in which you are working. For example, if you are in a word processing program, pressing the Leasey Application Menu key will bring into view a list of options relating to word processing. Pressing the Escape key will, in most cases, return focus to the Leasey Main Menu as well. If you prefer, you can also (if using Leasey Basic) press the Escape Key from within a supported program to bring into view the Leasey Application Menu. Please note that the Leasey Application Menu Key is also available in Leasey Advanced, so if you are not fond of remembering shortcut keys, you can use this menu if you prefer.
3. Leasey Context Sensitive Help key. This provides human narrated help relative to the situation in which you are working. So, if you are in the Leasey Main Menu and you are unsure how to navigate it, press the Leasey Help Key. If you are using Leasey Advanced, this key brings into view the Leasey Hotkey Help system described later.

When Leasey is speaking help information, press ALT+Windows+Control+P to pause and restart the audio playback. So, hold all three keys down to the left of the Space Bar and, while they are pressed, tap the letter “P”.

ALT+Windows+Control+Up or Down Arrow will increase or decrease the volume of the playback. If Leasey is not speaking, a tune will play. You can then go ahead and use the volume adjustment keys until you reach the level you want. When the desired level is reached, press ALT+Control+Windows+S to stop the playing of the tune although it will stop after one minute automatically. The "Stop" key will in addition stop Leasey speaking help information at any time. If you reach 100 per cent of the volume level, you will be advised of this. If the lowest level at 0 per cent is reached, you will be advised of this, followed by the words, "Not Recommended".

The other important key to mention here is the Leasey Key. This is in most cases for advanced users as all of Leasey’s features can be accessed directly with the keyboard without having to work through the menu system. The Leasey Key is assigned to the Grave Accent key, situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the main QWERTY keyboard. When you press this key, you will hear the word, “Leasey”. Release the key, and then press another key to carry out a special Leasey function. All the Leasey keystrokes are given throughout this document in their relevant sections.

Note that if while composing documents you wish to insert a grave accent character, press the Leasey Key twice quickly.

About the Leasey Menus, for Leasey Basic Users.

Here are some important things you need to know about the Leasey menus and Leasey Basic in particular.

1. LeaseyBasic can be enabled by pressing Control together with the Leasey Key. This setting is retained even if the computer is restarted. When LeaseyBasic is activated by pressing this keystroke, after a short pause the Leasey Main Menu will appear.
2. If LeaseyBasic is enabled, and the computer is restarted, when the Windows operating system is fully loaded the Leasey Main Menu should appear after a short pause.
3. To repeat, if you are unsure what to do at any time, please press the Leasey Main Menu key to return to a known position.
4. The Up and Down Arrow keys can be used to navigate Leasey menus. When the last item has been reached, and the Down Arrow is pressed once again, focus will wrap back to the top item in the menu. The reverse is true if the Up Arrow key is pressed when the top item is in focus.
5. First letter navigation can be used in any of Leasey’s menus. So as you become used to the items which appear on the menus, you can press the first letter of the one you want. For example, if you wish to shut down your computer, repeatedly press the letter "S" until Leasey says, "Shut Down Your Computer". Then, press Enter to do this.
6. Press the Enter key to move into a menu and the Escape key to move back in the menu structure. For example, if you press the Enter key on the first item, “Write a Document or Letter”, focus will be within a sub-menu of choices relating to writing a document or letter. Press the Escape key to return to the Leasey Main Menu.
7. As a menu is opened, an appropriate short "click" sound will be heard before the new menu is revealed or an application launched. When the Escape key is pressed, an alternative sound to indicate backing out of a menu is heard instead.
8. If you are within a program such as that which manages your Email, in most circumstances you can also press the Escape key in order to move to the Leasey Application Menu. While it is true that you can press the Leasey Application Menu key, it is a natural reaction to press Escape as it is quite easy to find on the keyboard. Clearly, there are circumstances where this will not bring the Leasey Application Menu into view. For example, if you have opened an email message, you will press the Escape key to close it and return to your email Inbox. The Leasey Application Menu in that circumstance is not brought into view. However, if you press the Escape key when focused in the Inbox, the Leasey Application Menu is revealed. In short, if there is nowhere for focus to go, the Leasey Application Menu is revealed.
9. We strongly recommend that, in most situations, when using LeaseyBasic you only use one program at a time. This is to avoid confusion as to which program is running, although an option is available on the Leasey Main Menu to bring into view a list of currently running programs.

Menu Options, for Leasey Basic Users.

When selecting an option from the Leasey Main Menu, the programs she will run are very much dependent upon the choices you have made within the LeaseyManager. For example, if you select the option “Check Your Email”, the email program you have selected within LeaseyManager will run, which could be Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird.

The option “Improve Your Keyboard Skills” will launch the TypeAbility program if it is installed.

The option, "Scan a Document", will launch the DocuScan program. DocuScan is ideal for scanning documents either through a scanner or perhaps a PDF file which may be inaccessible. For further details of DocuScan, please contact us!

Finally, at the bottom of the Leasey Main Menu, there are two options, either to shut down or restart the computer. Shutting down the computer completely can also be achieved by pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+Shift+S no matter the program in which you are working. Restarting the computer can be done by pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+Shift+R.

Getting Started LeaseyAdvanced.<

Introduction.

This section gives you some useful tips for getting started if you are using Leasey Advanced. In particular, we describe how to use our Hotkey Help system. In this way, you can gain the most from Leasey fairly quickly.

Don't forget that, if you are wanting to browse through what Leasey can do, this document you are reading now is the right place to learn how to use something. We hope that the structure of it, divided into Headings, makes it easy for you to do that.

The Leasey Key.

We will now introduce you to the Leasey Key which makes it possible for you to access most of Leasey's many functions. The Leasey Key is assigned to the Grave Accent key, situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the main QWERTY keyboard. When you press this key, you will hear the word, “Leasey”. Release the key, and then press another key to carry out a special Leasey function. All the Leasey keystrokes are given throughout this document in their relevant sections.

Note that if while composing documents you wish to insert a grave accent character, press the Leasey Key twice quickly.

Leasey Hotkey Help.

Leasey Advanced users will particularly welcome the Leasey Hotkey Help system. It allows you to learn the many keystrokes available for accessing Leasey's functions directly. The Leasey Hotkey Help will always remember where you are and will try to anticipate what kind of assistance you need.

Using the Help System.

In order to move into the Hotkey Help, press the Leasey Key then H. Leasey will try to anticipate the task you are working within. So, if you are in a word processor, an appropriate list of keystrokes will be displayed for text editing. Such keystrokes are displayed using the JAWS Virtual Viewer, so you can read them line by line, word by word, etc.

If Leasey does not know which category of keystrokes is required, a list of available categories will be brought into view instead. Simply press Down Arrow (or use first letter navigation) in order to move to the category you want and press Enter. As an example, press Down Arrow to the item relating to keystrokes for composing and editing text, then press Enter. A list of keystrokes relating to it will be displayed.

If you change your mind and you do not wish to browse the text editing keystroke category, simply press Escape. Now press the Leasey Key then H again. Leasey will move back to the category list, and she will also place you on the item in the list relating to composing and editing text. So, Leasey always keeps track of where you were.

Searching Hotkey Help.

The Hotkey Help is very useful if you would like to review all the keystrokes Leasey has available, or if there is a specific category you wish to browse through systematically. But what if you want to find a keystroke quickly? Maybe you remember there is an easy way Leasey has to play chime sounds every 15 minutes, and it would be really helpful to you if only you could remember what the keystroke is in order to set it! Perhaps you remember part of the keystroke for a feature. You know that pressing ALT+Control+Windows+F1 does something in relation to the Leasey Stopwatch, but what exactly does it do? This is where searching the Leasey Hotkey Help comes into play. Here we give some examples of how you can use it.

You can execute the Search Help function from the main category List of Hotkey Help. It is right at the top of the list. When you locate this item in Hotkey Help, you will have noticed it is one of the few items where JAWS announces the keystrokes associated with it: Leasey Key then Shift+H. That is the keystroke we will use to access the Search facility directly.

1. From any application in which you are working, press the Leasey Key then Shift+H.
2. An Edit Field is available and you are asked what it is you would like to search for. In our first example, we will type the word, "Chime", and press Enter. We would like to know the keystrokes for manipulating the chime sounds in relation to the LeaseyClock.
3. The following results are presented in the JAWS Virtual Viewer.
   "Customise Chime Sounds, Alt+control+windows+f9. Global.
   increase The Volume Of Chimes, Alt+control+windows+up Arrow. Global.
   decrease The Volume Of Chimes, Alt+control+windows+down Arrow. Global.
   stop The Chimes, Alt+control+windows+s. Global.
   Press Escape to close this window."

The results are available instantly. You will notice that after each keystroke listing, Leasey presents to you the computing environment where this keystroke can be used. In our above example, the word "Global" is presented, meaning it can be used anywhere.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Shift+H.
2. Type the words "Email Address", since we want to find the keystroke to be used within Microsoft Outlook so as to copy to the Windows Clipboard the sender's Email address of a message we are reading.
3. The following is displayed:
   "Copy Outlook Email Address To Clipboard, Leasey Key Then Control+shift+e. Outlook.
   LeaseyConnections With Email Addresses, Control+alt+windows+e. Global.
   Press Escape to close this window."

You will notice here we have two keystrokes. The first is the one we were looking for, and Leasey tells us we can use it in Outlook only. The second relates to the LeaseyConnect feature, which can be used globally.

1. Press Leasey Key then Shift+H.
2. On this occasion, we will search for a keystroke, Leasey Key then Down Arrow.
3. The following is displayed.

"Speak Time, Leasey Key Then Down Arrow. Global.
Press Escape to close this window."

This time, we only have one result displayed matching our search criteria.

1. Finally, press Leasey Key then Shift+H one more time.
2. We will type part of a keystroke we know is within Leasey, ALT+Control+Windows+F1. Note there is a plus sign between each part of the keystroke.
3. Press Enter and the following is displayed.
   "start The Stopwatch, Alt+control+windows+f1. Global.
   Press Escape to close this window."

Please note: no search facility of this kind is perfect. We would suggest that typing a keystroke of this nature should only be done in exceptional circumstances. The chances are that you may enter the key assignments in an incorrect order. You are far safer if you enter a key word of a keystroke you wish to find rather than the keystroke itself. In the above example, entering the word "Stopwatch" would have guaranteed to give you the item you are seeking.

Additional Hotkey Help Utilities.

In addition to the categories of keystrokes available, the Hotkey Help contains several additional items.

Check for Updates allows you to manually check for the latest Leasey Updates to ensure your Leasey product is current.

Leasey Documentation in HTML format brings into view the User Guide you are currently reading. It is formatted like a web page with Headings.

What's New in Leasey will display a document stating the Leasey build number and the latest changes and innovations.

Get Remote Support will launch the Remote Incident Manager client. This is fully described in an earlier section of this User Guide. However, in summary, when prompted type in a key word for the support incident and press Enter.

Download Leasey Games Module will download the many games you can play with Leasey to your computer. Please refer to the later Chapter of this document concerning playing Leasey Games. The "Setup" Chapter also contains further comment on this.

"Leasey Central" will browse to a special website dedicated to Leasey. It contains audio items, access to a mailing list, and links to software programs you may like to use alongside the product.

"Toggle Whether Typing Echo is Temporary or Permanent" affects what happens when you press Insert+2 or Caps Lock+2 if using the JAWS laptop keyboard layout. If disabled, JAWS reverts to its default setting relating to typing echo, such as whether words are echoed when Space Bar is pressed. In that event it will be temporary, so when you move to a different application other than the one which originally had focus prior to invoking the setting, it will not be in effect. Our very strong preference however is for the Leasey default, which is permanently enabled. When you switch applications, that setting will remain in effect.

Toggle Whether Volume Can be Reduced to Less Than 10 percent" affects what happens when you reduce the volume level of your computer. By default, JAWS will only allow you to reduce the volume level down to 10 percent. If this option is enabled, the volume can be reduced down to 1 percent.

The Hotkey Help list contains three options each preceeded by a number. These have been described earlier in this User Guide, and we will repeat the instructions later. They relate to customising Leasey to work with specific features, such as for time conversion, store searching and when working with days and dates.

The Custom Help feature is described later in this User Guide. It allows you to create notes to remember how to work with different computing environments or applications. It is also ideal for anyone training people how to work with JAWS and/or Leasey, since notes can be made to be accessed anywhere or within specific programs.

The "LeaseyBites" menu item will allow you to gain access to a list of audio tutorials which are a good source of learning how to work with Leasey Advanced in particular.

Not all features available in Leasey are covered in LeaseyBites, and on many occasions, there is more information in this document concerning a Leasey function than is contained in a tutorial. But the LeaseyBites will at the very least get you up and running.

When JAWS is started each time, there is a way by which it can be set to announce the last LeaseyBite available. This is a discrete message and is disabled by default. Many Leasey features are set this way, so you decide whether you wish to enable them.

This feature is toggled on and off by pressing the Leasey Key followed by ALT+Windows+B.

The LeaseyBites option is towards the bottom of the main list of help categories.

If you press Enter on the option, you will be presented with a list of all the LeaseyBites available. When we produce a new one, you do not need a Leasey update for this to be reflected in the list. It is updated in real time, so if there's something new to tell you about, you will see it there right away. Arrow down to the LeaseyBite you want, and press Enter. The selected LeaseyBite should then be streamed from the internet.

There are alternative ways to listen to LeaseyBites. You can download them by activating the link on the Home page of our company web site. LeaseyBites are available on Humanware's Victor Reader products, Amazon and Audible together with Apple podcasts.

Accessing User Guide Topics.

If you are paying attention, you will notice there is one more item in Hotkey Help that we have not discussed as yet. This is "Leasey Documentation".

If you press Enter so as to move into the sub-screen, you will see a list of topics which correspond exactly to the User Guide document you are now reading. If you wish to read the details of how to work with a specific Leasey feature without opening up the full User Guide, this is the way to do it.

Press Enter on any topic, and it is displayed in the JAWS Results Viewer. This is a special application displaying a window which you can keep open for now if you wish. This means you can press ALT+Tab to move away from it, perhaps to focus upon another application to carry out a task, and move back to it at your convenience.

At the top and bottom of each section, you will find a link to take you back to the list of topics. Press Enter on the link, and you will return to the category list. You will notice that the focus is not at the top of the list, but rather at the place you previously accessed.

Working With Sounds.

This brief section of the documentation will discuss the Leasey Sounds Scheme.

Why are Sounds Used?

There are a number of events which occur that are specific to Leasey. These are events such as when a web page has completed loading and is ready for use, when you begin and end the selecting of text, to denote the use of LeaseyPoints and LeaseyClips, to name but a few items. The use of all of these tools will be discussed in later sections of this document. But in essence, switching to the Leasey Sound Scheme will ensure you can work faster, particularly with tools such as LeaseyClips. The sound earcons are quicker to hear and interpret rather than a long block of speech being spoken.

By default Leasey events are announced through speech by the software, but there are two other options available to you. You can elect to have Sounds alone played, have Leasey only announce events, or have both. Sounds with speech is a very good way to learn what the various Sounds mean. The setting for Leasey Sounds can be found and manipulated by pressing the Leasey Key followed by letter "O". Each time you press this keystroke, you will rotate between the three available options: Sounds Off, Sounds On and Sounds with Speech.

LeaseyWord.

Predominantly for LeaseyBasic users with a few exceptions which will be addressed later.

Introduction.

LeaseyWord relates to all word processing functions. They are largely consistent no matter the word processor chosen, however there is one significant difference in relation to Spell Checking which is described in a later section.

Introducing LeaseyWord.

LeaseyWord can be activated through the Leasey Main Menu by selecting the option, "Write a Document or Letter". Alternatively, (if using Leasey Total Package), it can be reached by pressing the Leasey Key, then Control+Shift+W.

The LeaseyWord menu contains eight choices:

1. Create a Document. If activated, you are first asked for the document name rather than giving it a title at a later time. There are several reasons for this. You may forget to save it, but more importantly, if you return to the Leasey Main Menu, the document is saved automatically and the word processing program is closed down. When the document name has been typed, and the Enter key pressed, a document using the word processor of choice is created with the appropriate document name. You are advised when you can begin typing text.
2. Store Your Home Address. This option reveals a simple form which can be moved through by pressing the Tab key. Its purpose is to store your home address in readiness for preparing a letter based upon it. The form also contains options as to emboldening, underlining or italicising the address, together with whether you wish today’s date to be inserted or if you would like to insert an address from LeaseyConnect, (Leasey’s Address Book), of which more later. Finally, a group of four Radio Buttons is present concerning where the address should be placed on the page: the left margin, centred, the right margin or fully justified.
3. Create a Letter Based on Your Home Address. If your home address has been stored using the previous option, you will be asked for the name of the letter. Please type it in, press Enter, and a new document will be created in line with the settings configured within “Store Your Home Address”.
4. Store Your Temporary Address. This option reveals a simple form which can be moved through by pressing the Tab key. Its purpose is to store your temporary address in readiness for preparing a letter based upon it. The form also contains options as to emboldening, underlining or italicising the address, together with whether you wish today’s date to be inserted or if you would like to insert an address from LeaseyConnect, (Leasey’s Address Book), of which more later. Finally, a group of four Radio Buttons is present concerning where the address should be placed on the page: the left margin, centred, the right margin or fully justified.
5. Create a Letter Based on Your Temporary Address. If your temporary address has been stored using the previous option, you will be asked for the name of the letter. Please type it in, press Enter, and a new document will be created in line with the settings configured within “Store Your Temporary Address”.
6. Open a Document. Documents are saved in a separate folder, (not in the default Windows “Documents” folder). This is to ensure that you only have access to the documents you have saved rather than anything you are not expecting, such as folders or files placed there by the word processing software. When this option is activated, a list of all the documents and letters previously stored are available. Press Enter on a document in order to open it. To close it, press the Escape key to bring into view the Leasey Application Menu, and then press Escape once more to return to the Leasey Main Menu, whereupon the document will close.
7. Delete a Document. This option will bring into view a list of previously stored documents and letters. Select a document you wish to delete with the Arrow keys and press Enter to delete.
8. Go Back to the Main Menu. If LeaseyBasic is active, at the bottom of each Leasey Application Menu is an option to return to the Leasey Main Menu. While returning to this menu can be achieved by pressing the Escape key, it has been placed at the end of each menu both for convenience and for those people viewing the menu on a computer monitor.

The LeaseyWord Application Menu, for Leasey Basic Users.

Let us now turn our attention to some of the options on the LeaseyWord Application Menu. Remember, this can be brought into view either by pressing the Leasey Application Menu key, (second in the row of three to the right of the F12 key), or by pressing Escape when working in a document.

Many of the options are self-explanatory, but some have special significance as described below.

1. Insert Today’s Date. This will simply type today’s date into your document at the cursor position.
2. Find Text. This option, (together with Find Again and Find and Replace), are Leasey’s own specialist utilities rather than using the conventional tools within the word processor of choice. With the Find utility, type the text you wish to search for, press Enter, and it should be located. This can also be accessed by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+F. Find Again will search for the next occurrence of the word. It can be accessed by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+N. Finally, Find and Replace presents you with a simple form through which you can move by pressing the Tab key. This can be activated by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+H. Type in the original word, press Tab, and type the replacement. Press Enter, and the word is replaced. Note that if text was selected prior to the Find and Replace facility being used, the replacement only affects the selected text.
3. Formatting and Printing. This takes you into a sub-menu of choices concerning adjusting the size and font of the text, capitalisation, sending the document to the default printer, and more.
4. Hear Information About This Document. This reports the number of characters, words and lines in the document. It can be accessed directly by pressing the Leasey Key then I.

Spell Checking.

Spell Checking can be accessed through the Leasey Application Menu or directly by pressing the Leasey Key then K.

Unfortunately, the method for spell checking is the only aspect of word processing which is inconsistent between the two supported word processing packages.

If you are using HJPad, this will simply launch the standard HJ Pad Spell Checking dialog. If you are a new computer user, please refer to the DAISY "Getting Started" guide for a description of using the HJPad Spell Checker.

Please work through the following procedure to use the Spell Checker in Microsoft word, although you should know that the standard Spell Checking Dialog Box is available by pressing F7.

1. Move to the top of the document by pressing Control+Home.
2. Access the Leasey Application Menu and select "Spell Check This Document", or press the Leasey Key followed by K. You can also press ALT+Semicolon.
3. JAWS will announce the first incorrectly spelled word, it will also be spelled.
4. Press the Context Menu key, (on a Desktop keyboard this is three keys along from the right of the Space Bar).
5. A vertical list of choices is now available.
6. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the list of possible choices. The focused word will be spoken and spelled. From this list, you can also ignore the word or add it to Microsoft word’s dictionary so it is not flagged as an error in the future.
7. When the desired option in the list is reached, please press Enter, then repeat the above steps so as to move to the next spelling error, beginning with the Leasey Key followed by K.

The following keystrokes may be helpful:

• Next spelling error, alt+Semicolon.
• Previous spelling error, alt+apostrophe.
• First spelling error, alt+colon.
• Last spelling error, alt+At sign.
• Next Grammatical error, alt+Left Bracket.
• Previous Grammatical error, alt+Right Bracket.
• First Grammatical error, alt+Left Brace Bracket.
• Last Grammatical error, alt+Right Brace Bracket.

Remembering the Current Position in a Document.

Particularly helpful for advanced users, Leasey can retain your place within a Microsoft Word document, Wordpad or Notepad file. The next time you open the document, Leasey will automatically set focus to the last place you were reading. This is especially helpful if you are reading a long document.

To enable this feature, press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+R. This is a toggle action and will enable and disable the feature. You will hear an announcement as to whether it is enabled or disabled.

Moving Back to a Previous Position.

If you are using the "Go To" Dialog in Microsoft Word so as to change page in a document, you may wish to return to your previous page. This is particularly useful if the author of a document has invited you to check a specific page for reference purposes.

To use this feature, follow these steps.

1. Within your Microsoft Word document, press Control+G.
2. Type a page number you wish to move to, such as 26, and press Enter, followed by Escape so you can begin reading page 26.
3. When you have read the text on this page, press the Leasey Key then Shift+4 (on the numbers row) to return to your previous page.

Accessing Recently Used Documents.

Leasey remembers the previous 25 documents you have opened. To access these documents, with Microsoft Word in focus press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+O. You should find a list of the recent documents available to you.

Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the list, or type the first few letters of the one you want. When it is located, press Enter to load the document.

Unprotecting a Document.

Chances are that if you have opened a Microsoft Word document, Excel spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation from an Email message, for security reasons it may be in "Protected View". However JAWS cannot read documents in this view. So you either have to unprotect the document from the Microsoft application Ribbon, placing it into "Editing View", or you can press the Leasey keystroke, Leasey Key then Control+Shift+U. This will immediately unprotect the document for you.

Creating Emails, Tasks or Appointments From Anywhere.

If you use Microsoft Outlook to compose Emails, Tasks and Appointments, you can now carry them out from within any application. Microsoft Outlook does not need to be running initially for you to be able to do so.

Press the Leasey Key followed by ALT+E for an Email, ALT+T for a Task or ALT+A for an Appointment.

Working with Email, for Leasey Basic Users.

Working with Email in the most part is self-explanatory. When you launch the item on the Leasey Main Menu, “Check Your Email”, the Email client you have chosen through LeaseyManager will launch.

A Leasey Application Menu is available for most common email tasks. However, this menu is different depending upon the task you are working through. For example, the menu of choices activated when you are in the list of messages received is different to the one for when a message is being composed.

Working with Email, for Leasey Basic and Advanced Users.

There are a number of useful utilities for those who are using both Leasey packages.

If you are inside an Email message, and you wish to copy the sender's Email address to the Windows Clipboard, press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+E. The Email address will be spoken back to you for confirmation and it is now copied to the Clipboard ready for pasting elsewhere. This applies to Microsoft Outlook only.

Another component of Microsoft Outlook email relates to sending a message from an alternative account. Use this method in order to verify which account you are sending from:

1. Press ALT+M from within the body of the Email message in order to set focus to the list of accounts.
2. Press Down Arrow to select the account in question.
3. Press Enter.
4. Focus back on the body of the Email message.
5. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+A. You should hear the account details spoken to you.

Leasey has the ability to place all attachments into a vertical list for easy navigation and opening. This is especially helpful for two reasons. First, many people find it easier to work with vertical lists, so that the Up and Down Arrow keys can be used. However in addition, if people insert an attachment into the body of an Email message, this is often rendered as a graphic rather than appearing in the default Microsoft Outlook Attachments area. The Leasey Attachments List keystroke provides access to all attachments regardless of their type.

To view all attachments in a message, from within the message body press ALT+Windows+A. The list of attachments appears.

Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move to the attachment you wish to open, then press Enter.

If you wish to copy an attachment to an alternative location, follow these steps:

1. Locate the attachment from the aforementioned list but do not press Enter in order to open it.
2. Press Shift+Tab to reach the "Copy" Button and press Enter or the Space Bar.
3. Using File Explorer, browse to the folder in which you wish to place the attached file.
4. Press Control+V to paste the attached file into the chosen location.

When focused in an Email folder, it is easy to flag items for later review. This means you can create a copy of them to add to your "To-Do List", meaning that you can always get back to them to follow up later.

1. Find a message you wish to flag.
2. Press Control+Windows+F.
3. The email is added to your "To-Do List".
4. Repeat this process until all messages for follow-up have been flagged.
5. When appropriate, press Control+4 to move to the "To-Do List".
6. When inside this list, you can manage your email messages in whichever way you choose: Open them, reply to them, etc.
7. To unflag a message, press Control+Windows+F once again. Note that whenever you press this keystroke, JAWS reports whether the message is flagged for review or not.
8. To return to your mail folder at any time from your "To-Do List", press Control+1.

Finally in terms of Microsoft Outlook functionality for Advanced users, you can use the keystroke Control+Shift+Enter to set focus to the Results List when Outlook Search is used. Here is an example of how you might work with this process.

1. From within a mail folder, press Control+E.
2. Type a word or phrase you wish to find in the folder. After a short pause, the results view changes to display only messages matching your search criteria.
3. Press Control+Shift+Enter. Leasey will set focus to the list of results. This saves a good deal of navigating around with either F6 or the Tab key. You can now go ahead and explore the results by using the Up or Down Arrow keys.

In respect of Email, we strongly recommend that you read and fully understand the next Chapter of this User Guide concerning LeaseyConnect.

LeaseyConnect.

What is LeaseyConnect?

LeaseyConnect is a fully featured Address Book. It allows you to store details of contacts including the person (or company) name, address, telephone numbers, Email addresses, and Twitter username.

Over many years of training clients how to work with screen-reading software, we have learned that there is not an easily accessible universal address book which allows people to store contact details, either for examination or for later use. While some Email clients for example do have these available, either there are issues concerning accessibility or they do not suit all purposes. We hope that LeaseyConnect resolves these difficulties.

Once the LeaseyConnection is stored, you can not only view the details but use that information in various ways which we will describe shortly.

In this Chapter, we will learn how to use LeaseyConnect to store information, retrieve it, edit it, delete it and work with it in a number of ways.

Storing a LeaseyConnection.

To store a LeaseyConnection, (essentially a person or organisation's details), from the Leasey Main Menu select “Open LeaseyConnect”, and from its sub-menu, select “Create a New LeaseyConnection”. Alternatively, press the Leasey Key then ALT+S to reach this option directly. If you are in a hurry, (which you often are when wanting to note down the details of someone), that is the quickest way.

The LeaseyConnection screen will then appear. It consists of a form you can move through by pressing the Enter key to move from one section to another. If you wish to move back to the previous screen, just press Escape. As you move from one section to another, you will hear an advancing sound play to indicate this. If you move back by pressing Escape, again an appropriately designed sound will indicate you have moved back in the process. Each form field consists of an Edit box into which you type information.

All fields are self-explanatory. The following fields are available:

• first name,
• last name,
• company name,
• address line 1,
• address line 2,
• town or city,
• state, county or province,
• zip or postal code,
• country,
• work Phone,
• home phone,
• mobile or cell phone,
• work email,
• home email,
• Twitter username.

Note in addition to typing the details for each form field, there are a number of other things you can do.

You can type words to move to each and every section in the form, allowing you to complete only the information you need. For example, if you only want to complete a person's first name, last name, and Twitter details, you would do the following:

1. Work through the form until you get to the Company Name field which is third in the sequence, having completed the first name and last name fields.
2. Instead of typing the company name, type the word "twitter", in lower case, and press Enter.
3. This will bypass all the intervening fields and set focus to the Twitter username field. Type it in, or paste it if it is on the Windows Clipboard, and press Enter to save.

The words you can type to move to key sections of the form are:

• first name
• last name
• company name
• address 1, that is, address space 1
• address 2, that is address space 2
• town
• city
• state
• province
• county
• code, representing the postal or zip code
• country,
• work phone, that is work space phone
• home phone, that is home space phone
• mobile or cell, representing the mobile or cell phone field
• work email, that is work space email
• home email, that is home space email
• twitter.

The final thing you can do in this form is to type the word, "end", at any time and press Enter. This will save the information so far and return you to your previous working area.

When the process is complete, and if sounds are enabled, you will hear the Leasey logo sound play. If not, a message advises you that the LeaseyConnection has been stored.

Viewing LeaseyConnections.

In order to view the stored LeaseyConnections, from the Leasey Main Menu select “Open LeaseyConnect”, and from its sub-menu, choose “View or Modify LeaseyConnections”. Alternatively, press the Leasey Key then ALT+L to view them directly.

The list of LeaseyConnections previously stored is arranged in alphabetical order by first name or company name. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through them or first letter navigation if you prefer. When you find a LeaseyConnection you wish to interact with, please press Enter.

When inside a LeaseyConnection, you will see a list of the details relating to it. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through. You will hear the field name, followed by the details. If an item has not been stored, you will hear the words, “Not Stored” after the field name.

Pressing Enter on any of the entry types can cause a number of things to occur:

• If you press Enter on the name field, the name and mailing address are displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection.
• If you press Enter on an address field, the full address will be typed, so please be sure you are in a document first.
• Pressing Enter on an Email field will either cause a new Email message to be created, even if the Email client is not running, or alternatively, if you are focused within an Email composition field (such as that used for "To" or "CC"), the appropriate email address will be typed instead. Please refer to the next section for a faster way of working with Email.
• Pressing Enter on a telephone number field will display the number in the JAWS Virtual Viewer. This means you can review it character by character if necessary while you are making the call on a phone.
• Pressing Enter on the Twitter username field will cause it to be copied to the Windows clipboard in readiness for pasting into the message you are composing.

At the bottom of the list you will find two further items after the field information. These relate to editing or deleting a LeaseyConnection.

If you press Enter on the “Edit” item, the LeaseyConnection form is brought into view, populated with the original details you entered. This is a duplicate of the original form you used to store a LeaseyConnection, however if you press Insert+Up Arrow on each field as you progress through, you will find that various fields previously completed with information will be spoken. These can be edited or replaced if necessary. Keep working through all the form fields until the process is complete, or type the word "end" at any time to stop.

If you press Enter on the “Delete” item, the LeaseyConnection is removed. This cannot be undone.

Should you wish to cancel out of the LeaseyConnection screen, please press the Escape key, whereupon you will return to the list of stored LeaseyConnections. Pressing Escape a second time will close the list of LeaseyConnections.

Working with Email.

There is a high probability that you will wish to use your LeaseyConnections to write Email messages. This can be achieved in a very straightforward manner.

From any location, even if your Email client is not running, press ALT+Control+Windows+E. This will bring into view a list of all LeaseyConnections which have Email addresses attached. Usefully, they are further categorised into Work and Home addresses. For example, if you had stored a work and a home Email address for Mary Jones, You will see as entries in the list, "Mary Jones Work" and "Mary Jones Home".

Pressing Enter on any of these items will cause a new message to be created with the appropriate Email address included in the "To" field.

If your Email client is in focus, and you are in either the "To2, "CC" or "BCC Fields", again pressing ALT+Control+Windows+E will bring into view your list of LeaseyConnections with Email addresses attached. However this time, pressing Enter on one of the items stored there will cause that Email address to be inserted into the focused field.

Conclusion.

We hope that you find LeaseyConnect useful for storing information concerning the people you communicate with. For working examples of how LeaseyConnect can be used, including sending Email and Tweets, please refer to our LeaseyBite audio tutorials.

Working with the Internet, for Leasey Basic Users.

When using Leasey Basic, and you launch the third item on the menu which is "Surf the Internet", a web page will be loaded with a prompt inviting you to press the Leasey Application Menu key or Escape for options. Having done this, there are a number of choices you can make, including browsing to a new website if you know the address, moving to the search results on a website, start reading from the top of the page, and more.

We strongly recommend that users of Leasey Basic take full advantage of the DAISY training material provided, as this gives very clear background information as to the purpose of the internet, together with good strategies for navigating pages.

Working with the Internet, for Leasey Advanced Users.

If you are a Leasey Advanced user only, JAWS will interpret web pages in the usual way and all the navigation keys are available. However, there are some additional tools you may like to take advantage of, described elsewhere in this document, including:

• LeaseySelect;
• LeaseyPoints;
• LeaseyCuts;
• LeaseySticky Notes;
• LeaseyFavourites;
• LeaseyAlerts.

Google Chrome, Brave or Microsoft Edge Chromium browsers are supported for use with Leasey.

One useful feature is to be able to move to the first and last instance of a web page element. A good example would be to move to the first Heading on a page.

To move to the first instance of an element, press the Left Bracket key, (situated to the immediate right of letter P on the keyboard), followed by the corresponding JAWS quick navigation key, such as H for Heading or F for Form Field. If you want to move to the last element of a specific type on a page, press the Right Bracket key, (two keys to the right of letter P), followed by the corresponding quick navigation key.

You will also notice that, if sounds are enabled, a tone will play when a new page is loaded and a "backwards" sound can be heard when you move back to a previous page.

Pressing full-stop (or period) by itself will move to the next link irrespective of its type, whether it has been visited or unvisited.

Pressing Comma by itself will move to the previous link irrespective of its type, whether it has been visited or unvisited.

If you are using Microsoft Edge, you may come across situations where JAWS is advising you of the status of page activity, such as "Loading Page". Some people find this very helpful while others do not. Leasey attempts to suppress some of these messages from being spoken. To attempt to stop such messages from being spoken, press Control+Shift+A while within Microsoft Edge. This is a toggle keystroke to enable and disable such messages. This is only applicable to JAWS versions earlier than 2022. In version 2022, Vispero have a feature available called Notification History where you can control such spoken or Braille-based output.

Note that it is possible to remove some of the messages which are being filtered so they will be spoken. For example, if you would like the majority of messages emanating from Microsoft Edge to be filtered, with the exception of the phrase "Going Back", you can cherry-pick the ones you want.

In the following folder, there is a file called Edge.TXT. c:\LeaseyData\JAWSFiles

Simply open up that file and remove the messages to avoid them being filtered, in our example, Going back. Similarly, if Microsoft introduce additional messages which are unwanted in the future, you can add these to the text file.

Most people however will want to leave this file intact.

You may also encounter a situation as follows. If you activate a link on a web site by pressing Enter so as to reveal a new page, then press ALT+Left Arrow so as to return to the previous page, JAWS may not remember the position where the Virtual Cursor was previously located. To attempt to relocate your previous position on the page, press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+R.

Additional Browser Utilities.

A number of other utilities exist which require special explanation.

Storing Web Pages as Favourites.

Using Microsoft Internet Explorer, locating sites you had previously stored as Favourites was an easy process. All such shortcuts used to be placed in a special folder for the purpose, which could be located from the Windows "Start Menu", or indeed a Shortcut could be placed on the Windows Desktop. Activating such a shortcut would take you into a list of all your Favourites which if necessary you could divide into separate sub-folders so as to group them into categories.

Unfortunately, those days are gone. If you store a site as a Favourite in a modern browser, it is accommodated within a specially constructed database which you have to work through inside the browser. Leasey takes away this frustration and provides you wit a method of storing shortcuts to Favourites either within your Favourites folder you may have previously used, or indeed any folder of your choosing.

Prior to reading through this option, we suggest you review the section of this documentation on the subject of LeaseyCuts, because the creation of LeaseyCuts is far easier than what is described here. However, old habits die hard, and it could be that you would still prefer to use the old method of working with Favourites.

Before you begin, you must instruct Leasey as to which folder contains your Favourites. So, either open up the Favourites folder you previously used, or alternatively, browse to a new one. In most cases, what you are about to do is a one time process unless you specifically want to store Favourites in a new folder at a later time. You can also store favourites in subsequent folders if you wish, which will be described below, however this is an optional step.

Now, press ALT+L. The location is stored permanently unless you change it.

1. Using Brave, Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, browse to the website you wish to store as a Favourite.
2. Press ALT+A. You will be asked to name the item to be stored as a Favourite. The name of the previously focused page is already displayed in the edit field. You can leave it intact, edit it or Type in a new name and press Enter.

There is nothing further to do. Just browse to the folder in File Explorer, or by locating your Favourites folder, and your newly created Favourite will be there waiting for you.

Storing Favourites in Additional Folders.

It could be that you wish to save Favourites in additional folders. Let's assume for example that you have a folder into which you wish to place web site favourites you visit for stores. You might have a separate folder for music related sites and so on.

If this is the case, please do the following.

First, browse to the new folder using File Explorer into which favourites could potentially be saved. Open it up by pressing Enter so you are inside the folder.

Press ALT+L. If you did this using the first incarnation of Leasey version 5, we suggest you go through this process again as Leasey needs to know more information about the folder.

Repeat as necessary until all your folders are set.

Now, browse to the site into which the favourite should be stored in one of your folders.

Press ALT+W. This now brings into view a list of all the folders you have set.

Arrow down until you reach the folder you wish to use, then press Enter to move to the next stage.

You should now be on familiar ground. The name of the previously focused page is already displayed in the edit field. You can leave it intact, edit it or Type in a new name and press Enter. If you open up that new folder now, you should see the shortcut in there.

Points to note. First, any favourites you save from this point forward will be placed in the newly designated folder. If you wish to go back to one of your original folders, you should press ALT+W, and set it as described earlier.

Secondly, if you would like to delete one of the folders from the list, this can be done by pressing ALT+W, finding the folder name, and pressing the Leasey Key followed by Delete. This does not in any way remove the folder from the computer. This would not be good practice. All Leasey is doing is removing the linking mechanism between Leasey and the folder itself.

Tabbed Pages.

You may know that as you are browsing web pages, you can open the focused web page in a new Tab. For example, when focused on a Link, you can open it in a new Tab by pressing Control+Enter. JAWS confirms that a new Tab has been created.

There are a number of ways by which you can navigate through the Tabbed pages. The easiest way would be to press Control+Tab or Control+Page Down to move forward through Tabs, and press Shift+Control+Tab or Control+Page Up to move in the reverse direction. You can also press Control+1 through to Control+8, using the numbers above the letter keys. This will automatically set focus to any one of the first eight Tabs in the order in which they were created.

But what if you cannot remember which Tab is associated with any one of the eight keystrokes? There are two things you can do to remind you.

• As you navigate through Tabs, (for example with Control+Tab or Shift+Control+Tab), JAWS will indicate the Tab number.
• Additionally, you can press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+N, which will speak or Braille the Tab number of the focused page.

LeaseySearch.

What is LeaseySearch?

LeaseySearch is a powerful tool which allows you to find information from a variety of online sources including search engines and online library catalogues. LeaseySearch also contains some specially designed interfaces to allow you to gather information quickly.

While LeaseySearch can be used by computer beginners, if you are a Leasey Advanced user you will find it particularly powerful, since searches can be made irrespective of the application in which you are working.

Currently, LeaseySearch can carry out searches using Amazon, eBay, Google, DudkDuckGo, Wikipedia, Youtube, DisneyPlus, 7 Digital, Goodreads, RNIB’s Home Reading Service for DAISY books in the UK, Bookshare (internationally), Audible in both the UK and US, the Canadian CELA library in Canada and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) in the United States of America. Please note that while you can search any of the book catalogues as a guest, you must have a subscription to a specific library in order to borrow or purchase a book. Whether you can obtain such a subscription will depend on your rights in the country in which you live.

LeaseySearch also contains a news app, a weather app, a Currency Converter, an RSS Reader, the ability to search iTunes from Apple, databases for people interested in learning about music, a TV database, access to dictionaries, calculator, convert temperatures, find out about public holidays, find the time in almost any location in the world, and much more. We will describe how to use the majority of items, although they should all be very straightforward and you are guided as to the information which is required in each case.

Please Note: We are not responsible for the content provided by these services. If a particular service is not functioning, or there is a difficulty with the way in which the content is displayed, please feel free to contact us. However, you should not contact us if the content provided is inaccurate or has been omitted for some reason.

Using LeaseySearch.

If using Leasey Basic, LeaseySearch can be activated from the Leasey Main Menu by selecting “Open LeaseySearch”. Alternatively, you can activate it by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+S to access it directly. When you activate LeaseySearch, you will hear JAWS say "LeaseySearch Online". In the vast majority of cases, this prompts you that you need an internet connection to access most components of LeaseySearch. A sub-menu is brought into view, containing the names of the sources which can be searched. Press Enter on any one of these items.

While it is possible to use the individual websites for accessing all of the below information, this often requires browsing to the page, locating an Edit Field, activating the JAWS special "Forms Mode" facility, typing what you want, press Enter and finally, locating where the results begin. Why would you want to do all of that when you have the convenience of LeaseySearch?

Google and DuckDuckGo.

Google is by far the easiest search you can conduct, so let us begin with that. It allows you to search for any term using the popular Google search engine which has become an international household word. Learning how to use this tool will allow you to gain an appreciation as to the kind of information LeaseySearch expects, as we have tried to make the interface for each tool consistent with what we are about to describe. If you prefer not to use Google, you can work with DuckDuckGo instead which is also part of the LeaseySearch menu.

When "Google" is selected by pressing Enter from the LeaseySearch menu, a Dialog Box will appear with an Edit Field in focus, requesting your search term. Simply type it in and press Enter. Tip: when searching for a specific phrase, you may like to place it in quotation marks, (shift+2 on the keyboard). You will have also heard an announcement to the effect that, to gain a list of recent searches, type the word "recent", then press Enter. We'll come back to this in a moment.

Leasey will search the Google website for the term you have entered and bring back the appropriate results. This consists of a List Box of choices. As you move through the list by pressing Up or Down Arrow, you will hear the details of the item which Google has found. In most cases, 50 results will be retrieved.

At the bottom of the list is an item which invites you to explore the search results using a web page instead of a List Box. The purpose of the List Box is to give you an overview of what is available. The web page could be used if you would like further detail pertaining to the results. Press Enter on the item you wish to explore and the web page will appear.

Having found an item you wish to access from the Search Results list, press Enter and the appropriate web page will load.

If you wish to return to your list of Google or DudkDuckGo results, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow. Focus not only returns to the list but it is in exactly the same place you were when you pressed Enter to open the web page.

Having moved back to the search results list, and if you press Up or Down Arrow, from time to time you may hear the word "Visited", or, if the Leasey sounds are enabled, a sound will play. This is to indicate that you have previously accessed the search item which is focused.

Recent Searches.

Most tools in LeaseySearch allow you to bring into view a list of items you've recently searched for. When this is available, Leasey lets you know that you can type the word "recent" into the Edit Field prior to pressing Enter. So listen out for the prompt! You'll soon get to know when you can conduct recent searches and when you cannot.

If you do bring into view recent searches, a list of the last 25 items you searched for, relative to the search tool you have chosen, will be available. For example, if you've just worked through the Google exercise above, and you're accessing a list of recent searches using the Google search tool, you will only see the list of recent searches pertaining to Google. That's what you would want.

Press Down Arrow so as to reach a search term you've previously accessed and press Enter. For example, if you used the Google search tool to look for dog food in the past, and you forgot to make a note of the site you found as a result, you could access that again in the list of recent searches.

To clear the list of recent searches, into the Edit Field type the word "clear".

Youtube.

Youtube is a portal for uploading and sharing audio and visual content, although its primary purpose is for people to watch videos. It is the "go to place" for watching amateur videos (such as your neighbour's child singing the latest hit), through to professionally recorded and produced videos from companies and everything in between. If you want to find something to watch or listen to, we're fairly confident you will find it on Youtube.

Activating the "Youtube" item from the LeaseySearch menu will prompt you for a search term. Type it in and press Enter.

The Youtube results will appear in a List Box. The list is slightly different to that giving results for Google and DuckDuckGo as explained above. Each item in the list contains:

• The video title.
• The published date, such as "a year ago".
• The number of views the video has received.
• The length of the video.

Close to the bottom of the list is an item which is entitled "Next Page". YouTube only displays a small number of results at a time. Therefore, to see more of them, press Enter on "Next Page". A new set of results will appear. If you have done this, again, close to the bottom of the list, a new item will be displayed which is "Back to the Start". This takes you back to the first page of results.

At the bottom of the list is an item which invites you to explore the search results using a web page instead of a List Box. The purpose of the List Box is to give you an overview of what is available. The web page could be used if you would like further detail pertaining to the results. Press Enter on the item you wish to explore and the web page will appear.

Having found an item you wish to access from the Search Results list, press Enter and the appropriate video web page will load.

If you wish to return to your list of YouTube results, irrespective of the results page you have loaded, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow. Focus not only returns to the list but it is in exactly the same place you were when you pressed Enter to open the web page.

Having moved back to the search results list, and if you press Up or Down Arrow, from time to time you may hear the word "Visited", or, if the Leasey sounds are enabled, a sound will play. This is to indicate that you have previously accessed the search item which is focused.

When a video has been activated:

• Press F5 if you wish to skip an advertisement or commercial. These often appear prior to the playback of the video.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+P to play and pause the video.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+Right or Left Arrow to move forward and back through the video.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+F11 to decrease the volume and ALT+Windows+Control+F12 to increase it.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+M to mute the audio and the same keystroke to unmute.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+Home to move to the start of the video and ALT+Control+Windows+End to move to the end.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+1 through to 9 to move by percentage through the video. For example, ALT+Control+Windows+2 moves to 20 percent through.
• ALT+Shift+T will speak the elapsed time of the video. Please stop the video first before pressing this keystroke to ensure the time is accurate.
• Control+Shift+T will speak the total time of the video. Remember, this was given to you in the Search Results list.
• Press Control+Shift+V to read the total number of views the video has received. Remember, this was given to you in the Search Results list.
• ALT+Control+Windows+F will place the video into Full Screen mode. Press the Escape key to terminate this mode and return the video so as to display all of the controls.

News.

LeaseyNews is an application which delivers news stories from around the world from various sources. Currently there are over 80 news sources available. Pressing Enter on "News" will bring into view a list of news sources. Press the Down Arrow key to select the one in which you're interested and press Enter. Note that if you press Enter on the final item in the list, "Search Headlines", you will be invited to type in a key word or phrase which will enable Leasey to search over 5000 news sources across the web.

You will notice at the top of the list of news sources there are seven categories with each one being preceeded by a number. Pressing Enter on any of these categories will give you a broader range of news articles pertaining to the category you have selected. These should be relative to your country if you have selected one of the supported countries in Leasey's Hotkey Help.

The categories are entertainment, sports, business, general, health, science and technology.

Having pressed Enter on any item in the list, after a short pause, the JAWS Results Viewer will display a list of the news stories pertaining to the source. Each news story is hyperlinked. Below each story you will find a brief summary of it.

If you have selected a news source which is not in the list of numbered categories at the top of the list, Leasey will attempt to provide you with the full news story without you having to activate the link pointing to the web page from which the story is derived. This is ideal since you will not have to grapple with web sites which potentially could present accessibility difficulties. For this reason, you will notice that Leasey presents the start of each news story is a Heading. You can therefore press the letter H so as to move from one news story to the next.

It is not always possible to retrieve the full news story but every attempt will be made to do so.

To gain the most from the news application, you will want to press Down Arrow repeatedly to move through the items, so you can hear the headline and the short description.

If Leasey cannot retrieve the content of the news story, you should press Enter on the appropriate link. Leasey is able to launch the news story in your preferred web browser, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

What happens then will depend upon the layout of the individual web site for the news source. Leasey has no control over the structure of those pages. You will notice that the list of news stories, described above, is nicely formatted as that is under Leasey's control.

On the web page which is revealed in the browser, try pressing the letter "H" repeatedly to move through the Headings as this should give you a good starting point for determining where the news story begins. You may also find audio content available, which may or may not play automatically.

To return to the list of news stories, press ALT+F4 to exit your browser, or press ALT+Tab. Either way, you will find that the list of news stories is still open, so you can continue browsing through them.

The RSS Reader.

Introduction.

Using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, it's very easy these days to keep up with exactly what's going on, whether you want to know about your favourite character in a TV soap or whether we have a new Prime Minister or President. There's often a link in the post to a web page containing more details of the story. But there is another method for keeping your knowledge current, and to learn of changes to a site, and that is RSS or really simple syndication.

RSS is a web feed which allows you to gain updates to online content. Websites usually use RSS feeds to publish frequently updated information, such as blog entries, news headlines, or episodes of audio and video series. Subscribing to a website RSS removes the need for you to manually check the website for new content. Instead, a program to read the RSS feed monitors the site and informs you of any updates.

Finding Feeds to Monitor.

Here are a few methods of finding feeds.

First, we've provided a very small sample of feeds you can use for practice, which you can delete if you wish later on.

Undertake a search on Google. Type a phrase such as, "top RSS feeds", or, "BBC RSS feeds", and you'll get many suggestions.

If you see a link on a web site such as "Blog" or "RSS", then activate the link. JAWS may tell you if it is a correctly constructed RSS feed or not, because it will say, "RSS Feeds".

Once located on an RSS feed, press ALT+D to move to (and highlight) the Address Bar of your browser, and press Control+C to copy it to the Clipboard. The feed will usually end in an extension such as .XML or .RSS. Alternatively, you can press ALT+Control+Windows+C so as to copy the URL of the page to the Windows Clipboard.

Accessing the RSS Reader.

The RSS Reader can be accessed in two ways. First, you'll find it on the LeaseySearch menu, activated by pressing the Leasey Key, followed by Control+Shift+S. You'll find it just below the News menu item. Go ahead and press Enter when it is highlighted.

However, because there is a good possibility you'll want to access this a lot, we've provided a dedicated keystroke for it, Leasey Key then Shift+R for RSS.

In the list which appears, there are several items. The number of items will vary according to how many feeds you are subscribed to, but the first four options always remain the same.

The first option is "Add Feed". Pressing Enter will ask for the URL to the feed. If you've copied a feed as described earlier, you can paste it into the Edit Field and press Enter.

The second item is "Import File Containing Feeds". If you've got a file containing feeds you've exported from a previous RSS Reader, such as that found within Internet Explorer or similar, you can import all the feeds from that file into the Leasey RSS Reader.

The third option is "Backup Feeds". Pressing Enter here will make a backup of your feeds on your computer in the event that something goes wrong and you need to restore them. Please note that this does not mean that you should not be making regular backup copies of your Leasey files from within the LeaseyManager which you should be doing on a regular basis. What did you say? You don't know what the LeaseyManager is? Read on through this User Guide and you will learn about it.

The fourth option which is always present is "Restore Feeds". Assuming you have backed up your feeds using option 3 above, then the feeds will be restored so Leasey can use them. If you haven't made a backup, Leasey will certainly let you know!

So, find the first sample, which is "BBC News", and press Enter. The latest RSS feeds will load. Leasey will try to obtain the most recent 50 posts, with the most recent displayed first. Each post subject or headline begins with a new level 1 Heading. The reason for this will become apparent later, but it does mean you can press number 1 to move from one post to another. The subject is also hyperlinked, so you can press Enter to move to the web page containing full details of the story.

Below the subject, you will find a description for the blog post if it exists. One difficulty we've had is that RSS feeds are produced in many different formats and authors do not always adhere to providing consistent content. In our experience, the BBC provide by far the most well-constructed content, and so we will see there is a description below each link and heading, which is a brief summary of the story in question.

Finally, a blank line separates the description, if there is one, from the next post.

The text from the RSS feed is displayed using the JAWS Results Viewer. So, when you press Enter on a link to launch the web page for the article in your browser, the Results Viewer window stays open. This means you can close down the browser window once you have finished reading the article, and focus will return to the Results Viewer, so you can move to the next item of interest.

Pressing the Escape key will return to the list of feeds and the RSS feed you previously had selected will be highlighted. This makes it easy for you to locate the next one of interest rather than having to start at the top.

If you entered the RSS Reader by pressing its dedicated keystroke, pressing Escape will exit the RSS feed list entirely. If however you entered via LeaseySearch, pressing Escape will return to the list of search categories.

Adding a Feed.

Let us now add a feed, using the first item on the RSS Reader menu. The feed we have chosen is:

https://www.blindbargains.com/rss/latest.xml

This is an excellent feed for a particular reason. The Description field for each of the posts is extremely lengthy. The descriptions often contain rich content such as Headings and bulleted lists. Leasey is able to preserve this content and display it to you. But there are no level 1 headings, which is why we set each post title at level 1 for easy navigation using figure 1 on the numbers row of the keyboard.

Deleting an RSS Feed.

In the event you wish to delete an RSS feed from your list, you do so in the same way you would delete anything else from any of the other Leasey lists. Focus on it in the list and press the Leasey Key followed by Delete.

The RSS Import Tool.

Finally, we come to the RSS Import Tool. It could be that you have subscribed to RSS feeds in a dedicated RSS Reader or indeed a web browser. If so, you can export these to a file, typically with an OPML extension.

We have to say that the best method of getting Leasey to monitor a feed is to add it manually in the way previously described. However, if you would like to try the Import Tool, here is how to use it. If a particular feed imported does not function correctly, you can always delete it.

1. First, using File Explorer, focus upon the file with the OPML extension.
2. Next, go into the RSS Reader, either through LeaseySearch or by pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+Windows+F.
3. Select the second item, "Import File Containing Feeds". Then press Enter.
4. You are asked if you would like to proceed with the importing process. Focus is on the "Yes" Button, so go ahead and press the Space Bar.
5. Leasey starts with feed 1 in the file. She will get the link from the file, speak it, then check to see if it can be accessed in future. This is called "Feed Validation".
6. If the feed can be accessed, she will present you with an edit field, where you can change the title if you wish.
7. Press Enter and the title with its corresponding URL will be written to the Leasey feeds file for future use.
8. Leasey will then proceed on in the same fashion until the end of the list is reached.
9. Now, in the event a feed is not valid, she will say so and tell you which link it is.
10. She will then ask if you would like to proceed with processing the file. Press Space on the Yes button.
11. At the very end of the process, or if you activate the No Button in the above step, Leasey will copy and display in the virtual viewer any links which could not be validated so you know what they are.

LeaseyCast.

LeaseyCast is available from LeaseySearch under the name "Podcast Search". It is so named in this menu so as to provide first letter navigation. However, you can always reach it quickly by pressing the Leasey Key then Shift+P.

Pressing Enter on this screen gives you a number of choices.

• Search for Podcast by Name or Category. Pressing Enter here will prompt you to enter the name of a specific podcast if you know it, or a key word. It is the Apple iTunes podcast directory Leasey uses in order to retrieve search results, so you have an exceptionally wide choice.
• Add Podcast Feed to LeaseyCast Manually. If you know the URL of the podcast feed, this option allows you to add it here. Simply type or paste it into the edit field and press Enter. Leasey will then validate the feed to ensure it contains legitimate podcast content, and if so, will obtain the official name for it and add it to your Favourites list.
• Titles Only. As will be described below, when you access a podcast feed, the details regarding it are displayed in the JAWS Results Viewer. This means you can view the episode titles and their corresponding descriptions known as "Show Notes". However, if you press Enter on this option, "Titles Only", when the feed is accessed a List Box of episode titles only is displayed. This provides a slightly faster method of accessing episodes.
• Full Description. This will be described below, however when accessing a podcast feed, it allows you to see the details of each episode together with its corresponding description.
• Add Leasey Suggested Podcasts. If you have not added any podcast feeds when you launch the LeaseyCast utility, some suggested podcasts are given in this list. However, if you have already added some podcasts you like to listen to, it is still possible to add our suggested feeds by pressing Enter on this item.
• List of Podcasts Added to Favourites. Below these items you will see any podcast titles you have added. Press Enter on any one of them in order to retrieve the most recent episodes.

Podcast Search Results.

If you have searched the iTunes directory for a podcast name or category, a list of results is returned. This is in the form of a list box, with each item containing the name of the podcast. Simply locate the item you want and press Enter.

Viewing Podcast Episode Information.

Whether you have chosen to select a podcast from one of your Favourites, or you are accessing the details of a podcast having obtained it from search results, then by default the JAWS Results Viewer screen will appear with the following information.

• Description of the podcast, such as: Timeless wisdom from Focus on the Family that will challenge and encourage you in your marriage.
• Copy Podcast Feed to Clipboard link. Does exactly what it says, in the event that you wish to paste it into a text edit area, perhaps prior to using it for an external device.
• Obtain list of episode titles only. Pressing Enter brings into view a List Box containing a list of the episode titles without descriptions. Pressing Enter on any one of them will play it. It can also be saved to a location of your choosing, see below. Don't forget that as described previously, you can have the List Box displayed by default by selecting "Titles Only".
• Add this Podcast to the LeaseyCast List link. Adds to your LeaseyCast Favourites for later retrieval.
• Episodes with a Heading Indicator. The most recent episodes are then retrieved, each one commences with a new Heading for easy navigation by pressing the letter "H" to move between them. The heading contains the title of the episode. Below the heading is a description of the episode.
• Download or Stream, followed by the Episode Name. Press Enter and the episode will likely play in the browser. Mute the audio with Control+M, and press Control+S to save to a location of your choosing. You could alternatively press ALT+Control+Windows+C to copy the URL of the episode to the clipboard and then paste it into VLC Media Player, followed by pressing enter./li>

Deleting a Podcast From Your List of Favourites.

To delete a podcast, simply focus on it from within the list of podcasts and, in the usual manner in which Leasey items are removed, press the Leasey Key followed by Delete. This equally applies if our list of suggested podcast titles is displayed. You do not need to keep all of these in your list of favourites.

Calculator.

The calculator is used online. It allows you to carry out a wide variety of calculations in several different ways. It is accessed from the LeaseySearch menu or from any application by pressing the Leasey Key then Shift+C.

• Type in a simple calculation such as 4+12/2 for 4 plus 12 divided by 2. The plus sign is plus, the dash next to zero is minus, the multiplication or "times" sign is asterisk (shift with number 8), and the divide by sign is forward slash (usually to the left of the righthand Shift key).
• This is a scientific calculator so you can enter almost any expression. Expressions can be quite elaborate, including brackets or parentheses.
• Ask the calculator a question, such as, "What is the square root of 264", or, "What is 10 percent of 500?"

When the value is typed, press Enter. Within a short period, the result is displayed using the JAWS Virtual Viewer, so it can easily be copied or examined carefully.

Some results which are retrieved are displayed with several decimal places after the primary number. In such a situation, on the next line following the calculation, you will notice the result has been truncated to two decimal places for convenience if that is required.

Special Note. Rather than typing the original value for calculation into the Edit Field and activate the calculator from LeaseySearch, you can select (or highlight) the text from within any application. Then, press the Leasey Key followed by Shift+C. The Edit Field will display the value. Press Enter and the expression is calculated. This is ideal if you have a lengthy calculation to do.

Weather.

In part, the term "Weather Application" is a bit of a misnomer. This is because it can do more than let you know the weather condition, either local to you or from around the world. It can also:

• Let you know the sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset times for the current day and for the week ahead, together with the moon phase and moon illumination.
• Provide you with local time information. For example, if you want to know the current time in St. Petersburgh Florida, you can enter that information. You will receive the weather conditions and other information, but almost the first thing you will read is the local time.

The Weather application is highly configurable. We will describe the standard information it gives together with how you can customise the output.

When you enter the Weather search tool, as prompted, you can search by typing a city or town name, postal or zip code. There is a list of recent searches in the event you've obtained the weather from several locations which you wish to access frequently by typing the word "recent" and then pressing Enter.

If you are looking for a particular place name, it is suggested that you type for example the town name, then a comma, then a larger region or even country name. A good example might be: Birmingham, Alabama. Clearwater, South Carolina. Manchester, United Kingdom. You do not need to use capital letters.

If you are not sure of the spelling of a location, or you wish to ascertain whether a particular local area is available, type the word "Search" into the Edit Field and press Enter. You will be asked to type the first few letters of the place name you are searching for. If you typed "london", and press Enter, Leasey would bring back some results beginning with those letters. An example might be Clerkenwell, Islington, Greater London, United Kingdom. Press the Down Arrow key to explore them and Enter to accept the chosen location.

If you type the word, "nearby", into the Edit Field, and press Enter, Leasey will try and determine your current location and provide appropriate information.

In this example, we will type the word, Dublin, into the Edit Field and press Enter. Within a very short period of time, information similar to the following would be displayed:
Location is Dublin
Region is "Dublin
Country is Ireland
Local date and time: Thursday 27 April 2023 09:51 AM
The temperature is 10C which is 50F
Current weather Summary: Partly cloudy"
Wind Speed is 19KPH
Humidity is 82%
Feels like 8C which is 46F
Minimum temperature: 6C which is 42F
Maximum temperature: 11C which is 51F
Average temperature: 9C which is 48F
The forecast ahead is Overcast".
Sunrise: 6:00 AM.
Sunset: 08:47 PM.
Moonrise: 10:52 AM.
Moonset: 03:51 AM.
Moon Phase: :"First Quarter.
Moon illumination: 42%.

You could at this point press Escape to exit the screen. However, there are several links at the end of the forecast. The number of links can vary, but in the main, they are:

• Next Day. Pressing Enter takes you to a forecast for the next day. LeaseyWeather contains a seven-day forecast, so this can be repeated as necessary to move through the available days. When you reach the seventh day, the "Next Day" link is not available.
• Previous Day. Clearly, if you are on the first day, (what we might call the summary screen), this link is not available because you cannot go back. However, if the "Next Day" link had been activated, the "Previous Day" link would be available.
• Forecast for the Day. This takes you into an hour by hour forecast for the day you have chosen. Details of the hour by hour forecast can be found in the next section.
• Search for a Place Name. We have already explored one method for searching for a place name. However, for convenience, this is another method of getting to the same location.
• Configure the Weather. This will be detailed shortly.

If you activate the link "Configure the Weather", there are a number of options you can customise. Read the Links with the Arrow keys, and press Enter on the statement which you require. The options available are:

The temperature will be Celsius.
The temperature will be Farenheight .
The temperature will be both Celsius and Farenheight .
The wind speed will be reported in Miles Per Hour.
The wind speed will be reported in Kilometres Per Hour.
The wind speed will be reported in Miles Per Hour and Kilometres Per Hour.
The sun and moon information will be available.
The sun and moon information will not be available.
The weather for today and upcoming days will be displayed on a single page in the Results Viewer . This means that when your weather search is returned, the JAWS Results Viewer displays the upcoming weather information for seven days ahead in one screen rather than using separate screens which has been the case since 2019. You can press the letter H to move through headings if necessary, since the start of each new day and the 24-hour forecast for the day is denoted by a levelled heading.

The weather for only the current day will be displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer with links to forecast and upcoming days . This is the older method of displaying the weather information. It is slightly faster than accessing the data displayed in the Results Viewer.

The final three items have special significance and will be described shortly.

Finally, you are invited to "Press Escape to close this window".

Note that the next time you enter the weather application, the place name you previously searched for is displayed. This means that if you only ever search under one location, you do not need to type anything. You can just press Enter so as to carry out the search for the latest data.

Hour By Hour Forecast.

Activating the hour by hour forecast Link will present the following information to you for each hour of the day.

• Temperature.
• Summary in text format.
• Chance of rain as a percentage.
• Chance of wind as a percentage.
• Chance of overcast as a percentage.
• Chance of clear skies as a percentage.
• Chance of snow as a percentage.
• Chance of thunder as a percentage.

In the event that the percentage for any one of the weather conditions is zero, it is not listed in the hour by hour summary. To move between the hours in a forward direction, press letter P. To move back, press Shift+P.

A link exists at the end of the screen to return to the weather summary for the selected day.

If you have elected to have all the weather information displayed on a single page, the hour by hour forecast for each day is denoted by a level 3 heading.

Monitoring For Weather Changes.

It is possible to instruct Leasey to monitor for changes in weather condition for one location.

At the end of the Weather Configuration Screen, there are three options:

1. Configure Weather Reporting Place Name . Activating this option allows you to type a location, as before, so as to monitor. An example would be "Dublin". Then press Enter. Weather monitoring begins at this point.
2. Automatic Weather Reporting On . If you have previously disabled this feature, here is where you can enable it. The same effect is achieved by pressing the Leasey Key followed by Shift+W.
3. Automatic Weather Reporting Off . If you have previously enabled this feature, here is where you can disable it. The same effect is achieved by pressing the Leasey Key followed by Shift+W. You may wish to disable it temporarily so as to stop JAWS announcing if a change in the weather has occurred.

Temperature Conversion.

This is an incredibly simple temperature conversion tool which can be used offline. It allows you to convert a value between Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice-versa.

Press Enter on this item and you are prompted to enter the original value. For example, if you wish to convert 68 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius, you would type 68F. If you wanted to convert 18 degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit, you would type 18C. The letters C or F do not need to be capitalised.

Press Enter and the result is instantly converted and displayed using the JAWS Virtual Viewer.

The Currency Converter.

Introduction.

The Leasey Currency Converter has been designed to help you to convert currencies in a number of different ways and it will also give you an estimate of the latest rates for a given currency. It is easy to use, (or there is an advanced interface), it's fast and reliable. The exchange rates are updated every 60 seconds. The data is sourced from financial data providers and banks, including the European Central Bank.

Launching the Currency Converter.

To get to the Currency Converter, enter LeaseySearch by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+S. Press letter "C" for Convert currency, followed by Enter. Alternatively, you can locate it by using the Up or Down Arrow keys.

There are two ways of entering a currency conversion. We will walk through them one at a time.

Method 1. Using the Lists.

First, as prompted, type in a value. Let us assume we want to convert 100 pounds to American dollars. Enter the value 100 and press Enter.

You are now presented with a list of currencies to convert from. Use the up or down arrow keys to find a currency, or first letter navigation if you prefer. Then press Enter. In this example select the item British Pound.

You will notice as you navigate the list that you are hearing abbreviations together with the name of the currency. We'll come back to these abbreviations later.

You now have a secondary list of currencies to convert to. Again, locate the one you want with the up or down Arrow Keys, or first letter navigation, and press Enter. In this example select United States Dollar.

Now you will receive the results using the JAWS Virtual viewer. You see the conversion rate for your chosen amount, followed by the current exchange rate. As prompted, just press Escape to close the window. The output will look like this:

300 British Pound Sterling. 379.52 United States Dollar. This equates to 1.26508 United States Dollar to British Pound Sterling. Press Escape to Close this Window.

We will now work through another example, so this time, we'll go through exactly the same procedure, but convert 200 pounds to Canadian Dollars.

As we move into the first list, where we specify the currency to convert from, you will notice that focus has not landed at the top of the list. Instead, the option highlighted is the one you used last. This is a convenient feature. If you regularly convert from one currency to another, you can work faster because you do not need to locate anything. Just press Enter. It's like having a default option. So we can press Enter now on British Pound as that is the highlighted choice.

The same is true of the next list. If there is a currency you regularly convert to, then the default option is available to you. Just press Enter as it is highlighted. Of course there's no problem in changing this at any time if you wish. Leasey will always remember the last option you used.

Again, our results are brought back. 200 British Pound Sterling. 341.28 Canadian Dollar. This equates to 1.70640 Canadian Dollar to British Pound Sterling. Press Escape to Close this Window.

Method 2. The Abbreviations.

It is possible to bypass the currency lists entirely. When you first enter the Currency Converter, you can type a value, followed by space, an abbreviation for the original currency, a space, and an abbreviation for the currency to convert to. For example, you may know that the abbreviation for British pound is GBP, and that Australian dollars are represented by AUD. So type:

250 gbp aud and press enter.

The results are:

250 British Pound Sterling. 454.386 Australian Dollar. This equates to 1.81754 Australian Dollar to British Pound Sterling. Press Escape to Close this Window.

You do not have to use this method. You can use the lists as often as you want. But if while navigating the lists you learn what the abbreviations are, and if you convert currencies regularly, this is a faster method of access.

Following on from this, if you enter a value, a space, then the abbreviation for the currency to convert from, then press Enter, Leasey assumes that you do not need that list, and will take you immediately to the second one. For example, if you type

1000 USD

and press Enter, you are taken straight to the list for the second currency.

Time Conversion.

LeaseySearch contains two utilities allowing you to find out what time it is in almost any location in the world. The first makes it possible to learn the current time in a specific location. The second allows you to specify not only both locations for conversion, but in addition you can enter a precise date and time.

First of all, we will set your preferred format for entering (and displaying) dates. If you have already worked through this setup procedure in the "Configuration" section of this User Guide you can ignore these steps.

1. Press Windows Key+M to move to the Windows Desktop.
2. In order to launch the Leasey Hotkey Help, press the Leasey Key then press letter H.
3. Press number 2 or the Down Arrow Key so as to reach "2. Set Default Time for Leasey Diary, Holidays and Time Conversions". Press Enter.
4. As stated, this option allows you to select whether Leasey will interpret dates as day first then month, or month first then day. Use the Down Arrow key to select the appropriate option if necessary, and press Enter to select.

Find Current Time in Any Location.

When you activate this item from LeaseySearch, you are requested to type a location, such as Orlando, Florida, and press Enter. Alternatively, you can type the word "Recent", press Enter, and a list of recent place names will be displayed. Press Enter on any one of them. You can also type an appropriate abbreviation, such as Elkview, WV .

However the place name has been entered, you get results similar to this.

The requested location is Elkview, wv.
7 June 2022 05:32 AM
Eastern Daylight Time EDT
The time zone is America/New_York

As you will observe, this is useful information. However, there are three further items of note, each denoted with a Link. You can press Enter on any of the Links.

• Get the weather in this location . This links through to the Weather app previously described and will automatically display the weather in the chosen location.
• Press Enter for 12 hour format . This sets the output to use the 12 hour format, including displaying the time in A M and PM.
• Press Enter for 24 hour format . This sets the output to 24 hour format and consequently uses the 24 hour clock time, such as 18:30 to represent 6:30 PM.

Clearly, if you press Enter on any one of the two final statements, next time you run any of the time conversion utilities it will be in your chosen format.

Convert Between Two Time Zones in Any Location.

This allows you to convert between not only your own time and another location at a specific date and time, but also from two completely different locations.

For example, you have a virtual meeting at 7 PM next Wednesday, hosted in the UK which is not your native country. You want to find out how that equates to your time zone. The previously described tool would allow you to see the local time as it is now, so potentially you could work it out, but not a precise time of your choosing. Moreover, working it out for yourself using the current time may mean that your calculation is at fault, since you may not have taken into account if the time has changed, perhaps in March or October.

Alternatively, you can enter two different locations, and find out how they relate to each other. So if you are assisting someone to work with this feature, you can enter that person's original time zone and the one you wish to convert to.

If you are always going to use your own local time to convert from, you may like to set this as a default location. This means you never need to enter the location to convert from manually as is described below. Here's how to set your default location for this feature to work. To repeat, this is an optional step. You can enter the location manually every time if you wish.

1. Press Windows Key+M to move to the Windows Desktop.
2. In order to launch the Leasey Hotkey Help, press the Leasey Key then press letter H.
3. Press number 3 or the Down Arrow Key so as to reach "3. Set Default Location for Time Conversion". Press Enter.
4. If you wish to use the LeaseySearch Time Conversion feature, so as to convert between one time zone and another, this makes it easier to carry out this process. Into the Edit Field which is focused, type your location. We suggest the town name, followed by the region or state, such as: Caerphilly South Wales, Orlando Florida, or Elkview wv. You can use an abbreviation here.
5. Press Enter to save the settings.

When you enter this utility, you are first asked the location to convert from. If you press Enter without typing anything, Leasey refers to your location you have previously set as the default. If you have not set your default location, the prompt is as follows: "Please enter the town, city or country to convert from, then press Enter. Please do not leave this field empty as you have not set a default country for time conversions."

You are next asked for the location to convert to, such as Orlando, Florida, and press Enter. You cqan also type an appropriate abbreviation, such as Elkview, WV .

Finally, we ask you for the precise date and time. Please read this section of the documentation very carefully. This can be entered in a number of different ways.

24 hour format.

UK.

24062022:23:05

US.

06242022:23:05

This would give you the time for 11:05 PM on the 24th of June.

12 hour format.

UK.

24062022:11:05PM

US.

06242022:11:05PM

There is a certain amount of latitude built into this. So you could write:

UK.

24062022:11PM

US.

06242022:11PM
for the 11 O'Clock hour on that date. But if you are going to specify minutes, you must use a colon separator between the hours and minutes so Leasey can differentiate between hours and minutes.

The results which come back would be similar to this.

Conversion Results.
Conversion from:
Caerphilly South Wales
24 June 2022 11:05 PM BST
British Summer Time
The timezone is Europe/London
Conversion to:
Wellington New Zealand
25 June 2022 10:05 AM NZST
New Zealand Standard Time
The timezone is Pacific/Auckland

As you will observe, this is useful information. However, there are two further items of note, each denoted with a Link. You can press Enter on any of the Links.

• Press Enter for 12 hour format . This sets the output to use the 12 hour format, including displaying the time in A M and PM.
• Press Enter for 24 hour format . This sets the output to 24 hour format and consequently uses the 24 hour clock time, such as 18:30 to represent 6:30 PM.

Clearly, if you press Enter on any one of the two final statements, next time you run any of the time conversion utilities it will be in your chosen format. `

Holidays.

With the Holidays utility in LeaseySearch, retrieve religious, non-public and public holidays for over 200 countries for a given date, month or year. Years are supported from 2001. You can either request the holidays for a specific year, month and year, or day month and year.

When you enter this utility, you are first asked for the period for which the holidays are required. Please pay particular attention to the formatting of this section of the documentation. Examples to enter would be as follows:

UK Format.

Full day

26122022

Month and year

122022

Year only

2022

US format.

Full day

12252022

Month and year

122022

Year only

2022

When the required period is entered, press Enter.

You are now asked to choose the country. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the list of countries, or first letter navigation if you prefer, then press Enter. If you have visited the list of countries before, the focus should be on the country you previously accessed, not at the top of the list.

The holidays are now displayed similar to this which is for the holidays in the United Kingdom for December 2022.
Name: Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Location: United Kingdom.
Type: Christian.
Thursday 8 December 2022.
Name: First Day of Hanukkah.
Location: United Kingdom.
Type: Hebrew.
Monday 19 December 2022.
Name: December Solstice.
Location: United Kingdom.
Type: Seasonal.
Wednesday 21 December 2022.
Etc.

Dictionary.

This is a basic dictionary which can be used in order to gain the meaning of a word and, if appropriate, words which are similar. In some cases the pronunciation of a word can be obtained from here.

As with a number of other Leasey tools, you can select a word in an application first, prior to executing this function from LeaseySearch.

When you launch this function, you are requested to type the word for which you would like the definition. In our example, we will use the word "devastate".

Press Enter and you will receive results similar to this:
Syllables: dev·as·tate
Word type: verb
destroy or ruin (something).",
"cause (someone) severe and overwhelming shock or grief."
Similar Words:
"destroy",
"ruin",
"leave in ruins",
"wreck",
"lay waste",
"wreak havoc on",
"ravage",
"ransack",
"leave desolate",
"demolish",
"raze (to the ground)",
"level",
"flatten",
"annihilate",
"shatter",
"shock",
"stun",
"daze",
"dumbfound",
"traumatize",
"crush",
"overwhelm",
"overcome",
"greatly upset",
"distress",
"knock for six",
"knock sideways",
"knock the stuffing out of"

Oxford Dictionaries.

Oxford Dictionaries allows you to check word definitions.

When entering this search tool, type a word or phrase you would like to check and press Enter. The results are retrieved.

Press the letter "H" twice to reach the start of the definition, then read it in the usual manner. The definition is available together with examples of how the word can be used and synonyms. Press ALT+F4 to exit this screen.

Recipes.

If you are wanting to find a food recipe, Leasey is probably going to get it for you. The Leasey Recipes feature can search many thousands of recipes. If the recipe lives on the internet somewhere, she undoubtedly will find it!

When you search for a recipe, you need to be fairly specific as to what it is you would like to find. This is because only a small number of recipes are retrieved based on your search. The chances are however that a small number of variations of a single recipe ought to be sufficient to give you what you need.

When you launch this function from LeaseySearch, type what you would like to find. To repeat, the search is very robust and should find most things, for example:

• Drizzle Cake.
• Toad in the Hole.
• Treacle Tart.
• Mousse au Chocolate & Cinnamon Arlette.
• Yorkshire Pudding.
• Chicken Balsamico.
• Crispy Pancakes.

Press Enter and the results are returned in a List Box. There are two groups of results.

• Recipes. The title is given, followed by a user rating out of 5 stars, the length of time it will take to prepare the food and ingredients you will need.
• Videos. There is nothing like watching (or listening to) someone else prepare food, even if you cannot do it yourself. Leasey brings back a small selection of videos matching your search. The videos are wide ranging in terms of their source, not just those from YouTube.

Amazon.

Amazon has become well-known for its global online marketplace. Almost anything can be purchased from amazon including books, CD's, digital music, books, motorbikes, baby clothing, household items and more.

The amazon part of LeaseySearch allows you to carry out a keyword search across all categories. The results are displayed in a List Box.

While it is possible for you to select a country when you are searching for a product, you may like to set your default country for searches. This is an optional step because it is possible for you to search within a store in the countries supported by Leasey. However, if you would like to set your default location, please follow these steps.

1. Press Windows Key+M to move to the Windows Desktop.
2. In order to launch the Leasey Hotkey Help, press the Leasey Key then press letter H.
3. You are in the list of keystroke categories and utilities. Press number 1 on the keyboard above the letter keys. You will reach the option "1. Set Default Country for store Searches".
4. Press Enter to activate this item.
5. This option relates to searching the stores EBay and Amazon within LeaseySearch. Use the Down Arrow key to select your default country if it appears in the list, and then press Enter.

To search for an Amazon product, please follow these steps:

1. Locate the "Amazon" item on the LeaseySearch menu.
2. Press Enter.
3. As prompted, type into the Edit Field the item you wish to search for. You may like to be fairly explicit if possible. Typing the word "Toaster" will return a variety of toasters of differing brands, whereas if you type the word "Toaster" followed by a brand name will perhaps give you what you are looking for. Similarly, if you typed "Harry Potter" only, various items of Harry Potter merchandise will be displayed in the list, such as DVD's, outfits, and so on, whereas if you typed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", you would likely only see books, DVD's and audio books.
4. Press Enter.
5. If you have not set a default country, you are presented with a list of choices. The options are: Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and United States. Use the Down Arrow key (or first letter navigation) to focus upon one of the items and press Enter.
6. In the event that a default country has been set as described above, you will not see the list of countries. Leasey automatically carries out the search relative to the store in the country which has been set as the default.

After a short pause, you are presented with a list of results. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the list. The results contain an overview as to the product type you are searching for. At the bottom of the list there is an option to visit the web page of results where more information could be obtained, but the list Leasey produces should give you an appreciation as to what Amazon has found for you. The items in the list include:

• The product name.
• The rating out of five stars.
• The price.
• The format if appropriate, such as audio book, DVD, audio CD, paperback, and so on.
• The delivery details, such as when you can expect to receive the item.

Press Enter on any item in the results list so as to view the web page for the product and potentially purchase it.

If you wish to return to your list of Amazon results, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow. Focus not only returns to the list but it is in exactly the same place you were when you pressed Enter to open the web page.

Having moved back to the search results list, and if you press Up or Down Arrow, from time to time you may hear the word "Visited", or, if the Leasey sounds are enabled, a sound will play. This is to indicate that you have previously accessed the search item which is focused.

eBay.

eBay is the world's online marketplace; a place for buyers and sellers to come together and buy or sell almost anything! A seller lists an item on eBay, from antiques to cars, books to sporting goods. The seller chooses to accept only bids for the item (an auction-type listing) or to offer the Buy It Now option, which allows buyers to purchase the item straight away at a fixed price.

The EBay part of LeaseySearch allows you to carry out a keyword search across all categories. The results are displayed in a List Box.

While it is possible for you to select a country when you are searching for a product, you may like to set your default country for searches. This is an optional step because it is possible for you to search within a store in the countries supported by Leasey. However, if you would like to set your default location, please follow these steps.

1. Press Windows Key+M to move to the Windows Desktop.
2. In order to launch the Leasey Hotkey Help, press the Leasey Key then press letter H.
3. You are in the list of keystroke categories and utilities. Press number 1 on the keyboard above the letter keys. You will reach the option "1. Set Default Country for store Searches".
4. Press Enter to activate this item.
5. This option relates to searching the stores EBay and within LeaseySearch. Use the Down Arrow key to select your default country if it appears in the list, and then press Enter.

To search for an EBay product, please follow these steps:

1. Locate the "EBay" item on the LeaseySearch menu.
2. Press Enter.
3. As prompted, type into the Edit Field the item you wish to search for. You may like to be fairly explicit if possible. Typing the word "Toaster" will return a variety of toasters of differing brands, whereas if you type the word "Toaster" followed by a brand name will perhaps give you what you are looking for. Similarly, if you typed "Harry Potter" only, various items of Harry Potter merchandise will be displayed in the list, such as DVD's, outfits, and so on, whereas if you typed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", you would likely only see books, DVD's and audio books.
4. Press Enter.
5. If you have not set a default country, you are presented with a list of choices. The options are: Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and United States. Use the Down Arrow key (or first letter navigation) to focus upon one of the items and press Enter.
6. In the event that a default country has been set as described above, you will not see the list of countries. Leasey automatically carries out the search relative to the store in the country which has been set as the default.

After a short pause, you are presented with a list of results. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the list. At the bottom of the list there is an option to visit the web page of results where more information could be obtained, but the list Leasey produces should give you an appreciation as to what has found for you.

Press Enter on any item in the results list so as to view the web page for the product and potentially purchase it.

Each item in the list can contain:

• The product title.
• The product's condition, such as pre-owned.
• The price.
• Whether a "Best Offer" is accepted.
• Any postage to be paid in addition to the cost of the item.
• If you can purchase the product instantly or whether it is available for auction. If it is available for auction, Leasey tells you the total number of bids and how much time remains as part of the bidding process.
• The number of people watching the item.

To repeat, JAWS may not recite all of this information. It will depend upon the status of the individual product.

If you wish to return to your list of EBay results, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow. Focus not only returns to the list but it is in exactly the same place you were when you pressed Enter to open the web page.

Having moved back to the search results list, and if you press Up or Down Arrow, from time to time you may hear the word "Visited", or, if the Leasey sounds are enabled, a sound will play. This is to indicate that you have previously accessed the search item which is focused.

EBay Advanced Parameters When Searching.

When typing a product to search for into the Edit Field, you can add a parameter to narrow the search results. There are two such parameters.

• Typing the Less Than sign, (Shift+Comma), followed by a number, will ensure that Leasey only retrieves products which are lower in price to the value you enter. For example, if you want products to be returned which are less than £100 or $100, you would type what you are looking for, then the Less Than sign, followed by 100, such as "Coffee Machine<100".
• Typing the Greater Than sign, (Shift+Full-Stop or Period), followed by a number, will ensure that Leasey only retrieves products which are higher in price to the value you enter. For example, if you want products to be returned which are greater than £100 or $100, you would type what you are looking for, then the Greater Than sign, followed by 100, such as "Coffee Machine>100".

iTunes.

The iTunes component of LeaseySearch allows you to search for an item, either to preview it, read information about the performers, find out the cost, hear it in full on apple Music, or more easily purchase it.

An Edit Field is available, whereupon you can type what you would like to search for. There is a great deal of flexibility with this Edit Field. You could, for example, type in a song title. Alternatively, you could type the full song title and artist, such as "I Keep Coming Back to You Beth Nielsen Chapman". You could also enter an incomplete term, such as "I Keep Coming back Beth". Press Enter when the search term has been entered.

You are then asked to specify what kind of search you would like. Is it a song, album title or artist name? Use the Down Arrow key to select the criteria. The first item, "Song", is the best option to use as this not only gives you the widest choice, but also there are ways of being able to get to the album on which the item is featured, as we will see. Press Enter on the appropriate option.

A screen is now available which should be self-explanatory. It shows the artist name, the album on which it is featured, the song title which is hyperlinked, the price, whether the song contains explicit content, and a Link to listen to a short sample of the song. Pressing Enter on the "Listen" link will play the song sample. To stop the audio playing, press ALT+Control+Windows+S. To pause the audio, press ALT+Control+Windows+P. To change the volume level, press ALT+Control+Windows+Up or Down Arrow keys.

Press Enter on the song title so as to view the page for the album on which the song is featured. You will find a good deal of information on the page, including biographical data.

If you wish, you can read the page containing the tracks on the album. Next to each title is a Button containing a number of the track. Press the Space Bar on the Button so as to preview the song. Pressing it again will pause the preview. If you press F3, you should locate the track in which you were interested. This time however, you are viewing that on the album page.

If you press the Space Bar on the Button "Listen on Apple Music", iTunes launches. You will be located on the Apple Music page, in iTunes, for the album from which the song derives. Pressing F3 will cause the cursor to be placed on the song and, if you have an Apple Music subscription, pressing Space Bar will allow you to hear it in full.

If, on the other hand, you wish to purchase the song or album, from the album page press Space Bar on the "View in iTunes" Button. You can then gain further information including product ratings and reviews.

From here, press Space Bar on the "View in" Button. The easiest way to reach it is by pressing Shift+B. iTunes will launch and again, you will be on the Store page pertaining to the song or album. Press the letter "B", and you will be able to purchase it by pressing the Space Bar.

While it mighht seem as though there are a number of steps involved in this process, it does have a number of advantages:

• You can preview songs without having to open iTunes. When you press Enter on one of the "Listen" links, focus stays within the JAWS Results Viewer containing your search list. This makes it very easy to browse the searches so as to preview multiple song versions without losing your place, prior to deciding which one you wish to hear on Apple Music or purchase.
• Once you become used to using this method, it is very easy to find the song you want and purchase it. This can be achieved in about 15 seconds.

If you just want to use LeaseySearch to preview something on the web, you do not need iTunes installed.

Lets now look at the other two search options in the category "Search iTunes on the Web".

Search by album works in a very similar way to "Search by Song" except that, at the time of writing, there are no samples to hear. Pressing Enter on the link for the album however will allow you to view its contents and hear audio samples.

Selecting "Artist or Group" will bring back a web page containing everything there is to see about the performers.

TV Maze.

TVMaze is a huge database of TV shows past and present. Using Leasey, search for a TV show which is airing now or which has done so in the past. Simply type the name of the show and press Enter. It is useful to learn about shows of the past and those which are airing now. It will return:

• Confirmation of the show name.
• The genre of entertainment.
• The status, such as whether the show is airing now.
• The running time of each episode.
• The transmission dates for the entire show, such as 1986 to 2019.
• The time the show was scheduled.
• The day the show was scheduled.
• A summary of the show content.
• A link which will allow you to see the entire episode list of the show.
• A link which will allow you to see most popular cast members in the show together with the character played.
• A link to search for a specific episode by date.

When retrieving episode information, the following is available to you:

• The name of the episode.
• The season number and episode number.
• The transmission date.
• The transmission air time.
• A summary of the episode.

Netflix.

In order to use the Netflix Leasey service, you must be signed into Netflix which you can do from the Login page displayed in your web browser.

To use LeaseySearch with Netflix:

• Select the first option pertaining to Netflix from LeaseySearch which is entitled "Netflix" and press Enter.
• You are asked what you would like to search for. Type the name of a movie or show, such as "The Crown", or an actor's name. Then press Enter.
• Search results will be returned with the names of the movie, show or item in which the actor appears. Press Enter on any one of the links in order to view it.

When a video has been activated:

• Press ALT+Control+Windows+P to play and pause the item.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+Right or Left Arrow to move forward and back through the item.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+F11 or ALT+Control+Windows+Down Arrow to decrease the volume and ALT+Windows+Control+F12 or ALT+Control+Windows+Up Arrow to increase it.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+M to mute the audio and the same keystroke to unmute.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+Home to move to the start of the video and ALT+Control+Windows+End to move to the end.

Please note that occasionally these keystrokes need a little cajoling in order for them to work. This is a Netflix limitation. If you find for example that Play and Pause is not functioning, wait a second or two and try again.

The other Netflix-related item on the LeaseySearch menu is "Netflix Audio Description". When activated, this takes you to the page on the Netflix website containing all movies and TV shows which have the audio description soundtrack applied. Again, press Enter on any one of these items to play it.

Disney+.

Disney+ is the streaming home of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, so whatever your mood there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It's an extraordinary library of entertainment!

From Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid to Frozen and the recent remake of The Lion King starring Beyonce. These much-loved movies sit alongside hundreds of Disney Channel series, shorts and specials available to stream including Phineas and Ferb and DuckTales, plus classic feelgood films like Mrs Doubtfire, Home Alone and Sister Act.

Leasey gives you some limited access to Disney+. Due to the way the site is constructed for desktop use, not to mention geographical limitations, it is not possible to provide you with the experience we would like. However, our main purpose for including Disney+ is to give you access to audio player controls. What follows therefore is some general guidance on how you might carry out some basic tasks with Disney+.

From the LeaseySearch menu, select Disney+. This will take you to the Disney+ website.

From the top of the page, press the letter "E" and you will reach the "Search" edit field, labelled "Search by title, character, or genre".

Ensure Forms Mode is active and enter a movie name you might like to search for.

Now exit Forms Mode. You do not need to press Enter to carry out the search. You will find the results are underneat the Edit Field.

Each movie is indicated with a Link on which you can press Enter.

Pressing the letter "B" will either take you to a "Play" or "Resume" Button, whichever is appropriate. Focus on the desired Button and press the Space Bar. The movie will begin to play. You can then use the following keystrokes.

• Press ALT+Control+Windows+P to play and pause the item.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+Right or Left Arrow to move forward and back through the item.
• Press ALT+Control+Windows+F11 or ALT+Control+Windows+Down Arrow to decrease the volume and ALT+Windows+Control+F12 or ALT+Control+Windows+Up Arrow to increase it.

To enable Audio Description where it exists, you can work through a one-time process. Once done, the audio description is available for all movies.

1. Begin playing a movie.
2. From the movie window, press Shift+Tab repeatedly until you reach the "Settings" Button and press the Space Bar.
3. Arrow down and eventually you will find a series of audio languages, one of which will be English Audio Description. Press Enter on this item.

Just Watch.

Just Watch is a streaming search engine for movies and TV shows. They show you where you can legally watch movies and TV shows that you love. You are kept up to date with what is new on Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes and many other streaming platforms. They also tell you where and when to watch movies on the big screen so you never miss when a movie is running in cinema again.

Select the "Just Watch" item from the LeaseySearch menu. When prompted, type the title of a movie or TV show and press the Enter key.

Leasey automatically detects the country in which you live and will display a web page containing details of the movie or TV show in question. Links relative to the movie or TV show allow you to view more details if required.

7Digital.

7digital allows you to purchase high quality music. When this option is activated, type the song title, artist or album name into the edit field and press Enter. You will be placed in a web page containing your search results.

Wikipedia.

Wikipedia provides an ideal way for you to retrieve information concerning almost any subject matter you wish to search for. Examples could include music artists, famous actors, authors of books, politicians, celebrities and many many more. In summary, it is an online encyclopaedia.

When "Wikipedia" is selected by pressing Enter from the LeaseySearch menu, a Dialog Box will appear with an Edit Field in focus, requesting your search term. Simply type it in and press Enter. You will be prompted to begin each word with a capital letter.

Leasey will search the Wikipedia website for the term you have entered and bring back the appropriate Wikipedia entry. Focus is set to the starting point of it. This is not a summary of the article. While Wikipedia entries can be very extensive, this means that the pages are quite large, so feel free to use the following navigation or reading techniques:

• Insert+Down Arrow to read the Wikipedia entry from the cursor position until the end is reached or you press the Control key to halt speech.
• Down Arrow to read the page line by line.
• Letter H to move through Headings. The pages are always well structured, and each Heading will take you to a specific section of the entry, which is very useful if you wish to locate a part of it, such as "Early Career" or "Bibliography".
• Enter will activate a Link. Many Wikipedia articles include links to external sources and websites which you may like to follow up if you are researching something in depth.
• ALT+Left Arrow or Backspace to move back to the Wikipedia entry if you have followed a Link to a source.

Track Package.

This service allows you to track a parcel from hundreds of major couriers worldwide. Regardless of the online store or the market you have purchased, you should be able to trace the full path of the order with the parcel tracking service This includes couriers such as USPS, Canada Post, Royal Mail, UPS, Fedex, eBay and Amazon. In each case, you should be able to see a history of the tracked item and the expected delivery date.

Having selected this item, when prompted by Leasey enter the tracking reference number and press Enter. In the case of Amazon, the order number is required which you should have available as part of your Order History on the Amazon site or sent to you by Email.

A screen is then revealed containing the appropriate information, such as:

Dispatched Wednesday, 31 March AMAZON LOGISTICS

31 Mar 2021

Ordered Wednesday, 31 March AMAZON LOGISTICS

Destination United Kingdom

Found in Amazon Logistics

Tracked with couriers Amazon Logistics

Delivery By Amazon

Delivery ETA Arriving Sunday

Goodreads.

Goodreads is an Amazon company and " social cataloguing" website. The site allows individuals to freely search Goodreads' extensive user-populated database of books, annotations, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists. They can also create their own groups of book suggestions, surveys/polls, blogs, and discussions. The site has in excess of 20 million members, and details of reading preferences, book recommendations and reviews can be shared using social media, such as Twitter or Facebook.

The Goodreads component of LeaseySearch allows you to search by book author, title, genre (such as crime or romance), and by Goodreads username. Clearly, you will need to know the username of the person whose Goodreads profile and page you wish to view prior to using this final item.

To search for an item on Goodreads, please follow these steps:

1. Locate the "Goodreads" item on the LeaseySearch menu.
2. Press Enter.
3. From the list now presented, select which of the four categories mentioned above you would like to search by, and press Enter.
4. As prompted by the software, type the required search term and press Enter.
5. Assuming results are located, focus is automatically set to the first of these, whereupon you can browse the results retrieved.

How you navigate Goodreads from this point will vary depending upon the page you are viewing. However, some useful navigational techniques include:

• Pressing Enter on the Link pertaining to a book title or author will open its page.
• ALT+Control+Down Arrow and ALT+Control+Up Arrow will move through the search results of book titles as these are located inside a table.
• When a book page is open, ensure you start at the top of the page by pressing Control+Home, and work your way down. There are not too many Links at the top to work through. Eventually you will see the book title, a Button labelled "Want to Read" which you can activate by pressing Enter which will add it to your Goodreads bookshelf, an unlabeled Button (referred to below), and Links to rate the book. The page also contains detailed information such as a synopsis, the average star rating, community reviews, and more.
• The unlabeled Button referred to above brings into view what could be described as a "Context Menu". It allows you to work with the selected book. For example, pressing Enter on such a Button on a book's page will cause JAWS to say the word, "Updated". This is because new content has been added to the existing page but a new page has not been loaded. Pressing Down Arrow repeatedly from this point will allow you to read the newly available content. In this example, the new content presented consists of a Button labelled "Read", (which you can activate when you have read the chosen title), "Currently Reading", and "I Want to Read".
• 1. Press the letter E twice to move to the second Edit Field on the page. JAWS announces the fact that you wish to recommend a book title to your friends, such as, "Recommend The Dwelling Place To Your Friends".
  2. If "Forms Mode" is not activated, go ahead and press Enter.
  3. Type the first name of a person you wish to recommend the book to.
  4. Exit "Forms Mode" by pressing the Numpad Plus key, and press Down Arrow to read the list of your friends which has now been filtered so as to display any matches in your friends list.
  5. Below each name can be found the statement, "Recommend". This is not hyperlinked, but you can press Enter on it so as to recommend the title.
  6. If the book has been recommended, the next line on the page should now contain the statement, "Recommended".
  7. Another line below the "Recommend" statement invites you to add a message, prior to recommending the book. Press Enter, and an Edit Field is revealed into which you can type a suitable message as to why you are recommending this book. Press Enter to save, then go ahead and recommend the book as described above.
  8. You can repeat this process as many times as necessary to recommend the book to your friends.
  On each book title page is a Link entitled "Recommend This Book". When activated by pressing Enter, again JAWS will say the word "Updated", to indicate newly available content. You are now able to recommend a book to a group of friends or just one individual if you wish. This should be done as follows:
• If you have searched for a Goodreads username, a page is revealed containing details of the books the person has read. Again, begin reading at the top of the page and you will be able to read how many books the person has rated, the number of reviews written, favourite genres, bookshelf information, how many books have been read or the subscriber would like to read, and a chronological indication as to Goodreads activity.

Using Bookshare and Audible.

If you have selected Bookshare or Audible from the LeaseySearch menu, you will be asked what you would like to search for, such as a book title or author. Type it in and press Enter.

Leasey will very quickly check the appropriate website to see if results are available which match your search criteria. If so, you will be advised of this and after a short pause the appropriate web page will be loaded into your web browser containing the search results. Focus will be set to the first one. You can then explore the page in the usual manner.

Searches on the Audible Website.

If you search for books on the audible website, additional functionality is available to you. When focused on the link containing the book title, press the Leasey key then ALT+Control+S to hear a summary of the book without you having to activate the page and search for it yourself. This information is displayed within the JAWS Virtual Viewer, so you can read the summary with the Arrow keys if you wish. When you have finished reading the synopsis, press Escape. If having heard the summary you do not wish to purchase it, you can skip to the next result by pressing the letter G, whereupon the Leasey key followed by ALT+Control+S can be pressed again to hear the next summary.

For Leasey Basic users, Leasey does provide an Application Menu so as to interact with Audible Manager. The application itself can be launched from the Leasey Main Menu through the item “Hear Audible Books”.

Searching with RNIB Home Reading Service.

The RNIB Home Reading service allows you to view details of, and download, DAISY books from the online catalogue.

In the most part, the site is exceptionally accessible. However, LeaseySearch does offer a significant advantage in that you can quickly and easily find a book title or author you would like to read.

When the "RNIB Home Reading Service" item is activated from within LeaseySearch, when prompted type the name of a book title or author you would like to search for. Then press Enter.

After a short pause, the necessary page will load and focus should be placed on the first result. You can then use conventional web navigation and reading techniques to explore and download the titles. We strongly recommend that you read the online documentation located within the Home reading Service so as to familiarise yourself with the procedure for downloading books.

Searching with the Canadian CELA Library.

When you select the Canadian CELA Catalogue from the LeaseySearch menu, after a short pause the Home Page will be made available.

You are first placed in the Edit Field into which you can type the author, book title or keyword you wish to search for. Simply type it in and press Enter to carry out the search.

The search will now be carried out. This may take a few seconds. When the search results are returned, focus is placed at the first book title found. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to move through the titles. If you wish to skip to the next one, bypassing details of the current title you are reading, press the letter "H".

If you reach a book title you would like to hear more about, press Enter on the appropriate link for it. After a short pause, you will hear details of the book found and the cursor will be placed at the start of relevant information pertaining to it.

Please go ahead and read this with the Arrow keys. If you wish to borrow the book, press the Leasey Key then "B". If you would like to return to your search results, press ALT+Left Arrow and the cursor should be placed at the point on the page where you left it.

Note that if you are working through the search results, and you find a title you wish to loan, it is possible to borrow it without activating the book details page. Simply place the cursor on the book title you wish to borrow and press the Leasey Key then “B”.

If you wish to carry out a further search, you should return to the LeaseySearch menu and select the Cela Library Catalogue again.

Searching With NLS (BARD).

There are two options on the LeaseySearch menu relating to the National Library Service, depending upon whether you would like to search for audio or Braille titles only.

Having activated the appropriate item from the LeaseySearch menu to access the NLS catalogue, a further sub-menu is presented to you containing six items, reflecting the searches you can perform. These are:

• Search By Author, allows you to search for all books in the library by a specific author. As prompted by Leasey, please use the format of "last name comma first name".
• Search By Exact Match of Title, enables you to search for a book if the precise title is entered into the Edit Field provided.
• Search by Start of Title, makes it possible for you to search for all books beginning with an individual letter or series of characters.
• Search by Keyword, provides a method for searching by keyword, such as "Blue" for all books containing the word "blue". Multiple words can be entered which may be helpful when searching for books under a specific category. If you wish to use a precise sequence of words, we suggest you add quotation marks, such as "The Beatles".
• Most Popular, will automatically return the most popular books in the library.
• Most Recent, will return the most recently added books.

Having activated any one of these options by pressing Enter, you may be confronted with an Edit Field into which the appropriate text as described above should be typed. When this has been done, please press Enter.

You will be advised to "please wait". After a pause of a few seconds, a screen will be brought into view within the JAWS Results Viewer, containing the results of your search.

The Search Results screen will contain:

• The total number of results found.
• The number of results displayed. Leasey will initially present 50 results to you based on the search criteria entered. If more than 50 results are available, text will be displayed inviting you to press ALT+N for the next results. Pressing this keystroke will display results 51 to 100. You can progress through all the results by repeatedly pressing ALT+N. In such a situation, pressing ALT+P will move back through the previous results until eventually you will find yourself back at results 1 to 50.
• Next comes the book title. This is denoted by a Heading and a Link. The Heading is in place to allow you to move between results quickly by pressing the letter "H", bypassing all the narrative text describing the book. The Link is present to allow you to download the book if you wish. Please refer to the next section concerning downloading books.
• Below the Hyperlinked title you will find the book author, book description, book category, book duration (running time), the narrator, the date the book was added to the library, the book catalogue number and finally, a blank line so as to separate it from the next title.

As described previously, it is possible to press the letter "H" to move from one book to the next, however here are some other good navigation techniques.

• Simply press the Down Arrow key to move through the page systematically.
• Press Insert+F7 to bring into view a list of Links. Each Link contains the book title. Press Enter on any one of the Links to download or ALT+M to move focus to the book summary pertaining to it.
• Press the Tab key repeatedly to move through the Links.
• Press Escape to exit the Search Results screen.

Downloading Books.

Books can be downloaded by pressing Enter on any one of the Links. When this is done, you are taken to a web page inviting you to sign in with your library cridentials, consisting of an Email address and password. You can move through the fields by repeatedly pressing the Tab key. Please complete the fields as necessary and activate the "Login" button by pressing the Space Bar.

You are now on the NLS website with the page for the book in focus. From here, you can download the book in the usual way and transfer it to your portable device for playback.

Usefully, if you close the book download page by pressing ALT+F4, the list of books returned from your search is still available to you. This is helpful if you wish to download a series of books as you do not need to carry out the search again. The cursor remains at the point in the list in which you were previously located prior to downloading the book.

Server Maintenance.

From time to time, the National Library Service do carry out maintenance on the server from which Leasey gathers its information and from where books are downloaded. In such a situation, search results cannot be retrieved. Should this occur, you will be advised that "no search results are available". We suggest that you be patient and try carrying out the search again at a later time.

Last.FM Music Database.

Introduction.

Music streaming services are more popular than ever these days. Despite the rise of certain platforms like Spotify and others, Last.fm is actually an older one that's still remains a popular choice today.

Last.fm allows you to stream music for free while combining your favorite music with great listening, watching and sharing features too. What sets Last.fm apart from other services is that it aims to learn what you like by paying attention to the music you listen to, and then uses advanced technology to build a detailed profile for you so that it can provide the best personalized musical recommendations.

The platform was a popular social network for music enthusiasts long before other social music services arrived. But we are using it for something quite different. One of the cool things about Last.FM is its huge database of track information. This includes thousands of artist and group biographies, details of music tracks such as how successful they were and in some cases chart positions, song lyrics and album track listings. If you are at all interested in music, or if you work with it, you may well want to check out the Last.FM database at some point.

You will find the Last.FM support on the LeaseySearch menu, activated by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+S.

Having entered LeaseySearch, press letter L to move to Last.FM and then press Enter.

Search By Artist or Group.

The Last.FM screen gives you three choices at present. Search by artist, album and track. We'll take them in the order in which they are presented. First letter navigation is possible. If you use this tool frequently, speed will be of the essence after all. But Artist is the first item on the list, so press Enter.

We are now asked for the name of the artist or group. Type The Supremes. Capitalisation is not iportant here, so we can enter "The space Supremes", and press Enter.

We are advised that Leasey is ready for you to read the text and you will note how fast the response time is. All information Leasey delivers from Last.FM is displayed using the JAWS Results Viewer. This means that the window will always stay open and accessible, even if you switch to another application. You can read the content by pressing Insert+Down Arrow, or one line at a time with Down Arrow.

Should you wish to close the Results Viewer, press Escape.

There are several items of information on this screen.

• The first item is a link to copy the content of this screen to the Windows clipboard. This will be useful if you wish to paste it into a document.
• The next two links go hand in hand: Find top Tracks and Find Top Albums of an artist or group. Pressing Enter on either of these items will bring into view a list containing the top results of each of these. It could be that you want to get a list for example of the most popular albums of an artist or you may be unfamiliar with the most popular tracks they have recorded. Pressing Enter on any item from the list will look up the details.
• Next, we have the biography, usually comprising a summary of the artist or group's career.

Search By Album.

Using this method of search, you are asked for two items: the artist or group name and the album title. You press the Enter key after typing each required item. As an example, type Fleetwood Mac as the group and Rumours as the album.

Pressing Enter causes three items of information to be displayed.

• The first is a link to copy the contents of this screen to the Windows clipboard as we had before.
• Next, we have a list of all the tracks on the album in the order they appear. If you are deeply interested in music, you will appreciate this.
• The final item is details of the album, such as information concerning how it was produced, recorded and chart position in various countries.

Note that if you did not enter any information into the "Artist or Group" field, but you entered part or whole of an album title in the "Title" field, a list of albums is available to you which match the search criteria. Press Enter on any one of these items to display results of an album and its track listing as described above. This is particularly helpful for movie soundtracks.

If you did not enter any information into the "Album Title" field, but you entered an artist or group name into the "Group or Artist" field, a list of albums recorded by, or featuring, your chosen group or artist is available to you. Press Enter on any one of these items to display results of an album and its track listing as described above.

Search by Track.

We now come to possibly the most interesting item, Search by Track.

As with the album screen, it requires two pieces of information: the artist or group name and the song title. You press the Enter key after typing each required item. Type Cher into the artist field and "Believe" into the title field.

As with the other screens, there are several items of information.

• you can copy information to the Windows clipboard via the link provided.
• You can obtain the lyrics for the track. Press Enter to display the lyrics using the JAWS Results Viewer. They have been reformatted so they appear in a line for line format as you would want to read them that way. You will also find on this screen a link to hear the song on YouTube once the lyrics have been read. Please note that in some geographical areas, such as in Canada and Ireland at the time of writing, it may not be possible for Leasey to retrieve the lyrics for a song. This is due to copyright restrictions and we have no control over this.
• The third link gives you the chance to hear the song on YouTube. Leasey will open up the video page in your browser. And, because it's Leasey we're using, we have all these wonderful shortcuts for YouTube, such as to pause and restart the video, to skip forward and back, and so on.
• Below the two links, you may find information about the track, but this is not always the case. In this instance, there are plenty of details, but if no information exists, links are still provided which will attempt to get the lyrics for you or to play the song on YouTube. It is likely Leasey can still do both of those things even if no detailed information is available.

When searching for a track, if you do not enter an artist or group name, a list of possible artist or group matches will be displayed. It could be that you know the title of a song but you are not sure who recorded it, or you may only know part of the title. So, go ahead and type part of the title into the "Title" field and you will retrieve appropriate results.

If you have chosen a track from the above list of results, and you then select to hear the song on YouTube, you will find a link in the Results viewer entitled "Back to the Track List". Pressing Enter on this item will return you to the list of tracks. The focus will be placed on the track you previously selected, which should make it easier for you to locate the next one of interest.

If you enter an artist or group name into the "Artist or Group" field, but you do not type anything into the "Track Name" field, a list of tracks recorded by the artist or group will be displayed. If you wish, press Enter on any one of them to retrieve the track information.

The Ultimate Music Database.

While Leasey does provide access to the Ultimate Music Database, if you wish to be a serious user of this service we recommend you purchase our product The Muze, where the interface is significantly refined.

The Ultimate Music Database contains two sections. In the first, ("Ultimate Music Database"), you can enter details of a song or album you want to know more about, or alternatively, enter a group or artist name to retrieve their entire discography. Data is returned for both the UK and the US.

In the second, ("Ultimate Music Database Chart"), if you are interested in a specific music chart, you can search for that too. Maybe you want to know the song that was at the top of the chart when you were born. Typically, the top 50 is returned.

Ultimate Music Database Primary Search.

The first field in this Search Tool prompts you for the details of the search. Let us assume you wish to search for the song "Everlasting Love". Type the title and press Enter to move to the next screen.

Next, Leasey wants to know whether this is an album or single. Alternatively, you can specify a group or artist. Press down Arrow to move to the appropriate option, and again, press enter. We will return to artists and groups later because there are special circumstances pertaining to what happens if you select this option.

After a short pause, you will be focused on the results comprising information from both the UK and US charts so they can easily be referenced. Because these results are in a table, you will need to use the JAWS table navigation keys to move through the columns and rows. These are ALT+Control Up, Down, Left and Right Arrows. Pressing ALT+Control+Down Arrow repeatedly will move through the rows. Pressing ALT+Control+Right Arrow should not only read the information in the table cell, but JAWS has been instructed to read the column header as well so the information in the table has context. Pressing Down Arrow by itself, as is the case with many tables, does not provide sufficient information for you to know about the information relevant to each column, especially when some table cells may be empty, so it is important to read the data in this way.

If you were to select the "Artist or Group" item in the previous screen, and pressed Enter, the entire discography of the group or artist is retrieved. Focus should be on the table containing the albums. These can be read in the same manner as before, or alternatively, press the letter "T" so as to move to the table containing the singles.

Ultimate Music Database Chart.

Activating this option presents you with a very straightforward screen. Into the Edit Field available, type the date of the chart you would like to retrieve. You would type this in line with the date format as specified in the LeaseyManager. In Britain for example, to retrieve the chart from 2 June 1976, we would type 02061976. Leasey will prompt you for the appropriate date format based upon what has been selected. Press Enter when the date has been typed.

Next you are asked whether you would like to retrieve the chart of singles or albums. Select the choice from the list and press enter.

Finally, Leasey would like to know whether you wish to read the chart for the UK or US. Again, select the relevant option from the list and press Enter.

After a short pause, the chart will be retrieved and you will be placed in the table relating to it.

Because these results are in a table, you will need to use the JAWS table navigation keys to move through the columns and rows. These are ALT+Control Up, Down, Left and Right Arrows. Pressing ALT+Control+Down Arrow repeatedly will move through the rows. Pressing ALT+Control+Right Arrow should not only read the information in the table cell, but JAWS has been instructed to read the column header as well so the information in the table has context. Pressing Down Arrow by itself, as is the case with many tables, does not provide sufficient information for you to know about the information relevant to each column, especially when some table cells may be empty.

The LeaseyDiary.

Introduction.

The LeaseyDiary provides a number of simple calendar functions to help you keep track of appointments and work with specific dates.

If using Leasey Basic, LeaseyDiary can be accessed from the Leasey Main Menu by selecting the option “Open the LeaseyDiary”. Alternatively you can activate it by pressing the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+Y.

If using Leasey Advanced, there is a further decision to make. You need to instruct Leasey whether you wish to work with the day first, then month, or month first, then date. You will know which choice to make based upon your country or region. To make this choice, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+M. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to select the format required and press Enter to activate it.

The LeaseyDiary allows you to store appointments over the course of two years only so is kept very simple.

Before we begin working with the LeaseyDiary, it is important to remember that the date format must have been selected in LeaseyManager. You can select whether you would like to enter the day firstthen the month, (UK format), or month first then day, (US format).

Creating an Appointment.

The first item on the LeaseyDiary menu is “Create an Appointment”. When activated by pressing Enter, you are asked a number of questions. Please press Enter after each question has been answered so as to move to the next one. JAWS will give you very precise instructions as to how to answer a question, and you can always press the Leasey Context Sensitive Help key in order to get more information.

1. First you are required to enter a date using four figures. Again, this will depend upon the date format selected. For example, if you wanted to set an appointment for 22 July, in the UK you would type 2207 and in the US 0722. If the appointment is for the following year, you should follow the date with the characters, -n, that is the hyphen or dash sign, followed by the letter N for next year. The date therefore may look like this. 2207-n. Press Enter to move to the next screen.
2. Next, please enter a time. You can use the 24 hour clock format. The hours should be separated from the minutes by a colon character. For example, 6 PM will be 18:00. Alternatively, you can type the words Morning, Afternoon or Evening. If the event occupies the entire day, please press Enter so as to leave this field empty of text. Press Enter to move to the next screen.
3. Now, please enter the subject of the appointment, a one line summary relating to the appointment, such as "Hospital Visit". Press Enter to move to the next screen.
4. Finally, please type the notes of the appointment if necessary. There is no limit as to the number of characters which can be entered as part of the notes. Please press Control+Enter to save the notes and return to the main LeaseyDiary screen.

Viewing Appointments.

The second item on the LeaseyDiary menu is “Check for Appointments”. When activated, this presents you with a list of the months of the year. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the months or use first letter navigation. As you move through the months, (and if LeaseyBasic is active), a “Ding” sound will indicate if appointments exist for it. In addition, an asterisk character visually denotes that appointments exist for a given month. If using LeaseyAdvanced, JAWS will say the word, "Star", when appointments are located.

When you reach a month for which appointments exist, press Enter to view them.

You are now presented with a list of appointments for the month. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the appointments. You will be advised if the appointment relates to the following year. Press Enter on any one of them to read the details and Escape to cancel. The details of the appointment are displayed using the JAWS Virtual Viewer, so the Up and Down Arrow Keys can be used to move through the details. You will note that Leasey gives to you the day on which the appointment falls, together with the other information previously entered.

If notes were not found for the given appointment, you will be advised of this. The next line of the text contains a Link. Pressing Enter on this will allow you to create notes for the appointment if you wish. Please press Control+Enter to save when the notes have been created.

If notes were found for the given appointment, you will be able to read these with the Up or Down Arrow keys or any other method of reading text. The line of text following the notes contains a Link. Pressing Enter on this will allow you to edit notes for the appointment if you wish. Please press Control+Enter to save when the notes have been edited.

If you have not activated the Link to create or edit notes for the appointment, please press Escape to cancel.

Using the Same Appointment Multiple Times.

It is quite possible that you want to create an appointment for the same event over a number of days. There are two methods for doing this as described below.

Method 1:

1. Create a new appointment as previously described.
2. Create a second new appointment, completing the date and start time fields.
3. When you reach the "Subject" field, simply press Enter without typing anything. The previous subject will be used and, if notes were created for it, you can read and edit them. This is useful. If you were taking regular trips to the hospital, and you had stored vital information in the original appointment notes, they will be available to you.
4. When you are satisfied with the new entry, please press Control+Enter to save.

Method 2:

1. View an existing appointment as previously described. When you find the appointment in the list for the month, press Enter to open it, followed by Escape to cancel.
2. Create a second new appointment, completing the date and start time fields.
3. When you reach the "Subject" field, simply press Enter without typing anything. The previous subject will be used and, if notes were created for it, you can read and edit them. This is useful. If you were taking regular trips to the hospital, and you had stored vital information in the original appointment notes, they will be available to you.
4. When you are satissfied with the new entry, please press Control+Enter to save.

Deleting Appointments.

To delete an appointment, simply locate it from the list of available appointments for a specific month. Then, press the Leasey Key followed by Delete.

Hear Today’s Date.

Pressing Enter on this option in the LeaseyDiary menu will cause the current date to be announced.

Insert Today’s Date into a Document or Letter.

As the option suggests, activating this menu item will cause today’s date to be typed into the current document. Please be sure that the cursor is in an editing window before you activate this menu item!

What Day Is This?

Activating this item will bring into view an Edit Field and, when a date is entered into it and the Enter key pressed, it will place the day on which it falls into the JAWS Virtual Viewer. Please type a date as eight figures. Again, this is dependent upon the date format you have selected within the LeaseyManager. For example, in the UK if you wanted to hear the day on which 22 July 2015 falls, please type 22072015, and in the US, you would type 07222015.

This function can also be used for days in the past. So if you wanted to find out on which day your sister was born, type in her date of birth. Pressing Enter will cause the day to be displayed.

Get Days From Dates.

"Get Days From Dates" allows you to specify two dates and Leasey will advise you how many days are between them.

This requires two pieces of information, essentially two dates. When the menu item is activated, as prompted type in the first date in either British or American format, such as 01011980.

Pressing Enter prompts for the second date. type in the second date in either British or American format, such as 01011990. Then press Enter.

The following response (in this case) is returned. 3654 days inclusive of the start date and end date.

As another example, if you want to find out how many days there are between 1 June and 30 June 2019, Leasey would advise: 30 days inclusive of the start date and end date.

Days of Future and Past.

This is the reverse procedure of the above item, "Get Days From Dates".

Let us assume someone wishes to book an appointment with you in 14 days from today. You may not be sure on which date that falls.

When the menu item is activated, type in the number of days forward for which you wish to know the date, such as 14. Then press Enter. The following is returned as of the time of writing. Monday, 17 June 2019.

The "Days of Future and Past" feature, as the name suggests, can also work in the reverse direction. If you insert a minus sign prior to the number of days, such as -14, you will hear what the date was, in our example, two weeks prior to today. At the time of writing, this is reported as: Monday, 20 May 2019.

For the curious, you ought to be able to work out therefore that the day this document section was written is Monday 3 June 2019.

LeaseySelect.

Introduction.

It is essential when working with text to be able to select (or highlight) it. This invariably involves placing the cursor at the start of where you would like the text to be selected and then holding down a number of Keys including the Shift Key. For example, pressing Shift+Down Arrow repeatedly will select successive lines of text. However, if large blocks of text need to be selected, this can cause problems both when holding down the Keys, or in terms of the provision of accurate oral feedback of text which has been selected. Selecting text is necessary for format manipulation, cutting or copying it to the Windows Clipboard or manipulating it in some other way.

Leasey provides a very easy method for selecting text and reviewing the start point of a potential selection. The concept is that you will navigate to the start of the text which is to be selected and mark it with a Keystroke. Next, using any means of text navigation at your disposal (such as the Arrow Keys), move to where you would like the end of the selection to be. This could be many pages if necessary or maybe just a few words. When the potential end point of the selection is reached this is similarly marked with a Keystroke and the text between the two marked points is selected. Text selection using this method is available within Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook (incoming and outgoing messages), the JAWS virtual Viewer, documents within Adobe Reader, Mozilla Thunderbird, QRead, many text edit environments such as Notepad and Wordpad, together with browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Brave.

Using LeaseySelect.

In order to use Leasey to select text, please work through the following two examples:

Example 1.

1. Launch the Microsoft Word application and ensure you are located within a blank document.
2. Type the phrase: This is a test
3. Press the Home Key to move to the start of the line you have just typed.
4. Press the Leasey Key then the Comma Key. JAWS will say “Begin Selection”.
5. Press the End Key to move to the end of the line you have typed. Note that no text has been selected at this juncture and if you have vision you will also notice that there is no visual indication that the text has been selected.
6. Press the Leasey Key then the Full-Stop or Period Key. JAWS announces “End Selection”.
7. If you can see the screen, you will have noticed that the text between the two marked points is selected. Pressing the JAWS Key together with Shift+Down Arrow instructs JAWS to speak the text which has been selected and if all has gone well you should hear the words “selection is this is a test” or something similar.

Please note that the Leasey selection facility can be used within Microsoft Word even if the JAWS “Quick Navigation Keys” have been enabled by pressing Insert+Z. There is no need to exit this mode prior to using a selection command.

Example 2.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and browse to the following web site: www.google.co.uk or www.google.com if you prefer.
2. Once the page has loaded, press Control+Home to reach the top of it.
3. Press the letter B repeatedly if necessary to reach the Button on the page entitled “Google Search Button”.
4. Press the Home Key to move to the start of the line.
5. Press the Leasey Key then Comma and, as before, the start point of the selection is marked.
6. Now press Control+End to move to the end of the web page. JAWS announces the text which is displayed.
7. Now we will introduce to you a new Key combination which is the Leasey Key then Forward Slash. This is the Leasey function entitled “Speak Beginning and End”. This causes JAWS to read the text where the starting point of the selection was marked and the line containing the current cursor position. This is a good indicator of the potential start and end points of selected text particularly if the passage is quite lengthy. Note that if the cursor was placed some way along the line prior to the marking of the start point of the selection, JAWS will read from the selected text to the end of the line. Go ahead and press the Leasey Key then Forward Slash. In this example, JAWS says “first line of selection, Google Search, end line of selection will be”, then JAWS will read the final line of text on the web page since this is the current location. At this point the text is not selected.
8. Press the Leasey Key then Full-stop or Period. JAWS confirms that the end point of the selection has been made.
9. Finally, press the JAWS Key with Shift+Down arrow and all of the selected text will be announced.

Moving Back to the Selection Start Point.

Lets add a further dimension to the selection procedure.

Let us assume that you have marked the start point of a selection, and have then moved the cursor elsewhere. If you wish to return to the start point of the potential selection, you can press the Leasey Key then Control+Comma.

You can also use this keystroke when you have completed the selection. For example, if you select from page 2 of a document through to page 7, and copied the text to the Clipboard, you then may wish to move back to the start point of the selection on page 2. This can be done by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Comma.

Please note that this does not function within Email messages.

What is Leasey Quick Select?

There is nothing at all wrong with using the above methods for selecting text, and indeed many people have done that for years. However, there is an alternative method if you wish to use it, and that is by missing out the final step of ending the selection. In summary, you mark the start point of the potential selection, move the cursor to the end point, but do not mark it with the end selection keystroke. Instead, just go ahead and carry out the action you require, such as Control+C for copy.

Example 3.

1. Launch the Microsoft Word application and ensure you are located within a blank document.
2. Type the phrase: This is a test
3. Press the Home Key to move to the start of the line you have just typed.
4. Press the Leasey Key then the Comma Key. JAWS will say “Begin Selection”.
5. Press the End Key to move to the end of the line you have typed. Note that no text has been selected at this juncture and if you have vision you will also notice that there is no visual indication that the text has been selected.
6. Press Control+C to copy the text to the Windows clipboard.

Note that when you press a keystroke such as Control+C to copy text to the clipboard, there may be a slight pause between the time you press the keystroke and JAWS confirming that the text has been copied.

The following keystrokes are likely to function well using this method:

• Control+X.
• Control+C.
• Control+V.
• Delete.

And in Microsoft Word:

• Control+B.
• Control+I.
• Control+U.
• Control+l.
• Control+R.
• Control+J.
• Control+E.

If you had text already on the clipboard as a further example, and you want to select text so as to paste the content of the clipboard over the top of it, mark the start point of the selection in the usual way. Move the cursor to the end point and press Control+V.

Note that if you begin marking a potential selection, and for whatever reason you do not wish the keystrokes such as Control+C to automatically select the text and copy it when pressed, just press the Escape key. JAWS will confirm that the quick selection process is cancelled. The start marker is still in the place where you set it, so you can go ahead and continue using the old selection method if desired.

Speaking the Contents of the Windows Clipboard.

One of the primary reasons why you would want to select text is to cut or copy it to the Windows Clipboard. The Windows Clipboard is of course a temporary storage area which can be used for holding text which is cut or copied to it for pasting into an alternative location, such as another document or Email message.

When the text has been copied to the Clipboard, you can press the Leasey Key followed by the letter X from within any application. The contents of the Clipboard will be announced. If there is no text on the Clipboard, you will be advised of this.

Why would you want to use this keystroke when JAWS already has a mechanism for displaying the contents of the Windows Clipboard as text?

• If you want to check whether the desired text is on the Clipboard, this is a much faster way of doing so. It is quite possible that you do not want to hear all of the text which is stored there, but it could be helpful to listen to the start of it prior to pressing the Control Key to silence speech, such as the first two or three words. There are occasions where the text you think is selected has not correctly been copied to the Clipboard and this is a very quick way of verifying it.
• If you were to use the JAWS feature to display the contents of the Clipboard, (JAWS Key+Space then C), it can take several seconds for you to gain access to it. This can be three seconds or more which can add up over the course of a day if you are checking the Clipboard frequently.

To clear the contents of the Clipboard at any time press the Leasey Key then Z.

It is worth noting that you can use two further keystrokes in relation to selecting text and the Clipboard. These are:

• Leasey Key Shift+Comma. This will end a selection and copy the text to the Clipboard. So, mark the start of it with the Leasey Key then Comma, move to the end point, and then this time, mark the end point with the Leasey Key then Shift+Comma. The text is selected and it is immediately copied to the Clipboard, replacing the text which was already present there.
• Leasey Key Shift+Full-Stop or Period. This will end a selection and append the text to the Clipboard. So, mark the start of it with the Leasey Key then Comma, move to the end point, and then this time, mark the end point with the Leasey Key then Shift+Full-Stop or Period. The text is selected and it is immediately appended to the Clipboard, separated from the text which already exists there with a blank line.

LeaseyTexts.

Introduction.

A LeaseyText allows you to reproduce a block of text with the minimum of Keystrokes. You will find yourself typing far less text than you used to do before!

A LeaseyText could consist of a short sentence; however it could be a novel or at least a number of paragraphs. If paragraphs are created including blank lines to divide them, they are preserved as part of the LeaseyText.

For example, one of the most common uses for a LeaseyText would be to reproduce text which would terminate a letter or email message, such as a signature. Your LeaseyText may consist of the words “Yours sincerely”, followed by five blank lines, then your name. Recalling a LeaseyText can be achieved by bringing it into a list for easy selection and pasting into a text editable area.

But people use LeaseyTexts in a variety of different ways, to reproduce telephone numbers, addresses, product serial numbers, shopping lists and so much more.

Creating LeaseyTexts.

To create a LeaseyText, you first must ensure that the text you wish to be reproduced in the future is located on the windows Clipboard. This gives extraordinary power and flexibility to the concept of LeaseyTexts. For example, you may receive an email message or a document from a friend or work colleague containing a useful web site and you would like to store this as a LeaseyText so as to pass onto other people during the course of composing an email message.

You have already learned how to select text with the Leasey selection feature in readiness for copying it to the Windows Clipboard. However, the following would be a basic example you may care to use:

1. Open the Microsoft Word application, ensure that a blank document is in focus and type the words “Yours sincerely”.
2. Press the Enter Key 5 times on the Keyboard so as to create a large blank space between the words “Yours sincerely” and your name which you will type in the next step.
3. Type your name and, if appropriate, press the Enter Key again and type your Job Title.
4. When you are satisfied with the composition of the text, press Control+A on the Keyboard to select all of the text including the blank lines.
5. Press Control+C to copy the selected text to the Windows Clipboard. JAWS says “copied selection to Clipboard” or similar.
6. Press the Leasey Key then the letter X. This speaks all text copied to the Windows Clipboard. You should hear the text you previously typed spoken back to you.
7. Press the Leasey Key then the letter T to store a new LeaseyText. An Edit Field appears and JAWS will invite you to type a name for the LeaseyText. Think about the LeaseyText title carefully. When you retrieve a LeaseyText, one option is to choose it from a vertical list of previously stored items. So you will want a title which can be easily reached using first letter navigation from the list of available LeaseyTexts.
8. Go ahead and type the name you wish to assign to the LeaseyText and press the Enter Key. JAWS will confirm that the LeaseyText has been saved. It will also advise you that you can press the Leasey Key, followed by Windows Key together with Semicolon to create an abbreviation. Please refer to the later section of this documentation concerning the creation of abbreviations.

Recalling a LeaseyText from a List.

Reproducing the content of any LeaseyText is very easy to do. Simply move into an editable environment, such as a Microsoft Word document, Internet Form Field or Email message. When you are ready to insert the LeaseyText into the editable area, press the Leasey Key followed by the letter L. Leasey will bring into view a list of all the LeaseyTexts previously stored. Use the Down Arrow Key to locate the LeaseyText you wish to reproduce within your text, (or first letter navigation if you prefer), then press Enter. It is as easy as that! After a short pause, JAWS will confirm that the LeaseyText contents have been reproduced. The cursor is placed at the end of the text.

Editing a LeaseyText.

A LeaseyText which is suitable for you today may not be useful tomorrow. However, there may be just one part of the LeaseyText you wish to change. This is very easy as you can bring into view a list of LeaseyTexts to edit.

Press the Leasey Key followed by the letter E. Again, this Keystroke causes Leasey to bring into view a list of LeaseyTexts stored on the computer. However, this time, when you press the Enter Key on any one of them, you will be taken into a text file containing the words which appear in the LeaseyText. You can edit the text as you wish and then press Control+S to save the file and then ALT+F4 to close down the Notepad program displaying the LeaseyText. The newly edited text is now immediately available when you insert the LeaseyText into an editable area.

There can be situations where you may wish to review a LeaseyText rather than edit it. This can be done using the JAWS Virtual Viewer.

Press the Leasey Key then V. Again, a list of all your LeaseyTexts will appear. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to find the LeaseyText you wish to view, then press Enter. The text will then be displayed within the Virtual Viewer. Press Escape to close the LeaseyText and return to the application in which you were previously working.

If you wish to return to the reading of the LeaseyText in the virtual Viewer, press the Leasey Key then ALT+V. You will find that the LeaseyText is displayed again for you to read, and Leasey has usefully remembered your place. This method of recalling a LeaseyText is ideal for reading a set of instructions. You can always close it by pressing Escape, carry out a task on your computer, and then return to it and continue reading.

"Renaming a LeaseyText.

You may decide at a later date that you would like to rename one of your LeaseyTexts. This can be done in the "Renaming and Moving Centre", activated with the Leasey Key then Control+R.

Activating this keystroke presents you with a List Box. Each item in the list relates to a Leasey component you can name or move from one place to another. Go ahead and press Down Arrow, or the letter "T", to reach the item labelled "Texts". Then press Enter.

You are now presented with a list of LeaseyTexts which you can rename. Select one of them with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or by typing the first few letters of its name, then press Enter.

Finally, when prompted, type the new name for the LeaseyText and press Enter. You will hear the old name followed by the new one.

Deleting a LeaseyText.

A LeaseyText can be deleted as follows:

1. Press the Leasey Key then the letter L to bring into view a list of all LeaseyTexts previously stored on the computer.
2. Press the Down Arrow Key or use first letter navigation until you reach the LeaseyText you would like to delete.
3. Press the Leasey Key followed by the Delete Key. The LeaseyText will be deleted and this will be confirmed.

Creating an Abbreviation.

If you find that you are reproducing a LeaseyText on a regular basis, you may like to consider assigning it to an abbreviation. This means that you do not need to select the LeaseyText from the list, but rather, you will type a series of characters instead, followed by a Leasey keystroke. This will make the process of recreating the text passage extremely quick and easy. If you forget the text characters which make up the abbreviation, we have that covered as well. Please work through the following steps which will give you all the information you need.

1. Press the Leasey Key, followed by Windows Key together with Semicolon.
2. A list of all the LeaseyTexts previously stored will be presented to you. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys in order to move through the list.
3. When you reach the name of a LeaseyText to which you wish to assign an abbreviation, press Enter.
4. Type the new Abbreviation. For example, if you are attaching an Abbreviation to a signature, you might like to type the characters, sig.
5. When the Abbreviation has been typed, press Enter. JAWS confirms that the Abbreviation has been stored and it is spelled out character by character.

To reproduce an Abbreviation:

1. Focus within a text edit area, such as a Microsoft Word document or Email message.
2. Type the abbreviation, but do not press the Space Bar.
3. Press the Windows Key together with the Apostrophe (or single quote) key. Please do not preceed this keystroke with the Leasey Key.
4. If an Abbreviation is found which matches the series of characters you typed, the full text will be reproduced.

To review a list of all the Abbreviations created, press Control+Windows+Apostrophe. Please do not preceed this keystroke with the Leasey Key. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the list. You will hear the name of the LeaseyText followed by the Abbreviation, such as "Signature equals sig". Note that prior to reading the list of Abbreviations, you will be advised that pressing Enter on any of them will delete it, so please be careful!

As previously indicated, pressing Enter on any item in this list will delete the Abbreviation, but not the LeaseyText itself. Therefore, if you inadvertently delete one of your Abbreviations, you can simply work through the steps above to restore it at a later time.

Two final notes. If you delete a LeaseyText (as described above), any Abbreviation you may have assigned to it previously will also be removed.

Secondly, notice how the keystrokes pertaining to all aspects of managing Abbreviations are available when your fingers are close to the Home Row of keys on the keyboard. This is especially important for the keystroke which reproduces an Abbreviation, Windows Key+Apostrophe. The whole point about the reproduction of an Abbreviation is that it should be fast!

Renaming an Abbreviation.

You may decide at a later date that you would like to redefine one of your LeaseyAbbreviations. This can be done in the "Renaming and Moving Centre", activated with the Leasey Key then Control+R.

Activating this keystroke presents you with a List Box. Each item in the list relates to a Leasey component you can name or move from one place to another. Go ahead and press Down Arrow, or the letter "T", to reach the item labelled "Abbreviations". Then press Enter.

You are now presented with a list of LeaseyAbbreviations which you can rename. Select one of them with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or by typing the first few letters of its name, then press Enter.

Finally, when prompted, type the new series of characters representing the LeaseyAbbreviation, and press Enter. You will hear the new LeaseyAbbreviation spelled out character by character.

LeaseyClips.

What is a LeaseyClip.

LeaseyClips are very much like LeaseyTexts except that they are more convenient to use for a quick text transfer as they do not require you to name them. LeaseyClips are for grabbing segments of text you just want to use on a temporary basis for pasting perhaps into an email message or another document.

For example, if you regularly write reports and you wish to always reproduce the same text time after time, use a LeaseyText to store it, give it a name so you can easily recall it in the future, and save it. It will always be there for you.

If, on the other hand, you are reading a web page on which you can see comparisons of five hotels you and a friend may wish to visit, use LeaseyClips to copy the five segments of text and paste them into an email to them in any order you like. LeaseyClips would be used because you are unlikely to want that information in the future.

Up to twelve LeaseyClips are available to you and the keystrokes for creating, pasting, reviewing or amending them are accessed using the function keys on the computer keyboard. The Function Keys are of course located on the top row of the keyboard. These keys are either pressed by themselves or in conjunction with other keyboard modifier keys: The Control, Shift or Windows Keys.

F1 is associated with LeaseyClip 1 and F12 is associated with LeaseyClip 12. That would make sense wouldn’t it?

In a moment, we will work through an example of how to use LeaseyClips. However in summary, pressing the Leasey Key followed by F1 through to F12 by themselves will copy text to a LeaseyClip. Pressing the Leasey Key then Control+F1 through to Control+F12 will speak the LeaseyClip. Pressing Shift+F1 through to Shift+F12 will paste the LeaseyClip. Finally pressing the Leasey Key then Windows+F1 through to Windows+F12 will amend a LeaseyClip.

All text to be copied to a LeaseyClip should ideally be selected first. If no text is selected, an Edit Field may be displayed into which you can type or paste any text you like. Please keep reading to learn more about the LeaseyClips Edit Field.

In our example, we will focus upon using LeaseyClip 1.

1. Launch the Microsoft Word program.
2. Type this line of text: I am very much enjoying using Leasey.
3. Press the Home Key to move to the beginning of the line of text you have just typed. Because it is only a single line of text, we can simply press Shift+End to select it.
4. Press the Leasey Key followed by F1. An Edit Field will appear containing the text of the line you selected. If you wish to edit it, please go ahead and do so now, then press enter.
5. This text is now stored as LeaseyClip 1 and you will hear the words “LeaseyClip 1 copied”.
6. Unselect the text by pressing Right arrow.
7. Press Enter twice to create a blank line between the text you have typed and that which you are about to paste into the document from LeaseyClip 1.
8. To verify the text which is associated with LeaseyClip 1, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+F1. You will hear “LeaseyClip 1”, then a short pause, then the text copied to it, which is in this example “I am very much enjoying using Leasey”.
9. Press the Leasey Key followed by Shift+F1 to paste the contents of LeaseyClip 1 into your document. You will hear the words “LeaseyClip 1 pasted”.
10. If you review the text in your document, you will observe that there are now two instances of the sentence. Leasey is capable of pasting LeaseyClips with extremely long strings of text associated with them into documents very quickly.
11. Press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+F1. A Dialog Box will appear asking if you would like to delete LeaseyClip 1. Select the “Yes” Button by pressing the letter “Y”, or by pressing Tab until it is reached, followed by the Space Bar. You will be advised that LeaseyClip 1 has been cleared. It is not necessary to delete LeaseyClips before you use them again. What makes them convenient and easy to use is that they can just be overwritten at any point, but the functionality for deleting the contents from a LeaseyClip is available should you wish to use it.

If you press ALT+Control+Windows+Semicolon repeatedly, this will change whether or not an Edit Field is brought into view when you attempt to copy text to a LeaseyClip. If you enable this option, an Edit Field will appear containing the text you are about to copy. This is useful in order that you can review it, or even change it, prior to pressing Enter so as to store the text as a LeaseyClip.

If this option is enabled, and you have not selected text ready for copying, Leasey will display in the Edit Field the text which had previously been stored, if it exists.

To improve productivity however, you may wish to disable this feature. There is a strong possibility that, if you select text ready for copying, you know you have done so and you do not need to review it. In this circumstance, you can quickly copy the text and move onto the next job you have to do, such as copying text to other LeaseyClips.

There is another advantage of using LeaseyClips in conjunction with this second mode of operation, where the Edit Field is not displayed.

If text has not been selected prior to attempting to copy to a LeaseyClip, the data on the Windows Clipboard will be used instead. If no text exists on the Clipboard, and you have not selected any text, you are advised of this.

Amending LeaseyClips.

As yet, we have not discussed how you can delete or remove a LeaseyClip. In short, you don't need to. Simply overwriting it will cause the newly copied content to be the new LeaseyClip. However, it is possible to delete the content of LeaseyClips by using the Amend keystrokes, Leasey Key then Windows+F1 through to Windows+F12.

When you press one of these keystrokes, you will be presented with a list of three choices: Protect LeaseyClip, Unprotect LeaseyClip and Delete LeaseyClip.

Delete LeaseyClip, the final option, is self-explanatory.

If you were to press Enter on the option for protecting a LeaseyClip, this means that whenever you attempt to copy new content to the LeaseyClip, Leasey will prevent you from doing that. For example:

• Be sure you have some text copied to LeaseyClip 1.
• Press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+F1.
• From the menu which is revealed, choose the first option so as to protect the LeaseyClip. Press Enter to activate it.
• Now go ahead and select some new content and try to copy it to LeaseyClip 1 by pressing the Leasey Key then F1. You will find that the LeaseyClip cannot be overwritten.
• In the future, should you wish to unprotect the LeaseyClip, again press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+F1. This time, choose the second option which is Unprotect LeaseyClip. Press Enter to unprotect it and, once again, you are able to place new content onto it.

You now know everything there is to know about LeaseyClips. Easy wasn’t it? Have fun with them! It is surprising how useful they can be.

LeaseyNotes.

If you're a person who creates many notes to remind you of tasks to do, you'll appreciate this next feature, LeaseyNotes.

Within previous sections of this document, we've discussed creating LeaseyTexts to reproduce important items later. This involved opening a word processor prior to typing the text. But if you're working on something, maybe you are writing an Email or document, there are times when you just want to spontaneously write something down. Maybe it's an idea you've had for a project that you are working on and you just need a quick note to jog your memory in the future. This is the prime purpose of a LeaseyNote although there are others which will be described to you.

You do not need to open a word processor to create a LeaseyNote. From any application, press the Leasey Key followed by alt+windows+"N".

Focus is now automatically in Notepad, and you would compose the note in the same way you would usually compose a block of text. Type "Call John later this afternoon, 0987654321." Press Control+Enter to save.

You are now asked what you would like to do with that note. Do you want to copy it to one of the twelve LeaseyClips? Do you want to store it as a LeaseyText? Pressing Enter on any of these items in the list will cause that action to be carried out, and previous Chapters have discussed the ways in which you would use those functions. If you press Enter on the item to create a LeaseyText, you do not need to open up a word processor and copy the text to the Windows Clipboard. The LeaseyText is created based on the note.

But the last item is "Store as Note Under Category". Recall the substance of this note. You want to call John later today, and in a short while, we'll see how we can view notes under a specific category. So this category might be called "Today's Tasks". When we review that category later on, we'll learn about all the things we still need to do today. Press Enter on this option to move into the category area.

If no categories exist, you are invited to type a new name for it. If you have previously stored notes under categories, you will find there is a list of these. Moving to a category by pressing Down Arrow, and then pressing Enter, will cause the note to be filed under the chosen category.

At the top of the list is an item, "Add New Category". Please select that item and press Enter.

You are asked for the name of the category. Type "Today's Tasks". Press Enter to move to the next stage.

You now need to give the note a title. This is about John's phone call, so type, John Call. The name in this instance should be an abbreviated form of what the note is about but with enough information to remind you of its purpose. Press Enter once more.

The saving process is now complete.

Time has moved on, and you need to review the list of tasks still outstanding for today. To do that, press the Leasey Key then Shift+L.

You are presented with your list of previously defined categories. Use the Down Arrow key to locate "today's Tasks" and press Enter.

As you would expect, you now have a list of notes under the category of "Today's Tasks". In a moment, we will ask you to find the required note and press Enter to read it to remind you of John's phone number. But if you change your mind, perhaps you have inadvertently chosen the wrong category, press Escape and you will find yourself back at the category list.

"today's Tasks" is the category you want in this example, so select that and press Enter.

Now, select the note regarding John's phone call, and press Enter.

You can now read the text, and call him. Because the text is in the JAWS Virtual Viewer, you are able to review it, one character at a time, making it easier to dial the phone number.

In the event you wish to edit the note, a link is available towards the bottom of the screen which allows you to do that. Press Enter on the link and you should now be able to edit the note. Press Control+Enter to save.

Renaming and Deleting a Note or Category.

You may decide at a later date that you would like to rename one of your LeaseyNotes or Categories. This can be done in the "Renaming and Moving Centre", activated with the Leasey Key then Control+R.

Activating this keystroke presents you with a List Box. Each item in the list relates to a Leasey component you can name or move from one place to another. Go ahead and press Down Arrow until you reach either Categories or Notes, then press Enter.

You are now presented with a list of Categories or Notes which you can rename. Select one of them with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or by typing the first few letters of its name, then press Enter.

Finally, when prompted, type the new name for the Note or Category and press Enter. You will hear the old name followed by the new one.

As you move through the Renaming and Moving Centre, you will have likely discovered an option to move a Note from one Category to another. Pressing Enter on this item will first ask you to select the Category in which the original Note appears. Select this with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or type the first characters of its title. Then press Enter.

Next, you are asked for the name of the Note. Select this with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or type the first characters of its title. Then press Enter.

Finally, you are asked which Category it should be moved to. Select this with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or type the first characters of its title. Then press Enter.

You will hear the details of the old Category followed by the new one it has been moved to.

To delete a note, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Control+L to bring into view the list of them. Locate the one you would like to delete and press the Leasey Key followed by Delete. Please be careful because once you do this it cannot be made available again.

LeaseyCuts.

Introduction.

Have you ever created a Microsoft Word document at your place of work and needed to save it in a specific folder which is located on a network drive several sub-folders deep? Is there a folder which you need to access regularly and you do not have the skills to create a Windows Shortcut on your desktop pointing to that folder? Have you created a thesis, essay, novel or document template which you need to access on a regular basis? Are there web sites you would like to access quickly but you don’t necessarily want to launch your preferred web browser to get there?

These are all very typical examples of situations for which LeaseyCuts can be used. We are sure you can think of many others. LeaseyCuts allow you to:

• Create convenient keyboard access to folders stored on your computer (or perhaps an external source such as a USB flash or network drive).
• Instantly open any file (again stored on your computer or externally).
• Launch web pages within your favourite web browser.
• Save documents (or files) in the folders to which LeaseyCuts have been assigned.
• Get instant access to folders when wishing to attach a document to an Email message.

Storing a LeaseyCut.

LeaseyCuts Pointing to Files and Folders.

Before you can assign a LeaseyCut to a file or folder, you need to learn about one of the most essential tools on your computer, File Explorer.

What is File Explorer?

Each computer contains a number of “drives”. These are the main storage areas which house your computer's files and folders. Each drive has a letter associated with it. You can store material in, and retrieve items from, a computer drive or any folders you create on the chosen drive.

Typically, the drive which has a letter of “C” associated with it contains important data necessary for your computer to run. However, it is possible to store folders located on this lettered drive into which you may decide to place documents or other files.

Another way of looking at this would be to envisage that each lettered drive is like a filing cabinet. You may use at least one of the filing cabinets into which to place folders. In a folder, you could place some documents, audio files or any other content.

The vehicle for the creation and examination of your folders is called “File Explorer”.

If you are already familiar with the concept of creating (and browsing through) folders on your computer you do not need to work through this exercise and you can skip to the next section.

To create a folder on drive “C” of your computer entitled “Letters” please follow these steps.

1. Press the Windows Key+E to enter File Explorer.
2. You should now be focused upon a vertical list of drives, with each one being denoted by a specific letter. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to locate a drive. We are looking for drive "C".
3. When the chosen drive has been located, press Enter to move into it.
4. Now use the Up or Down Arrow keys to explore all the folders currently present on drive "C". There will be quite a number of them. You can also use first letter navigation to locate something more quickly. For example, on drive "C", if you press the letter "L" repeatedly, you will locate a folder called "LeaseyData". This is where a good deal of Leasey functionality lives. You do not need to be concerned with the content of this folder, but it will help you to understand the concept.
5. When a folder is located that you wish to examine, press Enter to move into it. You may then see a number of further folders or files. You will know the difference because, when you find a file, the name will be announced followed by what is known as a file extension. A good example would be "My First Document.txt", indicating that the title is "My First Document" and the extension for it is ".txt", meaning a text file. There are many such extensions which go way beyond the scope of this document.
6. To return to the previous folder, press the Backspace key. Focus will return to the folder list and the one you just entered will be selected.
7. To create a folder, press ALT+2 or Control+Shift+N. Into the Edit Field provided, type a name for the folder, such as "Letters" and press Enter.

Creating a LeaseyCut Pointing to a File or Folder.

Now we know a little about File Explorer, we can describe the process of creating a LeaseyCut pointing to a file or folder. Any file can be accessed through a LeaseyCut, such as a Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or a simple text file created in Microsoft Notepad, which is a very basic word processor. So if you always have a shopping list you need to refer to, or maybe a form you need to complete at work, storing a LeaseyCut pointing to it is quick and easy.

Similarly, if you wish to attach a LeaseyCut pointing to a folder, such as that containing frequently used documents, this too is easily achieved. Once created, LeaseyCuts provide a highly efficient way of locating these items.

To store a LeaseyCut pointing to a file or folder:

1. Using File Explorer, locate the item to which you wish to attach the LeaseyCut. In summary, please find the file or folder, but do not open it.
2. Press the Leasey Key then Control+S. A Dialog Box will appear requesting that you type the name of the LeaseyCut. In time, this title will be reflected in a convenient List Box from which you will access your LeaseyCuts and so the object of this exercise is to ensure that a short name is given. You can either type a name into the Edit Field or accept the default text which is displayed, since Leasey has usefully captured the title of the file or folder. But in summary, this text is highlighted so you can type a new name immediately over the top of the old one. Tip: When you have typed the new name, press Insert+Up Arrow to have it spoken back to you. If it is not what you intended, you can always edit the text at this stage.
3. When the new LeaseyCut title has been entered, press the Enter key to move to the next stage.
4. An Edit Field will now be displayed containing the full path as to where the folder or file is located. Please review this with the Left and Right Arrow keys to ensure it is as you intended. When you are satisfied with the location, press Enter and the LeaseyCut will be saved. You will be advised of this.

Creating a LeaseyCut Pointing to a Webpage.

Now we will create a LeaseyCut pointing to a webpage. Please follow these steps:

1. Using your web browser in which you prefer to access the site, browse to the webpage to which you wish to attach the LeaseyCut. Please consider this step carefully. Some web sites are more responsive and usable with specific web browsers. For example, a page on YouTube is likely to respond more favourably with JAWS when used in conjunction with Google Chrome. Therefore, you should consider this before creating the LeaseyCut. When you launch the page in the future using the LeaseyCut you are about to create, the site will be opened in the browser you specify.
2. Using File Explorer, locate the item to which you wish to attach the LeaseyCut. In summary, please find the file or folder, but do not open it.
3. Press the Leasey Key then Control+S. A Dialog Box will appear requesting that you type the name of the LeaseyCut. In time, this title will be reflected in a convenient List Box from which you will access your LeaseyCuts and so the object of this exercise is to ensure that a short name is given. The edit field should contain no text so you must give the LeaseyCut a title. Tip: When you have typed the new name, press Insert+Up Arrow to have it spoken back to you. If it is not what you intended, you can always edit the text at this stage.
4. When the new LeaseyCut title has been entered, press the Enter key and the LeaseyCut will be created. You will be advised of this.

Using LeaseyCuts.

There are two distinct ways in which LeaseyCuts can be used. They can either be used to launch an item or to type the path of a folder.

Launching a LeaseyCut.

In order to launch the folder or document from any application using the LeaseyCut please follow these steps:

1. Press the Leasey key followed by Control+L for List of LeaseyCuts pointing to files or folders, or alternatively, the Leasey Key followed by Control+Semicolon to access a list of LeaseyCuts pointing to web pages.
2. A List Box appears containing all the LeaseyCuts you have previously assigned. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the List Box or, if you know the name of the item you wish to view, press its first letter. You will note that, if accessing the list of LeaseyCuts pointing to files or folders, alongside each item in the List Box is a description of what the LeaseyCut points to. This can be a document or folder. If you press Insert+Up Arrow (or Caps Lock+Up Arrow if using the JAWS laptop layout) when focused on a LeaseyCut, you will hear the name of the cut together with its path or location.
3. When the desired item has been located, press Enter to launch it. You will hear the announcement “please wait” and after a short pause the required item will be launched.

When within a LeaseyCut in any of the two lists mentioned above, when focused on an item you can press Control+C to copy the path or web page URL to the Windows Clipboard.

Entering a LeaseyCut Folder Path.

There will be situations where you wish Leasey to type the path of a folder to which a LeaseyCut is pointing. We will provide two examples of where you may use such an approach:

Example 1: Microsoft Word “Save As” Dialog Box

1. Create a document in Microsoft Word.
2. Press Control+S to enter the Microsoft Word “Save As” Dialog Box.
3. Press the Leasey key then Control+P (for “Path”).
4. A List Box of your LeaseyCuts will appear. Locate the correct LeaseyCut which will have the word “Folder” next to it. This is where the document will be saved.
5. Press Enter. The required path is inserted into the Microsoft Word “Save As” Dialog Box followed by a further “Backslash” character.
6. Type the file name and press Enter. The file is now saved in the correct folder.

Example 2: Browsing to a Folder within Microsoft Outlook

1. Create a new message in Microsoft Outlook.
2. Move to the “Attach File” Dialog Box. For example this should be achieved by pressing ALT+N, then A, then F.
3. When focused within the “File Name” Edit Field, press the Leasey key then Control+P (for “Path”).
4. A List Box of your LeaseyCuts will appear. Locate the correct LeaseyCut which will have the word “Folder” next to it. This is the title of the folder you will be browsing for a file to attach to your message.
5. Press Enter. The required path is inserted into the Edit Field.
6. Press Enter again and then Shift+Tab twice in order to start browsing the list of files within the folder you have selected.
7. When you locate the file you wish to attach to the message, press Enter to do so.

Deleting and Renaming a LeaseyCut.

You may decide at a later date that you would like to rename one of your LeaseyCuts. This can be done in the "Renaming and Moving Centre", activated with the Leasey Key then Control+R.

Activating this keystroke presents you with a List Box. Each item in the list relates to a Leasey component you can name or move from one place to another. Go ahead and press Down Arrow, or the letter "C", to reach the item labelled "Cuts". Then press Enter.

You are now presented with a list of LeaseyCuts which you can rename. Select one of them with the Up or Down Arrow keys, or by typing the first few letters of its name, then press Enter.

Finally, when prompted, type the new name for the LeaseyCut and press Enter. You will hear the old name followed by the new one.

To delete a LeaseyCut:

1. Press the Leasey key then Control+L to bring into view a list of LeaseyCuts. If you would like to delete a LeaseyCut for web pages, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Semicolon instead
2. Navigate to the LeaseyCut you wish to delete.
3. Press the Leasey key followed by the Delete key. The LeaseyCut will be removed from the list and you will be advised of this.

LeaseyAlerts.

Introduction.

Have you ever been confronted with a situation where you've been to a website, and you always want to come back to the same place if it exists each time you visit it? Google would be a very good example, When you've searched for something, and the new page loads, you do not want to have to find where the search results start.

A LeaseyAlert will not only advise you that the text exists, but it will also set focus to the relevant area of the page. All you need do is set up the LeaseyAlert and then forget about it, unless you want to delete it.

Setting a LeaseyAlert.

Please note: while examples of LeaseyAlert creation and usage are given in relation to individual web sites, it is more than possible that the content of the web sites concerned will have changed following publication of this User Guide. The examples given therefore are just that: mere examples of hypothetical situations which will need to be adapted according to the individual web sites being used.

We will first create a LeaseyAlert to set focus to the Search results on Google.

1. Visit www.google.co.uk or www.google.com.
2. In the Search Edit Field, type the words "dog food" and press Enter to carry out the search.
3. When the new page loads, press the letter H until you hear the words, "Search Results".
4. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+A to set the LeaseyAlert. An Edit Field will be available to you containing the text of the current line on the page, in this case, "Search Results".
5. If this is correct, press Enter to save the LeaseyAlert.
6. Now, into the Google Search Edit Field, type "Cat Food" and press Enter to carry out the search.
7. Notice how, this time, you hear the LeaseyAlert sound and the JAWS virtual Cursor is placed on the words, "Search Results". You can now press Down Arrow to read them.

We will vary that example slightly now by setting a LeaseyAlert on the Amazon website.

1. Browse to www.amazon.co.uk or www.amazon.com.
2. In the Search Edit Field, type a search term, such as "The Beatles", and press Enter.
3. Look for the first Heading on the page which will read something like "1-16 of 69,238 results for the beatles."
4. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+A to set the LeaseyAlert. An Edit Field will be available to you containing the text of the current line on the page, in this case, "1-16 of 69,238 results for the beatles."
5. Please edit this text carefully and give it some thought. When you visit this page again, you are not going to be searching for the Beatles, nor are the number of results returned going to be the same. On this page, you are in the future going to search for the word "results". So please either edit the text until only that word is available, or just type the word "results" over the top of the text displayed. We will type the word, "results", without a capital letter "R".
6. Press Enter to save.
7. Now carry out a further search on amazon. This time, we will search for the movie, "Gone with the Wind". Please type it into the Search Edit Field and press Enter.
8. Notice how, this time, you hear the LeaseyAlert sound and the JAWS virtual Cursor is placed on the phrase containing the word , "results". You can now press Down Arrow to read them.

If you do not wish Leasey to speak the line when a LeaseyAlert is found, press the Leasey Key followed by Shift+dash (to the immediate right of zero on the desktop keyboard). Pressing this key combination repeatedly rotates between character, word, line, sentence, paragraph and SayAll. So, if you select line, the line of text will be announced. If you selected SayAll, JAWS will begin reading from the cursor position of the LeaseyAlert, either until the end of the document is reached or until you press the Control key. This setting is retained even if the computer is restarted.

Deleting a LeaseyAlert.

To delete a LeaseyAlert, simply focus upon the webpage to which it is attached, and press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+D.

LeaseyPoints.

Introduction.

The LeaseyPoints facility is an extremely powerful tool which will dramatically assist you while working with your documents and when navigating web pages on the Internet. LeaseyPoints allow you to locate passages of text upon demand.

LeaseyPoints can be created within Microsoft Word, Microsoft Edge, Brave or Google Chrome. Up to 10 LeaseyPoints can be set for each file, website or webpage. There is also the facility to set a global set of LeaseyPoints which can be used within any document or web page.

Using LeaseyPoints in Microsoft Word.

LeaseyPoints can be used while reading Microsoft Word documents (such as books, journals or reports) where the text is unlikely to be changed, and also when you are constantly interacting with a document you are working on. After all, Microsoft Word is a word processor isn’t it? Of course you are going to change the text in a document! LeaseyPoints have great value in either circumstance. LeaseyPoints can be used within Microsoft Word even if the JAWS “Quick Navigation Keys” have been enabled by pressing the JAWS Key and Z. There is no need to exit this mode prior to setting or retrieving a LeaseyPoint.

You can set LeaseyPoints by first pressing the Leasey Key followed by Control+1 through to Control+0 to represent the 10 LeaseyPoints which can potentially be set. So pressing the LeaseyKey followed by Control+1 will set LeaseyPoint 1 and pressing the Leasey Key followed by Control+0 will set LeaseyPoint 10.

1. Please open a blank Microsoft Word document and type two short paragraphs. For example, you might start the first paragraph with the words "I am very much enjoying using Leasey!"
2. Press Control+Home To make sure you are at the top of your document.
3. Press Control+Right Arrow until the word, "Much", is spoken.
4. Set a LeaseyPoint by pressing the Leasey Key and then Control+1. You will hear a low musical tone to indicate the LeaseyPoint has been set. The greater the LeaseyPoint number, the higher the tone. LeaseyPoints are designed to be quick and easy to use. There is no need to delete an existing LeaseyPoint before setting a new one of the same number in an alternative location. So, if you’ve already set LeaseyPoint 1 elsewhere in this document, it will be overwritten automatically.
5. Insure that you are still located on the first word of your first paragraph and type the following: “I’ll add a new paragraph to my document. As a result, the line of text that I set to a LeaseyPoint will be in a different location.”
6. Now press the ENTER Key twice to place a blank line between this new paragraph and the existing ones.
7. Press the Leasey Key and then press the number 1 by itself. Again, you will hear the sound indicating LeaseyPoint 1 and although the line of text you originally set the LeaseyPoint to is not in the same location as before, focus will move to the LeaseyPoint and speak the line. Not only that, but observe that the cursor is placed at the start of the word, "Much", which was the original location of the cursor prior to setting the LeaseyPoint.

If you do not wish Leasey to speak the line when a LeaseyPoint is found, press the Leasey Key followed by dash (to the immediate right of zero on the desktop keyboard). Pressing this key combination repeatedly rotates between character, word, line, sentence, paragraph and SayAll. So, if you select line, the line of text will be announced. If you selected SayAll, JAWS will begin reading from the cursor position of the LeaseyPoint, either until the end of the document is reached or until you press the Control key. This setting is retained even if the computer is restarted.

When you return to this document in the future, JAWS will announce that LeaseyPoints are available.

To bring into view a list of LeaseyPoints for the document, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Control+P. The list shows the text pertaining to each LeaseyPoint, with each one being preceeded by a number. The number denotes the LeaseyPoint assigned to the text in the list item and is designed so you can get to learn which LeaseyPoint is associated with each part of text. Use the Down Arrow key to move to the part of the text you wish to locate and then press Enter.

LeaseyPoints Using Brave, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

Now we will look at using LeaseyPoints on the Internet.

Please note: while examples of LeaseyPoint creation and usage are given in relation to individual web sites, it is more than possible that the content of the web sites concerned will have changed following publication of this User Guide. The examples given therefore are just that: mere examples of hypothetical situations which will need to be adapted according to the individual web sites being used.

If you do not wish Leasey to speak the line when a LeaseyPoint is found, press the Leasey Key followed by dash (to the immediate right of zero on the desktop keyboard). Pressing this key combination repeatedly rotates between character, word, line, sentence, paragraph, SayAll and Activate Link. So, if you select line, the line of text will be announced. If you selected SayAll, JAWS will begin reading from the cursor position of the LeaseyPoint, either until the end of the document is reached or until you press the Control key. This setting is retained even if the computer is restarted.

If the Activate Link option is selected, and if a LeaseyPoint is attached to a link, the link will be automatically activated. This saves you time if you wish to associate a LeaseyPoint to a link pointing to a web page. Activating the LeaseyPoint in the future will cause JAWS to move to that link and activate it, thus taking you to the selected page the link points to. A powerful feature!

In the event that the Activate Link option has been set, and you associate a LeaseyPoint to text which does not form part of a link, the current line is announced instead.

1. Please launch your web browser and browse to www.google.com or www.google.co.uk if you prefer.
2. Carry out a search for “Strawberry Picking”. Press Enter to begin the search.
3. On the new page which is loaded, please press the letter “H” repeatedly until JAWS says, “Search Results”. Our intention is to set a LeaseyPoint on this page so we can always locate the term “Search Results”, since in the future, this will take us quite near to where the results begin.
4. Press ALT+Windows+Control+Dash repeatedly until JAWS says "Domain Mode". There are two types of LeaseyPoints you can create on web pages, those specific to a domain (which relates to the entire web site), or for an individual page). In this example, we do need the LeaseyPoint set to a specific domain. If we do not put this in place, Leasey will not be able to locate the chosen phrase when you carry out a subsequent search on Google, as the address of the page is different each time. This setting remains in place even when you restart the computer and is in most cases the one you require.
5. Press the Leasey Key then Control+1. A sound will play and JAWS will announce that LeaseyPoint 1 has been set.
6. Now carry out another Google search, but this time, please search for “Delicious fruits”. Press Enter to begin the search.
7. When the new page has been loaded containing the search results, you will notice that, in addition to announcing the number of Headings and Links on the page, JAWS also speaks the term “Leasey Points”, indicating that at least one LeaseyPoint is available. press the Leasey Key followed by figure 1. Focus is moved to the position of the LeaseyPoint and the sound plays to indicate that LeaseyPoint 1 has been located.

To bring into view a list of LeaseyPoints for the page, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Control+P. The list shows the text pertaining to each LeaseyPoint, with each one being preceeded by a number. The number denotes the LeaseyPoint assigned to the text in the list item and is designed so you can get to learn which LeaseyPoint is associated with each part of text. Use the Down Arrow key to move to the part of the text you wish to locate and then press Enter.

Using Default LeaseyPoints.

This feature works in exactly the same way in which you have previously learned to set and locate LeaseyPoints, with one important difference. The default LeaseyPoints will always look for specific text in any document or web page.

Let us assume that you always want to look for the phrase, "Chapter 3", whichever document you happen to be within. This is a good case for using default LeaseyPoints. So lets learn how to use them with that term, "Chapter 3", in mind.

1. First, we need to switch to default LeaseyPoint mode. We do this by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Dash.
2. Now open the first document containing the term, "Chapter 3", and set a LeaseyPoint by pressing the Leasey Key followed by Control+1.
3. Now open the second document containing the phrase, "Chapter 3".
4. Press the Leasey Key followed by 1. You should find the cursor is placed on the line containing the term, "Chapter 3".

Deleting a LeaseyPoint.

By far the easiest method for removing a LeaseyPoint is to simply overwrite it. For example, if you had set a LeaseyPoint on Google to look for the word, "Results", and you now decide that you want it to locate the word, "Search", instead, just overwrite the LeaseyPoint with the new term by recreating it. There is no need to delete it first, and indeed for Default LeaseyPoints, this is exactly what you should do.

Because you can set up to 10 LeaseyPoints per document or web page, we must take care to ensure that you are deleting the correct one.

1. Focus upon the document or web page on which the LeaseyPoint you wish to remove has been stored.
2. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+Control+D.
3. A list of all the LeaseyPoints you have set for the document or web page appears. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move to the LeaseyPoint you wish to delete, then press Enter to remove it. It should be easy to find which one you wish to delete because Leasey will always display the text associated with the LeaseyPoint.
4. You will also notice that at the bottom of the list is an option to delete all the LeaseyPoints for the focused document or web page. Press Enter to do this.

LeaseyStickyNotes.

Introduction.

As you read a book, document, web page or even an Email, you may like to be reminded of the importance of specific text contained within it in the future. Maybe you are browsing through your Email inbox, and you want to set a little note to remind yourself why you kept a particular message. If you are reading all the files in your music library, you may wish to attach a note to some of them to remind yourself that you would like to copy them elsewhere at a later date.

These are just a few examples of the power of a LeaseySticky Note. Many people annotate passages of text in books for example so they can be reminded of something which is important. As with all Leasey features, a LeaseyStickyNote is easy to set and delete if you wish to do so. Once set, and you reach the item in question in the future, you will hear the text you have typed into the LeaseyStickyNote.

Working with LeaseyStickyNotes.

To set a LeaseyStickyNote, please do the following:

1. Locate the line of text to which you wish to attach the LeaseyStickyNote.
2. Press the Leasey Key then S.
3. A Dialog Box will appear with an Edit Field in focus. Type the text you would like spoken when the line is focused in the future, such as, "This is the most important part of the document. I must quote it in my essay".
4. Now press Enter. You will hear the LeaseyStickyNote text you have entered being spoken back to you.
5. Press the Down Arrow key so as to move away from the line of text.
6. Press Up Arrow once more to focus upon the line of text you originally captured. JAWS will play a sound and will then speak the line, followed by the text you entered into the LeaseySticky Note. The LeaseyStickyNote text is spoken using the JAWS Message voice which, (if using the Eloquence speech synthesiser), is at a lower pitch by default. This is important so you can differentiate between text in the document and that which you have typed into the LeaseyStickyNote.

Now go ahead and find an Email in your Inbox, and again, attach a LeaseyStickyNote to it in the manner described above. Then, focus away from it, (perhaps by pressing Down Arrow), and move back to it with the Up Arrow key. You should hear the sound, the details of the message, followed by the text in the LeaseyStickyNote.

Note that if you move into the Dialog Box by pressing the Leasey Key then S, and do not type any text, press Enter, and you will receive a list of all the StickyNotes you have created. These are displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer so you can easily examine them. The line of text is presented followed by the StickyNote text.

Deleting LeaseySticky Notes.

In order to delete LeaseyStickyNotes, press the Leasey Key then D.

A list of all the LeaseyStickyNotes will appear. The list contains the various text items to which LeaseyStickyNotes have been attached. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the available items. You will notice that, as you move, you will hear the line followed by the text you have composed for the LeaseyStickyNote. In this way, you can be completely sure that you are focused on the correct item to be deleted.

When you reach a LeaseyStickyNote you wish to delete, press Enter. You will be advised that it has been deleted.

At the top of the list of LeaseyStickyNotes to delete, there is an option to delete all of them. Press Enter on this item to carry out this action.

Twitter With Leasey.

Introduction.

Twitter is a micro-blogging service which can be used to exchange quick frequent messages. Particularly in recent months at the time of writing, Twitter has undergone many changes to the extent that there are now two levels of Twitter access available. The standard usage is a free Twitter account allowing you to compose messages of up to 280 characters in length. The second is Twitter Blue allowing messages of up to 10 thousand characters.

For many years, a small number of specially developed applications were available to screen-reader users which made the management of Twitter posts quick and easy. However, again due to recent changes, the majority of such Twitter clients are no longer permitted to access the service. As far as access to Twitter using the Windows operating system is concerned, it is therefore necessary to use either the Twitter app from the Microsoft App Store or the web site at twitter.com. The access you will receive is exactly the same, so it makes sense to use the web site.

While many people would say that Twitter itself provides a number of accessibility enhancements to allow people to use either of these methods of access, the reality is that it is not the most optimum experience. The output from the screen-reader is very verbose, since it delivers a great deal of information potentially you would not wish to hear. It requires that the JAWS Virtual Cursor is disabled in order that the special shortcut keys can be used. Those shortcut keys are not particularly easy to remember. There are a number of other reasons. To this end, Leasey provides some support so you can still access Twitter fairly efficiently using any one of the above mentioned methods of access. The level of access is not going to be of the same high quality and efficiency as previously provided by the older specialist clients. That access is a thing of the past. But it is our hope that the assistance given here will at the very least allow you to keep up-to-date, especially with mainstream organisations who are present there, together with specialist organisations who are showing a considerable reluctance to have a presence on social media platforms where it is well-known the level of accessibility is higher.

It is the view of Hartgen Consultancy that at the time of writing, you would not wish to use Twitter for everyday conversation and interaction, despite the support which has been put in place here. If you are using a screen-reader with Windows, the days of doing that efficiently are gone. The purpose of what follows is to allow you to keep abreast of Twitter activity which may be essential.

What follows is a brief summary of how you might accomplish tasks you may typically wish to work through on Twitter. It is by no means exhaustive and improvements to this access will, if possible, be made over time.

It is also worth mentioning that this is not a tutorial on using Twitter. It does not attempt to explain Twitter terms. The below documentation sections summarise specifically how Leasey can assist you in working with Twitter and nothing more.

Let's Get The Bird To Fly.

When Twitter is launched, at least for the first time, you will want to press Insert+Q (or Caps Lock+Q if you are using the JAWS Laptop Layout). If JAWS announces that the scripts for Twitter are loaded, you can proceed.

A Note About the JAWS Virtual Cursor.

As previously indicated, in order for you to gain a meaningful experience with Twitter, the JAWS Virtual Cursor needs to be disabled. In terms of Leasey, this occurs by default. As soon as you launch Twitter from the web site or via the official app, the Virtual Cursor is switched off and, to a large extent, you can navigate Twitter as if it was a standard application. However, there may be times when you wish to enable it, particularly when customising settings as an example. You can do this at any time by pressing Insert+Z (or Caps Lock+Z if you are using the JAWS laptop layout). This is a toggle action and will enable and disable the feature. Once enabled, Twitter can be accessed in the same way as you would read (and interact with) a regular web page.

Twitter Blue.

Twitter Basic Principles.

From this point forward, when Twitter is accessed, you will probably be on your Home timeline where you will see posts from the people and organisations you follow. Press Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the tweets. You will probably hear the author name, the Twitter username, the time the tweet was posted, the tweet itself and, if appropriate, statistical information such as the number of retweets the post has had and the number of likes.

You may find that you wish to abbreviate some of this information. To do this, activate Abbreviated Mode. This can be toggled on and off with ALT+Windows+A. Once enabled, this setting will remain in effect until you disable it. Enabling Abbreviated Mode has the effect of reducing the output so you hear all the details with the exception of the Twitter username and the time, so it makes navigation a lot less of a chore.

Should you wish to hear all of this information, you can use the JAWS command to read the current line, Insert+Up Arrow (or Caps Lock+Up Arrow if you are using the JAWS laptop layout). Pressing this keystroke twice quickly will allow you to read all of the information in the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer examination, perhaps word by word. Press Escape to close.

The Navigation Experience.

You will notice that your most recently received tweets are at the top of the list. In the majority of cases, as you enter the Twitter platform, the top of the list is the focus. This means that you are reading your tweets in reverse time order which is not the best experience and there is no way of changing it. We cannot think of anyone who, for example, would want to start by reading the concluding part of a news story coverage and to work backwards.

Every effort has been made to ensure that, as you move through a timeline, focus does not move away from the list of tweets. Should this happen, press the Tab key once, then try moving through the posts again with the down Arrow key.

If you think you may have more recent tweets available than those displayed, press full-stop or period to refresh the timeline.

Should you wish to access a link referenced as part of the tweet, press the Tab key repeatedly until JAWS announces the link. Then press Enter. The page referred to should open up as a new tab in your web browser. When you have finished reviewing the page, press Control+F4 so as to return to Twitter.

Keystrokes you may wish to use at this point are:

• ALT+H: Home timeline.
• ALT+Windows+M: Mentions timeline.
• ALT+Windows+D: Direct Messages timeline.
• ALT+Windows+K: Likes timeline.
• ALT+Windows+I: Lists.
• ALT+Windows+P: Profile.
• ALT+Windows+S: Settings.
• ALT+Windows+C: Change Account.
• L: Like a Tweet.
• Forward Slash: Search.
• B: Block a user.
• U: Mute.
• Enter: Open Post.

Post Composition.

To compose a new tweet, press Control+N. Start typing your text into the Edit Field. If you wish to know how many characters have been typed, press Insert+T (or Caps Lock+T if you are using the JAWS laptop layout). You can also use the Leasey Information Key, Leasey Key then I.

In the event your post exceeds the prescribed number of characters, you will hear a soft tick sound. Press the Backspace key repeatedly. When the post is under the maximum length, the tick sound will stop.

To send the message, press Enter or Control+Enter.

Should you wish to attach an image (such as a photo) to the post, press ALT+Windows+P. This takes you into a standard Windows "Browse" Dialog Box. Locate the image and press Enter. Fields are then available which you can move through by pressing Tab and Shift+Tab to allow you to tag the image with alternative text. A LeaseyBite audio tutorial is available which demonstrates this.

To reply to the focused tweet, press Control+R.

To retweet a tweet without quoting, press Control+Shift+R.

To retweet a tweet with quoting, (adding a comment), press Control+Shift+Q.

Viewing a Conversation.

There is a strong likelihood that a Twitter post which is focused will be a reply to a previous message. This is known as being part of a conversation thread. To open up the post so as to view other elements of the conversation, press Enter. You ought then to be able to use the Up and Down Arrow keys to explore the other messages. To return to the timeline with which you were previously working, press the appropriate keystroke to go back. For example, if prior to pressing Enter you were viewing your Home timeline, press ALT+Windows+H. Focus should return to the appropriate timeline and also to your previous position in the timeline.

Playing a Video.

If the tweet contains an embedded video, open it up by pressing Enter, then press Tab to reach the "Play Video" Button and press the Space Bar. You can press the Space Bar again to pause and resume playback.

Switching Accounts.

If you have multiple Twitter accounts, the chances are fairly high that you will wish to switch to a different one. To do this, press ALT+Windows+C. Then press the Tab key repeatedly to reach the account you wish to switch to. When the desired account is announced, press Enter.

Sending a Direct or Private Message.

Sending a direct message is one of the most difficult things you can do using Twitter's own interface. This section of the documentation explains how you might go about it.

1. To begin a new message, or reply to an existing one, press Control+D.
2. You are now in a search Edit Field. Type the name (or part of it) into the text edit area. This searches Twitter for names which match your requirements. If you know the full name, type that so as to narrow the search criteria.
3. Press the Tab key repeatedly. You will reach two items. The first is a Check Box pertaining to the name and the second is a button, again containing the name. Press the Space Bar on the button.
4. Focus returns to the search Edit Field. If necessary, you could add someone else to the conversation using the above procedure.
5. When you are ready to move to the next stage, press Shift+Tab to reach the "Next" Button, then press the Space Bar.
6. You are almost ready to compose your message, but focus is not in the correct location. To move to the "Start a New Message" Edit Field, press Control+Windows+S.
7. Now type your text and press Enter to send.

Searching.

To search for a Twitter account to follow, press Forward Slash. Type what you would like to search for and press Enter.

A list of results is displayed. Press Down Arrow to move through the results. When you wish to follow an account, press Enter to open it.

Now, you can either press the Tab key once to reach the Button to follow the account and press the Space Bar, or to carry out other actions, activate the Context Menu by pressing ALT+Windows+F10.

Working With the Context Menu.

If a tweet is opened, you can activate the Context Menu on it by pressing ALT+Windows+F10. This allows you to follow or unfollow the user, mute the user so you will not see posts again, and other actions. Locate the item you would like with the Up and Down Arrow keys, and press Enter.

LeaseyFacebook.

Introduction.

Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites of all time. The site can be accessed from many devices containing a web browser and is connected to the Internet. The huge popularity of Facebook is just as strong among JAWS users as it is among anyone else. However, many people who use assistive technology on the Web feel less confident about using Facebook because of the considerable number of accessibility challenges the site presents.

For this reason, Leasey contains a specially designed interface for using Facebook, which relies upon the social media website to be found at www.facebook.com.

In addition to providing you with a non-graphical environment, Leasey makes a number of the field labels within Facebook accessible, provides convenient shortcut keys to move to specific areas, contains keystrokes to move to the next and previous News Story, eliminates unnecessary speech and ensures you can post status updates and comments far easier than would otherwise be the case.

In this section of the User Guide, we will take you through using all areas of Facebook supported by Leasey. Please remember that Facebook contains a vast range of features, some of which rely upon visual imagery. We will therefore not walk you through everything that can be achieved, but please see the “Conclusion” section of this Chapter containing further comment on browsing the website. Moreover, Leasey development will continue in this area so as to provide further access to Facebook in the future.

Please note that from time to time Facebook updates the layout of its website. Leasey will endeavour to keep pace with such changes as and when they occur.

Facebook can use either the mobile site or the much larger regular site. Sections of this document will provide detail on how to use the mobile site. Please press figure 2 on your keyboard until you reach the option "Using Facebook Mobile."

Creating a Facebook Account.

The first thing to do before diving into Facebook with JAWS is to create a Facebook account. If you already have an account, feel free to skip this section.

Creating a Facebook account is a very simple process and involves filling out some basic information about yourself so as to create what is known as a “Facebook profile”.

1. Using Microsoft Internet Explorer, browse to www.facebook.com. and press the letter "E" until you fine the edit box labeled “First Name”.
2. If necessary, press Enter to activate Forms Mode and type in your first name.
3. Using the Tab key to move through the form, complete the remaining fields and move to the Sign Up button. All the fields are self-explanatory and ask straightforward questions, such as your Email address, name and date of birth.
4. Press the Space Bar on the “Sign Up” Button.

Your account will now be created and you will be taken to a page where you can begin finding friends and entering your profile information. In addition, an email message will be sent to you containing a Link. You need to activate this Link by pressing Enter on it so as to verify your newly created Facebook account.

Using the Regular Facebook Site.

A Simple Way to Find Friends.

When the account is created, Facebook will suggest ways in which you can find friends. However, here is a quick way to be able to do so.

1. From your Facebook Home Page (described later), press the letter "E" to move to the first Edit Field entitled “Search for People, Places and Things”.
2. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter.
3. Type the name of someone who you think will be on Facebook, such as a celebrity.
4. Press Enter to carry out the search.
5. Press the letter "H" repeatedly and, in time, you will find search results pertaining to the criteria previously entered.
6. When the name is located, press Down Arrow to learn whether this is the person you intended to find. If not, continue to press the letter H.
7. If the desired person is found, press Down Arrow until you find the “Follow” Button and press the Space Bar.

Using LeaseyFacebook and the Leasey Help System.

As usual with Leasey, there are several common factors to using the LeaseyFacebook interface.

• If using LeaseyBasic, LeaseyFacebook can be launched from Leasey’s Main Menu, whereupon the Facebook site will be loaded.
• Pressing the Leasey Application Menu key while focused on the Facebook site will cause the LeaseyFacebook menu to appear from which all the options we will discuss can be selected.
• The Leasey Help system also contains a list of all the LeaseyFacebook functions together with their corresponding shortcut keys should you choose not to use the LeaseyFacebook menu. Moreover, as usual pressing Enter on any one of the keystrokes listed will cause the function to be carried out without you having to remember it.

Your Facebook Home Page.

When you first login to Facebook (or if you activate the “Home” link), you will be taken to your home page. On this page you will find information such as your news feed, upcoming events, requests, and ways to find new friends. The home page can be customized and contains quite a lot of information. Fortunately, the titles of the various sections of your home page are marked with headings. Press the letter H to move to the different sections. More usefully, Leasey contains some useful shortcut keys to move focus to, (and activate), the most important sections of Facebook which will be described later.

The first thing to check is whether or not the Facebook Leasey settings are loaded. To do this, press Insert+Q. If you hear that the Facebook settings are loaded, all is well. If however you hear that the Internet Explorer settings are loaded, press F4 to switch to the Facebook settings. You will be advised that the change has been made. You should only have to do this on a very occasional basis.

You will notice that if you use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the page, (or press the letter "H" or Shift+H to move through Headings), the presence of such Headings (or level numbers) are not announced. Many other references to page elements have also been removed. Using Facebook is all about quickly reading (and interacting with) posts (or messages) from your friends, and so the less speech output you hear, the better. Many unnecessary graphical elements have also been removed.

Exploring the News Feed.

One of the most popular features of the home page is the News Feed which displays the latest activities from all your friends.

By default, Facebook displays what are considered to be the most popular or “Top Stories” relative to your friends. However, many people like to see messages (or Status Updates) in time order with the most recent first. To this end, you will want to ensure your News Feed is displayed in this way. This can be achieved (with JAWS versions 15 and 16 only) using the following steps:

1. Ensure you are focused on the Facebook Home Page at www.facebook.com.
2. If you are asked to sign in, please do so using the two Edit Fields provided. You may need to activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter on the first Edit Field. Thereafter, you can press Tab repeatedly to move through the form.
3. Note that after you have entered your Email address and password, a Check Box can also be reached by pressing the Tab key which allows you to automatically be signed in when you visit the Facebook site. We suggest you check this box by pressing the Space Bar, and then Tab to the “Sign In” Button and again, press the Space Bar. Now, whenever you visit Facebook, you will go immediately to your Home Page.
4. When the Home Page has loaded, press Control+Shift+F to sort the News Feed in the order you wish. JAWS says ”Sort Options Button Menu Expanded”.
5. Press Down Arrow repeatedly and you will hear options such as “Top Stories Menu” and “Most Recent Menu”. In our example, we will press Enter on “Most Recent”. The page refreshes so as to display the News Feed in the order you wish.

Navigating the News Feed and What You Can Do With It.

You are now ready to see what your friends have been posting.

To move to the top of the News Feed, press Control+Shift+N or select the "Move to Your News Feed" option from the Leasey Application Menu.

To move through each News Story, (or Status Update), press F12 or F1 repeatedly. You will hear the name of the person who has submitted the update, together with the time the update was posted and the update itself. The cursor is then placed on, or close to, the "Like" button pertaining to the story. If you do not wish to read a post from the sender, press F12 again to move to the next item. Press Shift+F12 or F2 to go back. These options can also be accessed from the Leasey Application Menu, "Next News Story" and "Previous News Story".

You will notice that you can press F12 or F1 as many times as necessary in order to read older messages. The Facebook page will automatically scroll down to reveal older posts. Note that depending upon your internet connection, JAWS may become slightly unresponsive as Facebook retrieves older messages, so do be patient.

If you do wish to read details of a News Story line by line, press Shift+H to move to the starting point of the item you have just heard. Now, press Down Arrow repeatedly to move through. You will notice that names are hyperlinked. This means you can press Enter on them so as to view the Facebook profile pertaining to the senders. This will include information such as schools or colleges attended, employment history, hobbies, quotations, favourite music and more. Indeed, you can always move to your own profile page and complete (or amend it) at a later date.

If you choose to press Down Arrow so as to read a Status Update, you will notice the following:

• The first line contains the time the item was posted, such as “9 minutes ago”.
• The next line may give the Facebook client which was used to post the message by the author. This includes “Twitter”, since many people have their Twitter accounts linked to Facebook. This means when one of your friends posts a tweet to Twitter, it gets forwarded automatically to his or her Facebook page.
• The actual status message then follows.
• Next comes one of the most integral features of Facebook which is the “Like” Button. Facebook users feel it is good to have their posts “Liked”. So if you do like (or agree with) what is being conveyed in the message, press the Space Bar on the “Like” Button. JAWS will then say the words “Unlike Button”. This means that the “Like” Button has now been changed to an “Unlike” Button. If you change your mind, you can again press Space Bar to reverse the process. It is a toggle action, a little like turning a light switch on and off.
• Next comes the “Comment” Button. We will devote a section of this Chapter to commenting on what a friend has said.
• Next is the “Share” Link. Prressing Space Bar here allows the Status Update to be shared on your own Facebook timeline. If activated, an Edit Field appears where you can add further explanation or comment on the Status prior to posting it using the “Post” Button below it.
• Next you will find the “Comment” Edit Field together with controls for uploading a picture to the comment. We will return to this later.
• Finally, we have the “Post a Sticker” Link. This feature is inaccessible at present.

Posting Your First Status Update.

You are now ready to tell your Facebook friends what is on your mind or to post other useful information!

1. Because JAWS has some difficulty in allowing you to review any text you have typed into the Facebook form controls, (particularly word by word), Leasey contains the “Post Message” form, which can be activated using the keystroke Control+Shift+P or from the LeaseyFacebook menu by using the option "Prepare Facebook Update".
2. When you activate this option, after a short pause the form will appear. Type text into the Edit Field which is in focus. Pressing Enter will not close the form but will instead insert a new line into the update. This form is used for both composing Status Updates and comments.
3. When the message has been typed, be sure to review and correct it using any of the standard text editing techniques you will have learned previously.
4. When complete, press Tab once to reach the “OK” Button and press the Space Bar. You will be advised that the text has been copied to the Windows clipboard. If you would like to review this at any time, press the Leasey Key followed by the letter X.
5. Press Control+Shift+S to set focus to the Status area of the Facebook site or choose "New Status" from the Leasey Application menu. You will hear the words “What’s On Your Mind? Edit.”
6. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter.
7. Press Control+V to paste the text previously copied to the Clipboard into the Edit Field.
8. Finally, press Control+Shift+Space to post the message. You can also choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu. After a short pause, JAWS will hopefully advise you that the update has been posted.

Commenting on a Post.

Commenting on a Status Update from a friend is just as important as writing your own messages. Facebook is about interaction with other people, which is also why the “Like” button should be used frequently.

To respond to a Status Update:

1. Press Control+Shift+P to enter the “Post Message” form Edit Field or choose "Prepare Facebook Update" from the Leasey Application menu.
2. Type the comment.
3. Review it with the Arrow keys.
4. Press Tab once to reach “OK” and press the Space Bar.
5. Optionally, press the Leasey Key then X to hear the update which is now on the Clipboard.
6. Having located the message to comment upon, press the letter E and JAWS has been programmed to say “Comment, Edit”.
7. Possibly, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter.
8. With “Forms Mode” activated, press Control+V to paste.
9. Press Control+Shift+Space Bar to post the comment or choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu. After a short pause, JAWS will hopefully advise you that the comment has been posted.

Sharing a Link in a Facebook Message.

To share a link to a website in a Facebook message:

1. Browse to the individual webpage you would like to share.
2. When focus is on the page, press ALT+Control+Windows+C. The URL (or address) of the page is now on the Windows Clipboard.
3. Move back to the Facebook site.
4. Press Control+Shift+P to bring into view the “Post Message” Edit Field or choose "Prepare Facebook Update" from the Leasey Application menu.
5. Type something about the Link you are about to share.
6. Press Control+V to paste the Link into the Edit Field.
7. Press Enter. This is an important step.
8. Press Tab to reach the “OK” Button and press Space Bar.
9. Press Control+Shift+S to reach the “Status” area or choose "New Status" from the Leasey Application menu.
10. Activate “Forms Mode” if necessary by pressing Enter.
11. Paste the text into the Edit Field with Control+V.
12. Press Control+Shift+Space Bar to post or choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu.

Accepting Friend Requests.

In order to accept friend requests made by others, you must first activate the friend requests link by pressing Control+Shift+R or choose "Friend Requests" from the Leasey Application menu.

Once you are on the Friends page, press H until you reach the Requests heading. Arrow down and you will find the people who are requesting to be your friend. Before each name is a Confirm button and a Not Now button. You can activate the link on the person's name to view their profile page before you accept or ignore their request.

Activating the “Confirm” button by pressing the Space Bar will add the person to your friends list while “Not Now” will remove the name from your list of friend requests.

You may also find it easier to set Facebook so that friend requests are Emailed to you automatically. When you receive such an email, it will contain details of the person together with a “Confirm” Link. Simply press Enter on the Link, Facebook will load and the friend request is then confirmed.

Notifications.

When a person comments on one of your posts, or “Likes” it, you receive a Facebook notification. If while on the Facebook site you press Control+Home to reach the top of the page, you will see the word “Facebook” followed by a number in brackets. The figure represents the number of notifications which have not been read.

To move to the notifications section, select "Notifications" from the Leasey Application menu or press Control+Shift+O.

You can now read all of the notifications by pressing the Down Arrow key repeatedly. You will first encounter a Button which is labelled “Mark as Read”. This in fact will mark all the notifications as being read. If you only wish to mark certain notifications in this way, press Down Arrow through the list and activate the “Mark as Read” Button after each notification.

Adding Pictures to Posts.

As you become more confident when using Facebook, you may care to share photographs of yourself or the places you visit.

1. Go ahead and create a new status update in the usual way.
2. However, prior to pressing Control+Shift+Space to post the update, press the letter B so as to reach the “Browse” Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.
3. The Dialog Box in focus allows you to browse for a photograph on your computer. This is a standard “Open” Dialog Box and you should use traditional Windows techniques for navigating to files. Tip: you may like to set up a LeaseyCut for quickly locating the folder into which photographs are typically placed.
4. Press Enter on the file name when it has been located.
5. Press Shift+E to move to the Edit Field labelled “Say Something About This Photo”.
6. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” and type a description.
7. Press Control+Shift+Space to post the update in the usual way.

Finding Your Friends.

Rather than working through your News Feed in order to locate one of your friends, (who may not have submitted a post recently), you can find them by looking at your “Friends List”.

1. Bring into view the list of Links by pressing Insert+F7.
2. Select the “Friends” Link and press Enter.
3. The new page allows you to narrow down the search for the person you wish to find, such as “close friends”, those relating to people you have previously worked with, and so on. However if you would like to view all your friends, press the letter B until you hear the words “See All Friends”.
4. Press the Space Bar.
5. A further page is revealed. Again, you can select a category such as “All Friends”, or those relating to your town of residence, those recently added, people with birthdays to come, etc.
6. Having activated one of the categories, the page refreshes to display a List underneath the cursor location. Press Down Arrow repeatedly to examine it. You will find a Link to the friend’s profile and the number of friends he or she has.
7. To view further information, press Enter on the Link containing the name, whereupon you can read recent updates, view his or her profile and post to the individual Facebook Wall.

Perhaps an easier way of locating the friend is to type his or her name directly into the first Edit Field on the page, reached by pressing the letter E from the top of it. When the new page loads, press H to move to the next Heading and, if all goes well, you should see the relevant information together with details of whether you are already a friend of the person and, more importantly, a Link to activate the page pertaining to the individual.

Posting to a Friend’s Wall.

You may wish to post a message to the Facebook Wall of one of your friends rather than a conventional Status Update. To do this:

1. Having located the friend (see above), press Enter on the Link for the page.
2. Press the letter "E" repeatedly until you hear the phrase “Write Something dot dot dot”.
3. Press Control+Shift+P to activate the “Post Message” Edit Field.
4. Type the post to be included on the Facebook wall.
5. Press Tab to reach “OK” and press the Space Bar.
6. Paste the text into the Edit Field with Control+V.
7. Press Control+Shift+Space to post.

Facebook Chat.

You may have used various computing applications which allow you to send instant messages to other people by typing text. Indeed, LeaseySkype provides such a service using the Skype application. However, Facebook also has its own text chat facility.

While it is true that you can send instant messages to people, Facebook Chat can also be used to continue the conversation, if the other party has signed out. When he or she returns, the conversation can be continued.

Don't forget in addition that Facebook Chat is readily available on mobile devices, such as phones with compatible Facebook apps.

To chat with someone on Facebook:

1. Move to the "Messages" area by pressing Control+Shift+m or choose "Messages" from the Leasey Application menu.
2. Either press Down Arrow to reach the "Send a New Message" Button and activate it by pressing the Space Bar, or maybe continue down to reach "Inbox" and press the Space Bar. The term "Inbox" may well have a number following it, which represents the number of conversations contained therein. We will create a new message.
3. Having activated the "New Message" Button, you are placed in an Edit Field where you should type the person's name who you know is one of your friends on Facebook. Ensure that "forms Mode" is activated, and then go ahead and do this.
4. press Tab to select the name, this is critical. exit "Forms Mode" by pressing Escape , then Insert+Escape to refresh the JAWS virtual environment.
5. Press Down Arrow so as to reach the name of the person you are about to converse with. You should hear the words "To", followed by the name, then "Link remove", followed by the name.
6. Press Control+Shift+P and type your message. Alternatively, choose "Prepare Facebook Update" from the Leasey Application menu. Type the text, then press Tab to reach "OK" and press the Space Bar.
7. There is a keystroke which you will now use regularly, Control+Shift+C for Chat, or you can choose "Find the Chat Edit Field" from the Leasey Application menu. This sets focus to the text chat composition field. Ensure "Forms Mode" is active and paste the previously composed text with Control+V.
8. When you are ready to post the message, as usual press Control+Shift+Space or select Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu.
9. When your friend has replied, you should hear a notification sound. Press Control+Shift+C to focus on the chat Edit Field, and then press Up Arrow so as to read the message just sent.

Perhaps a simpler way of finding someone to text chat with would be to activate the Link pertaining to his or her Facebook profile. As you move through Facebook pages, you will have noticed that each user's name is Hyperlinked. Press Enter on the Link, then use the letter "B" repeatedly to find the "Message" Button. Press the Space Bar on it.

You are automatically then placed in the text chat Edit Field, however you can always return to it by pressing Control+Shift+C for chat or select "Move to the Chat Edit Field" from the Leasey Application menu.

Conclusion.

There are many other aspects of Facebook which should now be much more accessible, thanks to the way in which Leasey renders the website. Go ahead and explore the pages using the usual methods for reading text and interacting with websites. You should find it a much more pleasant experience than would otherwise be the case.

In particular, you may like to press Enter on the Link close to the top of the page containing your name. This will take you to your Facebook Profile. There are individual categories you can customise depending upon how thorough you would like to be in preparing a good Profile.

Facebook Mobile.

A Simple Way to Find Friends.

When the account is created, Facebook will suggest ways in which you can find friends. However, here is a quick way to be able to do so.

1. From your Facebook Home Page (described later), press the letter "E" to move to the first Edit Field entitled “Search Facebook”.
2. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter.
3. Type the name of someone who you think will be on Facebook, such as a celebrity.
4. Press Enter to carry out the search.
5. Press the letter "G" repeatedly and, in time, you will find search results pertaining to the criteria previously entered. Each person's name will be denoted by a graphic.
6. When the name is located, press Down Arrow to learn whether this is the person you intended to find. If not, continue to press the letter "G".
7. If the desired person is found, press Down Arrow until you find the link entitled "Like" or "Add Friend". The "Add Friend" Link will be present if you are searching for an individual, whereas "Like" will be displayed if the user has a Facebook page. This latter case usually applies if a celebrity is involved. Press Enter on the appropriate Link

Using LeaseyFacebook and the Leasey Help System.

As usual with Leasey, there are several common factors to using the LeaseyFacebook interface.

• If using LeaseyBasic, LeaseyFacebook can be launched from Leasey’s Main Menu, whereupon the Facebook site will be loaded.
• Pressing the Leasey Application Menu key while focused on the Facebook site will cause the LeaseyFacebook menu to appear from which all the options we will discuss can be selected.
• The Leasey Help system also contains a list of all the LeaseyFacebook functions together with their corresponding shortcut keys should you choose not to use the LeaseyFacebook menu. Moreover, as usual pressing Enter on any one of the keystrokes listed will cause the function to be carried out without you having to remember it.

Your Facebook Home Page.

When you first login to Facebook (or if you activate the “Home” link), you will be taken to your home page. On this page you will find information such as your news feed, upcoming events, requests, and ways to find new friends. You can always go back to your Home Page by moving to the top of the page with Control+Home, and then press Tab. The "Facebook Logo" Link will, in fact, take you to your Home Page if you press Enter on the Link.

The first thing to check is whether or not the Facebook Leasey settings are loaded. To do this, press Insert+Q. If you hear that the Facebook settings are loaded, all is well. If however you hear that the Internet Explorer settings are loaded, press F4 to switch to the Facebook settings. You will be advised that the change has been made. You should only have to do this on a very occasional basis.

You will notice that if you use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the page, (or press the letter "H" or Shift+H to move through Headings), the presence of such Headings (or level numbers) are not announced. Many other references to page elements have also been removed. Using Facebook is all about quickly reading (and interacting with) posts (or messages) from your friends, and so the less speech output you hear, the better. Many unnecessary graphical elements have also been removed.

Exploring the News Feed.

One of the most popular features of the home page is the News Feed which displays the latest activities from all your friends.

By default, Facebook displays what are considered to be the most popular or “Top Stories” relative to your friends. However, many people like to see messages (or Status Updates) in time order with the most recent first. Unfortunately, this cannot be changed on the mobile Facebook site.

Navigating the News Feed and What You Can Do With It.

You are now ready to see what your friends have been posting.

To move to the top of the News Feed, press Control+Shift+N or select the "Move to Your News Feed" option from the Leasey Application Menu.

To move through each News Story, (or Status Update), press F12 or F1 repeatedly. You will hear the name of the person who has submitted the update, together with the time the update was posted and the update itself. The cursor is then placed on, or close to, the "Like" button pertaining to the story. If you do not wish to read a post from the sender, press F12 again to move to the next item. Press Shift+F12 or F2 to go back. These options can also be accessed from the Leasey Application Menu, "Next News Story" and "Previous News Story".

You will notice that eventually you will have worked through all your news stories. To reveal more stories, press Control+Shift+M.

If you do wish to read details of a News Story line by line, press Shift+H or Shift+F12 to move to the starting point of the item you have just heard. Now, press Down Arrow repeatedly to move through. You will notice that names are hyperlinked. This means you can press Enter on them so as to view the Facebook profile pertaining to the senders. This will include information such as schools or colleges attended, employment history, hobbies, quotations, favourite music and more. Indeed, you can always move to your own profile page and complete (or amend it) at a later date.

If you choose to press Down Arrow so as to read a Status Update, you will usually notice the following:

• The first line contains the name of the originator, which is hyperlinked, as described above.
• The actual status message then follows.
• The next line should give the time the status update was posted, together with the Facebook client which was used to post the message by the author. This includes “Twitter”, since many people have their Twitter accounts linked to Facebook. This means when one of your friends posts a tweet to Twitter, it gets forwarded automatically to his or her Facebook page.
• Next comes a Link which may say something like, "5 reactions, including Like". You can press Enter if necessary and read the details of the people who "Liked" or submitted an alternative reaction. We will describe reactions later.
• Next is one of the most integral features of Facebook which is the “Like” Link. Facebook users feel it is good to have their posts “Liked”. So if you do like (or agree with) what is being conveyed in the message, press Enter on the "Like" Link.
• Next comes a link pertaining to how many comments there are on the post. Press Enter to read them or to make a comment yourself. If noone has previously commented, you will find a "Comment" Link
• Next is the “Share” Link. Prressing Enter here allows the Status Update to be shared on your own Facebook timeline. If activated, an Edit Field appears where you can add further explanation or comment on the Status prior to posting it using the “Post” Button below it.

Posting Your First Status Update.

You are now ready to tell your Facebook friends what is on your mind or to post other useful information!

1. Press Control+Shift+S to set focus to the Status area of the Facebook site or choose "New Status" from the Leasey Application menu. You will hear the words “Write a Post, Forms Mode On, Edit.”
2. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter although this should have already been done.
3. Type your status update.
4. Finally, press Control+Shift+Space to post the message. You can also choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu.

Commenting on a Post.

Commenting on a Status Update from a friend is just as important as writing your own messages. Facebook is about interaction with other people, which is also why the “Like” or "React" Links should be used frequently.

To respond to a Status Update:

1. Press Enter on the Link relating to comments, just below the desired post.
2. Having located the message to comment upon, press the letter E and JAWS has been programmed to say “Write a Comment, Edit”.
3. Possibly, activate “Forms Mode” by pressing Enter.
4. With “Forms Mode” activated, type your comment.
5. Press Control+Shift+Space Bar to post the comment or choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu.

Working with Reactions.

Sharing a Link in a Facebook Message.

To share a link to a website in a Facebook message:

1. Browse to the individual webpage you would like to share.
2. When focus is on the page, press ALT+Control+Windows+C. The URL (or address) of the page is now on the Windows Clipboard.
3. Move back to the Facebook site.
4. Press Control+Shift+S to reach the “Status” area or choose "New Status" from the Leasey Application menu.
5. Activate “Forms Mode” if necessary by pressing Enter.
6. Type something about the Link you are going to post and paste the text into the Edit Field with Control+V.
7. Press Control+Shift+Space Bar to post or choose "Post Facebook Update, Comment or Chat Message" from the Leasey Application menu.

Accepting Friend Requests.

In order to accept friend requests made by others, you must first activate the friend requests link by pressing Control+Shift+R or choose "Friend Requests" from the Leasey Application menu.

Once you are on the Friends page, press H until you reach the Requests heading. Arrow down and you will find the people who are requesting to be your friend. Before each name is a Confirm Link and a Not Now Link . You can activate the link on the person's name to view their profile page before you accept or ignore their request.

Activating the “Confirm” Link by pressing Enter will add the person to your friends list while “Not Now” will remove the name from your list of friend requests.

You may also find it easier to set Facebook so that friend requests are Emailed to you automatically. When you receive such an email, it will contain details of the person together with a “Confirm” Link. Simply press Enter on the Link, Facebook will load and the friend request is then confirmed.

Notifications.

When a person comments on one of your posts, or “Likes” it, you receive a Facebook notification. If while on the Facebook site you press Control+Home to reach the top of the page, you will see the word “Facebook” followed by a number in brackets. The figure represents the number of notifications which have not been read.

To move to the notifications section, select "Notifications" from the Leasey Application menu or press Control+Shift+O.

You can now read all of the notifications by pressing the Down Arrow key repeatedly. You will first encounter a Button which is labelled “Mark as Read”. This in fact will mark all the notifications as being read. If you only wish to mark certain notifications in this way, press Down Arrow through the list and activate the “Mark as Read” Button after each notification.

Adding Pictures to Posts.

As you become more confident when using Facebook, you may care to share photographs of yourself or the places you visit.

1. Go ahead and create a new status update in the usual way.
2. However, prior to pressing Control+Shift+Space to post the update, press the letter B so as to reach the “Browse” Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.
3. The Dialog Box in focus allows you to browse for a photograph on your computer. This is a standard “Open” Dialog Box and you should use traditional Windows techniques for navigating to files. Tip: you may like to set up a LeaseyCut for quickly locating the folder into which photographs are typically placed.
4. Press Enter on the file name when it has been located.
5. Press Shift+E to move to the Edit Field labelled “Say Something About This Photo”.
6. If necessary, activate “Forms Mode” and type a description.
7. Press Control+Shift+Space to post the update in the usual way.

Finding Your Friends.

Rather than working through your News Feed in order to locate one of your friends, (who may not have submitted a post recently), you can find them by looking at your “Friends List”.

1. Press Control+Shift+R.
2. The new page allows you to narrow down the search for the person you wish to find, such as “close friends”, those relating to people you have previously worked with, and so on. However if you would like to view all your friends, press the letter B until you hear the words “See All Friends”.
3. Press the Space Bar.
4. A further page is revealed. Again, you can select a category such as “All Friends”, or those relating to your town of residence, those recently added, people with birthdays to come, etc.
5. Having activated one of the categories, the page refreshes to display a List underneath the cursor location. Press Down Arrow repeatedly to examine it. You will find a Link to the friend’s profile and the number of friends he or she has.
6. To view further information, press Enter on the Link containing the name, whereupon you can read recent updates, view his or her profile and post to the individual Facebook Wall.

Perhaps an easier way of locating the friend is to type his or her name directly into the first Edit Field on the page, reached by pressing the letter E from the top of it. When the new page loads, press H to move to the next Heading and, if all goes well, you should see the relevant information together with details of whether you are already a friend of the person and, more importantly, a Link to activate the page pertaining to the individual.

Posting to a Friend’s Wall.

You may wish to post a message to the Facebook Wall of one of your friends rather than a conventional Status Update. To do this:

1. Having located the friend (see above), press Enter on the Link for the page.
2. Press the letter "E" repeatedly until you hear the phrase “Write Something dot dot dot”.
3. Press Control+Shift+P to activate the “Post Message” Edit Field.
4. Type the post to be included on the Facebook wall.
5. Press Tab to reach “OK” and press the Space Bar.
6. Paste the text into the Edit Field with Control+V.
7. Press Control+Shift+Space to post.

Facebook Messenger.

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging feature built into Facebook. The application is an instant messaging service that connects to the Facebook database and has replaced the in-app Facebook messaging service. It allows Facebook users to connect with each other and send instant messages, emoji, photos, videos, and perform other light tasks.

Essentially this is a largely uncluttered accessible interface for Facebook Messenger, where you can communicate not only with your Facebook friends, but it would seem anyone who happens to be on Facebook that it fines.

While the interface is very accessible, Leasey removes extraneous speech in some areas and adds some shortcut keys. In summary, the whole point of a messenger program is so that you can send quick, frequent messages to people with the minimum of effort and Leasey helps with that.

To use Facebook Messenger, you can go to the Facebook Messenger Site.

Here are some basic procedures you can use to work with this application.

As you launch Messenger, you will see close to the top a list of people with whom you could create a room or have a conversation with. These are the people from your Facebook friends who are online.

Below this, you can see a list of the people you have recently chatted with. You can get straight to those users by pressing Control+Windows+C. There are three items associated with each contact.

• The name of the individual. If JAWS says the person is not available, this means he or she is not online. You can press Enter on the name so as to move into the chat.
• Mark as Read Button. Press Space Bar to mark the conversation as having been read.
• Menu Button. Press Space Bar on this Button to reveal a menu containing various options, such as Mark as Read, Mute Notifications, View Profile, Make Audio Call, Video Call and more.

When inside a chat, press ALT+1 in order to move to the most recent conversation thread by date.

Press Control+Windows+F for the "Find Chat" Edit field. Forms Mode should already be activated. Start typing. Press Enter to send.

When someone replies, this is a standard Windows notification, and so you can press any one of the keystrokes Leasey has for such events, Insert+Space then Control+1 for the most recent, Control+2 for the next most recent, and so on. For speed, you can also press ALT+Windows+1 through to ALT+Windows+0.

Notifications will also be announced as they arrive, but they have special significance here, because you will only hear the person’s name, not any preceeding text indicating it is a notification from messenger so as to improve efficiency.

To compose a new message to anyone, press Control+Windows+N for "New". Into the resulting edit field, type a name or partial name, such as, Hartgen. You should then be able to arrow down the list, the output for which has been customised somewhat. You will hear details of any friends matching the search term, and even people who are not on your friends list. If someone has mentioned this particular name on Facebook when conversing with you in the past, in other words if it is part of the text of a previous message, that too will be highlighted. Just press Enter on any item so as to compose a new message to the person referenced.

LeaseySkype for Skype Version 8.

Introduction.

Skype is a highly popular program used by millions of people worldwide. It allows you to make voice calls free to other users of the program, telephone calls if you have credit on your Skype account, and text messages can be sent or received.

Leasey provides a highly customised interface for people who wish to use Skype. In this Chapter, we will walk you through the special functions which are available to support this application. Should you require more information, we have a training course, "Reach for the Skype", details of which can be found at www.hartgen.org/skype.

Launching Skype.

If using LeaseyBasic, Skype can be launched from the Leasey Main Menu by activating the item, “Make a Skype Call”. Alternatively you can launch it from the shortcut on the Windows Desktop.

When you launch the program, you are in Skype's main screen. You can from this point press the Tab key repeatedly to move through most elements on it. JAWS will announce the name of the item, providing an indication as to what will happen if it is activated. Pay particular attention to whether focus is on a button or a tabbed page. If you are on a tabbed page, jaws will say the word tab, and you can press left and right arrow to move through these. Press Enter to select a Tabbed Page.

Microsoft have made available over 30 keystrokes you can use to move to different areas in Skype 8, or to perform common actions. Using Leasey, you do not need to remember any of these keystrokes if you do not wish to do so. You can press the Leasey Application menu key, which will give you a list of all items. Pressing Enter on the item will carry it out for you.

Alternatively, if you wish to take a note of what the keystroke is for the future so you can carry out the task more quickly, you can go into Leasey's help system with the Leasey Key then "H", and you'll not only get all the keystrokes there but again, pressing Enter will carry out the action.

Navigating Around.

To move to recent activity, such as missed calls or recent conversations you have had, press alt 1. To move to your list of contacts, press ALT+2.

To find a contact, press Control+Shift+S for "Search".

It is worth stating here that many areas of Skype8 have had Context Sensitive Help defined for them. So if you are unsure what to do at any stage, press Insert+F1, and you should receive some useful information as to how to interact with the focused control. Press Escape to return to your working area.

In order to find a contact, press Control+Shift+S and type the person's name, or at least the start of it. JAWS will announce how many results have been found. Press Enter to move to the results list.

Press Down Arrow to move through the results. You will notice that it gives people in the Contact list first, followed by anyone who is in the Skype directory. If we find someone in the Skype directory, and we wish to add them as a contact, don't forget that you can use the Context Menu by pressing the Applications key, to perform various tasks with the focused item including adding them as a contact. But assuming you have found the correct contact to communicate with, press Enter or the Space Bar to activate the Button associated with the person's name.

Focus lands in the Chat Entry field which is a free text area into which a message can be typed. We need to make a decision as to whether we want to hear a sound indicating when our contact is typing back to us. We can toggle this on and off with Control+Shift+T. This is selected permanently until you change it.

You can change the volume of the typing indicator by holding down ALT+Control and the Windows keys, and while doing so, press Up or Down Arrow.

Now that is done, we can type a message, press Enter, and wait for the contact to respond. Assuming the typing indicator sound is enabled, when your contact types a message yo9u should hear it. The message will be read back to you immediately it has been sent.

To review any of the last 10 messages sent or received, we can press Control+1 through to Control+0, with Control+1 announcing or Brailling the most recent message. You can also press any of these keystrokes twice quickly, so as to place the message into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection, such as to check spelling. When you've finished reviewing it, press Escape.

You may also want to move back and forth between the chat history list and the text input field. Press Control+Shift+H and Control+Shift+E respectively, or select the appropriate option from the Leasey Menu or Hotkey Help.

Pressing F12 will always announce if a person is typing a message irrespective of whether the typing indicator sound is on or off.

Finally for this section, you can press Control+F5, as you've always been able to do, so as to enable or disable whether date and timestamps are announced as you review the messages.

Making and Answering Audio Calls.

Assuming a Skype conversation with one of your contact is open as described above, to make an audio call to the person you are in a conversation with, press Control+Shift+P.

If someone is calling you, the procedure for answering a call is a little different to the way it used to be. From any application, if you wish to answer a call, press the Leasey Key then Page Up. To disconnect a call from within any application, it is Leasey Key then Page Down.

Other Useful Keystrokes.

There are some other keystrokes you can press within Skype. Control+B will always announce your credit balance. Press twice quickly to move into your account settings pertaining to it. Control+M will speak your mood message. Press twice quickly to change it. Control+S will speak your Skype status. Press twice quickly to change it.

WhatsApp.

Introduction.

WhatsApp is a popular, free, multi-platform messaging app that lets users make video and voice calls, send text messages, share their status, and more with just a Wi-Fi connection. Part of what makes this app appealing is that it works on various phone and computer operating systems, so you can continue your conversation anytime, anywhere. It can also take advantage of Wi-Fi and cellular data to make one-to-one or group calls, reducing the need for expensive calling charges. You never miss messages, but even if you miss notifications while your phone is off, the app saves recent messages for when you re-open it.

WhatsApp can identify people in your contact list who currently use the app, so you typically don’t have to add them manually. You can also invite people who don’t have WhatsApp or connect with other users you know but who aren’t on your contact list.

This Chapter of the Leasey documentation does not consist of a full tutorial on how to use WhatsApp. It broadly outlines the support given specifically for use with JAWS and Leasey and the special functions which have been created. We will however describe the primary screen layout and how to carry out some simple tasks.

WhatsApp is downloadable (and can be installed) from the Microsoft Store. It is an official Microsoft app.

Starting WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is usually launched from the Start Menu. Into the Edit Field you can type "WhatsApp" and press Enter when JAWS announces it is in focus. When the app is launched, be sure to press Insert+Q or Caps Lock+Q. You will hear a build number of the WhatsApp scripts, followed by the fact that the WhatsApp settings are loaded. If you do not hear a build number, the Leasey support for WhatsApp is not being used.

Before You Begin.

When you start WhatsApp for the first time, there is a procedure where what is known as a QR Code is displayed on the computer monitor. Your phone's camera needs to scan this code. This could be seen to be an inaccessible linking procedure, so you may need some sighted assistance for this part of the setup process. The procedure however is as follows:

1. Start WhatsApp on the Windows PC.
2. Press Tab to reach the Button entitled "Get Started" or similar, and press the Space Bar to activate it.
3. On your phone, open the app, select "Settings" and then "Link Device". You will then be asked to enter your PIN or use Face ID for identification.
4. This is the part where the phone's camera scans the QR Code. Best results are achieved if you unload JAWS at this point by pressing Insert+F4 followed, if necessary, by Space. JAWS can slightly change the visual layout of the display which makes it more difficult (or impossible) for the code to be scanned.
5. Hold your camera fairly close to the computer monitor. You may need to move it slightly if the code is not scanned right away. The app on your phone will change to a new display section if the code is successfully scanned. It changes to a screen which shows the devices linked to your account and "Windows" should be one of those. It states you are logged in. You can then restart JAWS.

Please note. We cannot assist you with, and do not provide any support for, the above process of linking your computer to your WhatsApp account.

Screen Layout.

The WhatsApp screen contains a number of controls through which you can press Tab and Shift+Tab. The primary components are:

• A series of Buttons such as "Create New Conversation", "Conversation Info", "Video Call" and so on.
• Two List Boxes. The first of these shows the conversation threads available. JAWS refers to this as the "Chats List". The second is a list of messages in that conversation. the scripts refers to this as the "Messages List".
• An Edit Field for typing a message to the person in the focused conversation.

Because there are quite a number of such controls to move through, keyboard shortcuts have been provided as part of the scripts to directly move to key areas of the application. Some of these are as follows:

• Typing edit field: ALT+T.
• Chats List: ALT+C.
• Messages list: ALT+M.
• Record a Voice message: F1. This does not have a pneumonic keystroke such as ALT+R and the reason for this will be explained later.
• Audio or voice call: ALT+A.
• Video call: ALT+V.

You can obtain a complete list of all keyboard shortcuts by checking the scripts's Hotkey Help, Insert+H.

Moving Through Messages in a Conversation.

There are three ways of working through messages in a conversation.

By far the easiest way is to press Control+Tab or Shift+Control+Tab. Each time you do this, a new conversation is focused and JAWS will set focus to the Edit Field for typing a new message to the individual. It will also announce the text label for this, such as, "Type to Laura, Edit". You will then instantly know you are chatting with the person you intend.

To move through the messages in the conversation, press Tab repeatedly to move to the Messages List, or press ALT+M from anywhere to move to it directly. You can then use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the list to review activity. Note that when you do this, you will not be at the top or bottom of the list. the scripts contains special coding so that you are placed at the point in the list you last accessed. This is essential for efficient working and for voice messages referred to later.

The second method for moving to a conversation is as follows:

1. Press Tab until you reach the Chats List, or press ALT+C from anywhere. Alternatively press ALT+L. If you were previously focused in the Chats List, this latter keystroke will place you at the point in the list where you left off reading.
2. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to find the Chat required.
3. Press the Enter key to move into the Chat .
4. Press Tab to the Messages List or press ALT+M to move to it directly.

Finally, you can press Control+1 through to Control+9. This will allow you to switch between the nine most recent chats which have been accessed.

We should make mention of the Filter Edit Field, activated with Control+F. When the field is focused, you can type the name of the person whose conversation you wish to access. The purpose of this field is to ensure you only see the messages relating to that person in the Messages List. When the text has been entered, press Tab, and you should find a list of chats which match your search. Press Enter to move into the chat, and then press ALT+M to move to the messages list.

Should you wish to check the conversation name on which you are focused, press ALT+N for Name. This is especially helpful prior to sending a message to ensure you are in the correct conversation. JAWS will announce or Braille the name of the user and the status, such as "Laura Online". Press the keystroke twice quickly so as to send the details to the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection. If JAWS says that no status is available, try maximising the window with ALT+Space then X or press Insert+Escape.

Sending a Text Chat Message to an Active Conversation.

If a conversation is already in progress, you can send a text chat message to it. Prior to doing this, we highly recommend you enable the typing sound indicator. This can be done by pressing Control+F12 repeatedly. This feature has four options:

• No information is spoken when a message is being composed.
• You will hear a typing sound when a message is being composed.
• You will hear a typing sound when a message is being composed and the name of the person typing. This is the preferred option.
• You will hear the name of the person typing. Using this setting, no typing sound indicator is heard.

Regardless of the above typing indicator setting, you can always check if a person is typing by pressing F12.

Assuming the feature is not disabled, when someone is typing a message to you, if you are focused within the WhatsApp application you will hear a report of this, even if the conversation pertaining to it is not focused. In other words, if you are having a conversation with Mary, and you have pressed Control+Tab to move into another conversation, when she begins to type you will be notified through the scripts of what is happening.

Similarly, if you have pressed ALT+C to activate the Chats List, as you move through your chats with the Up and Down Arrow keys, JAWS will announce if a person who is part of the chat or group is typing or recording audio.

As soon as the message is sent by the other participant in the conversation, the scripts instruct JAWS to announce it automatically if the option is set in the scripts to announce the messages. This can be enabled or disabled by pressing Control+Shift+F12. You will notice that sometimes, the typing indicator sound will stop, but no message is announced. This is because the other person has stopped typing for a moment but has not sent the message. The typing sound indicator will pick up again when the person resumes typing. the scripts understands that a new message has not been added to the conversation and so does not cause JAWS to announce anything new.

You will note that, when automatic reading of messages is enabled, JAWS reads the message followed by the time the message was sent together with its status, such as "Sent". This additional information can be disabled by pressing Control+Shift+F11. This is a toggle action and will enable or disable this reduction of information. Ensuring that JAWS does not speak this information is good because the overall output is like having a real conversation with someone.

If you are focused in an alternative conversation, or if you are working in an application other than WhatsApp, you are notified of the incoming message through the playing of a sound and through a standard Windows notification. The easiest way to review the details of the message would be:

1. Press ALT+Tab to focus back on WhatsApp.
2. Open up the chat concerned.
3. Press ALT+1. JAWS reports the last message received. ALT+1 through to ALT+0 will report the most recent 10 messages in the list. These keystrokes can be used to read the most recent 10 messages in any WhatsApp chat. ALT+Windows+1 through to ALT+Windows+0 will report messages 11 through to 20. Press these keystrokes twice quickly for additional message actions described later.

To send a message yourself, press ALT+T to set focus to the typing Edit Field, type the message and press Enter. JAWS will announce the message which has been sent together with the status, such as, "Sent". You will also hear a sound play to advise you it has been sent.

Additional Message Actions.

As previously mentioned, pressing ALT+1 through to ALT+0 will report the details of the last 10 messages you have received. ALT+Windows+1 through to ALT+Windows+0 will report messages 11 through to 20. However, if you press any of these keys twice quickly, one of the following actions will take place.

If the item JAWS is reporting is an audio message, pressing the keystroke twice quickly will play it automatically.

If it relates to any other kind of message, such as text or a file attachment, details of the message are placed into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection, perhaps word by word. At the bottom of the screen is a link to activate the "Context Menu" for the message. Pressing Enter on the link will activate the Context Menu for it. This is very useful for file attachments especially or to react to a message. These actions should mean that in most cases, you should not need to browse through the messages list at all.

Finding a Contact to Chat With.

We have already described how to find a conversation which is ongoing. There are three ways.

Alternatively, you can:

1. Press Control+N for a new chat.
2. Type the name of the person you would like to chat with. This person must be in your contacts list.
3. Press Tab. A list of the people matching your search term should be displayed. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the list. If no results are found, focus is still in the edit field and you will hear that no results have been found.
4. When you have found the desired contact to chat with, press Enter. You can then verify the name again by pressing ALT+N, which has the added advantage of reporting the status, such as "Online".
5. You can then begin a text chat if you wish. Focus is immediately in the text entry field for this purpose.
6. You could if you wish press F1 to record a voice message. This is described in the next section.
7. Alternatively, press ALT+A to place an audio call or ALT+V to place a video call. While in a call, the controls are displayed in a separate window to the primary WhatsApp application. This is called the "WhatsApp Call" window. This is a simple Dialog Box containing only a few controls which are all self-explanatory. To query whether the microphone is muted or unmuted, press ALT+Windows+M. To query whether the camera is active, press ALT+Windows+C. To end the call, press ALT+Windows+E, or press Tab to reach the "End Call" Button and press the Space Bar.

When you have pressed Control+N for a new chat, you do not need to type anything into the Edit Field if you do not wish to. You could press Tab twice. This sets focus to the list of contacts. Press Down Arrow to move through the list. You will hear the name of the contact. Press Enter to start a new chat.

Sending a Voice Message.

It is possible to send someone a voice message. Upon careful research, it seems there is no limit as to the size of the voice message. Apparently people have sent entire church services for example as WhatsApp messages.

1. Locate a contact or conversation as described in previous sections.
2. Press Enter to move into the chat.
3. Press F1 so as to begin recording a voice message. JAWS has been programmed not to say anything to ensure that speech output does not intrude into the voice message. An ascending tone will play to indicate recording is about to start. We have ensured this does not intrude into the recording. Start speaking after you hear the sound.
4. Should you wish to pause the recording, press F1. A descending tone will be heard. We have ensured this does not intrude into the recording. If you explore the Dialog Box at that point with Tab and Shift+Tab, you will note that a "Play" Button is available which, when activated, will play back the Voice Message. Next comes a position slider. You can change the position of where the audio begins to play by pressing the Left and Right Arrow keys on the slider. Finally, there is a "Resume Recording" Button. Press Space on this Button to recommence recording or press F1 again. The voice message can be played back at any time by pressing F2 rather than having to Tab through the dialog. Press F5 to verify whether the recording has been paused or is ongoing.
5. Prior to sending the message, we suggest you press the Space Bar on the "Pause Recording" Button or press F1. Then, press Tab to reach the "Send" Button and press Space or press F3.
6. If you are creating a Voice Message, and you wish to cancel it, press F4. A Dialog Box will appear, asking if you are sure you wish to cancel. The focused Button is "Yes", so go ahead and press the Space Bar.

In summary, the keystrokes conveniently placed are:

• F1 Record, Pause and Resume Voice Message.
• F2 Play or Pause Voice Message.
• F3 Send Voice Message.
• F4 Cancel Voice Message.
• F5 verifies whether the recording is paused or ongoing.

Listening to Audio Messages You Have Received.

As you browse through your list of messages in a chat, (ALT+M), you may hear that someone has sent you a voice message. If this occurs, press Enter to play it. You will know if this is the case since JAWS will announce the presence of an audio message and it will play an audio cue.

Alternatively, use ALT+1 through to ALT+0 to review the 10 most recently received messages, or press ALT+~Windows+1 through to ALT+Windows+0 so as to review messages 11 through to 20. These keys will cause JAWS to read any text associated with the message and its type, such as "Document" or "Audio". If you hear "Audio", press the keystroke twice quickly so as to begin playing it.

If while playing an audio message you wish to change the speed of playback, press function key F6. This will cycle through the available playback speed options.

If you have used one of the message reading keystrokes twice quickly to play the audio message, and you wish to pause playback, press ALT+M. This should set focus to the point in the message list containing the audio message. Press Enter to pause and play the audio.

Answering An Incoming Call.

When you receive an incoming call, assuming WhatsApp is running, a simple Dialog Box is available with three controls. These are: "Accept Audio Call", "Decline Audio Call" and "Device Settings". Press the Tab key to reach the appropriate Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.

Making an Audio or Video Call.

If you wish to make an audio or video call, first find the conversation relating to the person you wish to chat with or create a new one.

Press Enter so as to move inside the chat, then press ALT+A for an audio call or ALT+V for a video call.

While in a call, the controls are displayed in a separate window to the primary WhatsApp application. This is called the "WhatsApp Call" window. This is a simple Dialog Box containing only a few controls which are all self-explanatory. To query whether the microphone is muted or unmuted, press ALT+Windows+M. To query whether the camera is active, press ALT+Windows+C. To end the call, press ALT+E, or press Tab to reach the "End Call" Button and press the Space Bar.

Accessing a Phone Number of a Contact.

You can access the phone number of one of your contacts which is associated with the WhatsApp profile.

1. Focus on a conversation between you and the person whose phone number you need. Alternatively, you could create a new conversation with the person if you wish.
2. When focused upon the conversation, press Enter to move into it. Then, press Tab to reach the "Conversation Info" Button and press Space.
3. Press F8. This will place the details including the phone number into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection.
4. When you have read the phone number, press Escape twice: once to exit the Virtual Viewer and a second time to close the profile information screen.

Changing the About Box Text.

The text in the About section of your profile is important. People see this text as they are browsing through contacts.

1. Press Control+P to move into "Profile and Settings".
2. Press Shift+Tab and focus should be on a Button entitled "About, Start Editing". Press Enter.
3. Focus is now in an edit field where the text can be edited or replaced. Type or edit the existing text and press Enter to save.

Working With File Attachments.

To attach a file from your computer to a message, ensure the relevant chat is open and press ALT+H. A number of options are presented to you, however the most likely one you will wish to access is the first of these which is "File". Press Enter. You are in a standard "Open" Dialog Box common to Windows applications. Browse to the relevant file and press Enter. Optionally, you can then type a "Caption" to explain the purpose of the file being sent. Finally, Tab to the "Send" Button and press the Space Bar.

A far easier way to attach a file however is to locate it using File Explorer. Copy the file to the Windows Clipboard with Control+C. Then, focus back on the WhatsApp message and paste it with Control+V. Optionally, you can then type a "Caption" to explain the purpose of the file being sent. Finally, Tab to the "Send" Button and press the Space Bar.

Activating Links From Messages.

It is possible from within a chat to press Insert+F7 to bring into view a list of links. However, especially from within a group, there can be hundreds of links. Your best approach is to find a message from the messages list and press function key F9. This takes a copy of the message and places it in your web browser. The link should be displayed as part of that message. Simply press Enter on it to activate the link.

Keystroke Summary.

You can read a list of the Leasey-specific keystrokes for WhatsApp by pressing the Leasey Key then H, or by searching Leasey's Hotkey Help for the term "WhatsApp".

Using Emoji.

What Is Emoji?

Emoji characters are graphical images which are used in electronic messages and on webpages. They exist in various genres, including facial expressions, animals, common objects, the weather, and so on. They have become increasingly popular as a result of their use on portable phones and similar devices.

If someone posts Emoji characters on social media for example, JAWS is able to announce them. This makes it very easy for you to understand the true meaning of the person's intentions. Leasey provides you with a list of Emoji you can use anywhere you like, particularly on social media. You can bring into view a list of Emoji signs, divided into 10 categories. Pressing Enter on any item will insert it into the text edit area. It's very easy!

If you are using JAWS versions earlier than 17, you can still insert the Emoji. However, those releases of JAWS are not capable of announcing them, so you will need to trust JAWS and Leasey that the correct item has been inserted.

In order to use Emoji:

1. Place the cursor in the area where you would like to insert Emoji.
2. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+E.
3. You are now in a list of Emoji. You can either navigate the list with the Up or Down Arrow keys, type the first letter or two of the item you want (such as "SM" for "Smiley Face"), or press numbers 1 through to 0. Pressing any of these numbers will take you to each of the 10 categories.
4. When the desired item is located, press Enter to insert the sign.

The 10 categories are:

1. Animals.
2. Facial Expressions.
3. Entertainment and Technology.
4. Food and Drink.
5. Gestures and Signs.
6. People.
7. Sports.
8. Weather.
9. Fantasy.
10. Romance and Objects.

The LeaseyClock.

Introduction.

The LeaseyClock not only tells you the time! It contains very powerful and flexible stopwatch facilities as well as timer functions. It can also be set to play Westminster chimes at varying intervals which are controllable by you. Finally, you can even cause the minutes and seconds to be output to your Braille display regardless of the model of display you are using.

In this Chapter, we will walk you through all aspects of the LeaseyClock. All of the functions can be activated, deactivated and managed globally, so you can easily work within another program running on the computer and still use the LeaseyClock in whichever way you would like to.

Introducing the LeaseyClock.

If using LeaseyBasic, The LeaseyClock can be accessed through the Leasey Main Menu by selecting the item “Open the LeaseyClock”. Alternatively, you can press the Leasey Key then control+Shift+C to access it directly. Moreover, most of the LeaseyClock functions have shortcut keys associated with them so you can access them without working through the menu system. Please refer to this document or the Leasey Hotkey Help, (Leasey Key then H), to get a full list of the shortcuts.

We will work through all of the functions of the LeaseyClock in the order they appear on the menu. Global keystrokes will also be given. In many cases, the LeaseyClock keystrokes can easily be accessed by holding down the ALT+Control+Windows keys, (usually the three keys to the immediate left of the Space Bar), and while doing so, press any one of the function keys from F1 through to F9.

• Hear the Current Time, Insert+F12 or Leasey Key then Down Arrow. Simply causes the current time to be announced. Please also refer to the last item in this list for modification of the time announcement.
• Hear the time including seconds, Leasey Key then Windows+Down Arrow.
• Insert the time into your document or edit area, Leasey Key then Left Arrow.
• Start the Stopwatch, ALT+Control+Windows+F1. Will start the stopwatch counting up. This can run for an indefinite period, weeks if necessary.
• Stop the Stopwatch, ALT+Control+Windows+F2. Will stop the watch, however if it is restarted again using the option above, the watch is not cleared and continues counting from the time it was stopped.
• Insert the Stopwatch total time into your text edit area, Leasey Key then ALT+Control+Windows+F3.
• Hear Elapsed Time, ALT+Control+Windows+F3. Speaks the elapsed time for which the stopwatch has been running.
• Clear the Stopwatch, ALT+Control+Windows+F4. If the stopwatch has been stopped it is cleared. When it is restarted, the count begins at 0.
• Change the Number of Decimal Places, ALT+Control+Windows+F5. Changes the number of decimal places spoken by the stopwatch. It rotates between 0, 1, 2 or 3 decimal places.
• Set recurring sound for the stopwatch, ALT+Windows+F5. This brings into view an edit field so you can specify the number of minutes after which the sound will play. For example, if a figure 5 is typed into this field, and then you press Enter, Leasey will begin playing the sound at 5 minute intervals when you start the stopwatch with ALT+Control+Windows+F1. It will do so until you stop it with ALT+Control+Windows+F2. Note that if figure 0 is typed into this edit box the sound will not play.
• Set Countdown timer by entering the number of minutes, ALT+Control+Windows+F6. When prompted, enter a value between 1 and 59 to represent the number of minutes for the countdown timer. Press Enter to begin. When the desired minutes have elapsed, a chime sound will play. Press this keystroke a second time to stop the countdown timer.
• Set Alarm Time, ALT+Control+Windows+F7. When prompted, enter an alarm time, 2 figures for the hour, then a colon, followed by 2 digits for the minutes. Press Enter to set the alarm. When the alarm time is reached, a tune will play. Please press ALT+Control+Windows+S to stop the alarm sound.
• Hear How Many Minutes Remain on the Countdown Timer or Alarm, ALT+Control+Windows+F8. When the countdown timer or alarm is running, use this option to hear how many minutes remain .
• Customise Chime Sounds, ALT+Control+Windows+F9. Leasey can play Westminster chimes throughout the day. This is a very useful method of being able to keep track of time. If you press this keystroke repeatedly, you will cycle through the available options. These are "Chimes will be heard every 15 minutes", "Chimes will be heard every 30 minutes", "Chimes will be heard every hour", or "None" to disable chime sounds. When the option you would like is spoken, it is immediately set and will remain so even if you restart the computer. You can change it at any time by pressing the same keystroke, ALT+Control+Windows+F9. The chimes can be stopped by pressing either ALT+Control+Windows+S or, if you are listening to (or watching) a YouTube video, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Control+Windows+F9. In the latter case the chimes will stop and the video will continue to play.
• Time Monitor, ALT+Control+Windows+F10. Allows you to monitor for when the next minute point occurs. Please see the below description of the "Time Monitor".
• As previously stated there is one further item on this menu which deliberately does not have a shortcut key associated with it. This is an item which can be activated or deactivated by pressing Enter on it. It is disabled by default. When enabled, from that point pressing JAWS Key+F12 to hear the time will cause JAWS to announce it in hours, minutes and seconds format. This is preferred in rare situations.

If you find that the alarm or chime sounds are not at an acceptable volume, press ALT+Control+Windows+Up or Down Arrow to change the level. If an alarm or chime sound is not playing, you will hear a tune instead so you can adjust the volume to your requirements. When the desired level has been reached, and if the tune is playing, press ALT+Control+Windows+S to stop it, although it will automatically be stopped after one minute. If you reach 100 per cent of the volume level, you will be advised of this. If the lowest level at 0 per cent is reached, you will be advised of this, followed by the words, "Not Recommended".

The Time Monitor.

You may wish to manually synchronise a clock you have access to. Becoming aware of when you have reached the start of a minute can be troublesome. Leasey helps with this by providing information as to when the next minute commences. This is called "Time Monitor".

Press ALT+Control+Windows+F10 to begin the "Time Monitor". This can also be found on the LeaseyClock menu as described above, activated by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+C. You will hear the words, "It is", followed by the time, such as "It is 10:55".

If only ten seconds or less remain in the current minute, you will be advised of this and that Leasey will begin monitoring the next minute. We assume that if there are less than 10 seconds to run, you will not have time to set the clock correctly.

If you press the keystroke, or activate the menu item, and there is less than 50 seconds to run before the minute point, you will hear how many seconds remain prior to this.

When Leasey is monitoring a minute of time, a soft tick sound will play every second. You will also hear an announcement every 10 seconds to advise you of the progress.

When 55 seconds is reached, you will hear an announcement every second.

When the minute point is reached, you will hear the word "Stop", followed by the new time.

Sending the Time Each Second to Your Braille Display.

You may encounter a situation where you are needing to know exactly when you reach a specific point in time, such as the top of an hour. This may be to end a broadcast precisely or to stop hosting a presentation in a conference.

If you have a Braille display, you can ensure the computer's system clock is sent to it, so as to show the time including seconds. The display is updated each second until you stop it, which can easily be achieved by pressing any key on the keyboard. Note that a Braille display containing status cells is not required. You should be able to use this with any display of your choosing.

1. Press ALT+Windows+F10. Deliberately, no speech output has been put in place when this keystroke is pressed.
2. You will be able to read the system clock output on your Braille display second by second.
3. Press any key to stop it.

Progress Indicators.

A Progress Indicator is generally given in percentage terms to advise a user of the progress of an event which is taking place in Windows. This could be the installation of a program, but it could also be the downloading of a file from the internet, or perhaps copying a large folder from one storage location to another.

JAWS does give a good indicator as to the percentage of most progress bars. However, Leasey does have a sound scheme, (activated by pressing the Leasey Key then letter O). This has three states: Off, which means speech only. Sounds On, which is self-explanatory, and Sounds with Speech, where you hear both the sounds and the speech; a tutorial mode if you will. The Sounds Scheme allows sounds to represent specific events rather than speech output, for example when a web page loads or when text is being highlighted or selected.

Assuming the Sounds Scheme is enabled, and when JAWS is in contact with a Progress Bar, you will hear tones which represent 5 percent increments, with the lowest tone representing 5 percent and the highest 100 percent.

During other percentage increments, you will hear a soft tick sound. While we could have just stopped at the 20 tones, we wanted users to know that progress was occurring at the other percentage points in a discrete way. For example, if a large video file is being copied from an iPhone to a computer, this can take several minutes. The tick sounds will indicate that things are progressing, but if there is a pause in the tick sounds, this should let you know that no further progress is being made.

Naturally, we want users to learn what the sounds represent, so there is a tutorial mode which plays the tones from lowest to highest, together with the soft tick. Press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+P.

Two further notes. There is a setting within JAWS to change the frequency of the progress indicator reports. This is honoured by the Sounds Scheme.

Secondly, in the case of downloading files using Google Chrome, there is no progress bar as such. But with Leasey, you will hear a sound to indicate that a file is downloading, and there is also a mechanism by which you can ascertain the amount of a file which has been downloaded together with the total size of the potential download. Press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+P to learn this information.

LeaseyTags.

Introduction.

LeaseyTags is an intelligent application which allows you to manage files within File Explorer. You can also tag messages in Microsoft Outlook for manipulation, described below.

For example, if you wanted to select files 1, 3 and 25 in a File Explorer list, perhaps for copying, cutting or deleting, this could be difficult. It can be done using the keyboard but there is the potential for mistakes to be made. LeaseyTags makes this and other similar functions simple!

Using LeaseyTags in File Explorer.

LeaseyTags allows you to assign a tag to any file within File Explorer. If necessary, this can be from multiple folders. Simply focus upon the file you wish to tag, then press Control+Shift+Space. When you tag a file, you hear a LeaseyTag sound.

If at any time you wish to change your mind and cancel the processing of tagging, press the Escape key. All tags will be removed. The files themselves are not removed.

To verify which files are tagged, either:

1. Move through the list of files by pressing Up or Down Arrow keys. As focus moves to a file which is tagged, you hear the LeaseyTag sound. Alternatively, you can use first letter navigation in order to move to a file directly. Again, you will still hear the LeaseyTag sound.
2. Press Control+Shift+T. Each file which has been tagged is announced. This would be the most appropriate way to verify tagged files from multiple folders.

You can press ALT+Windows+N to verify the number of files which have been tagged.

In the event you wish to remove one of the LeaseyTags from the list, simply locate the file pertaining to the tag to be removed. This will be indicated by the LeaseyTag sound. Then, press Control+Shift+Space to remove it.

When all files have been tagged, a number of actions can be performed:

• Control+C will copy all the LeaseyTagged files to the Windows clipboard ready for pasting elsewhere with Control+V.
• Control+x will cut all the LeaseyTagged files to the Windows clipboard ready for pasting elsewhere with Control+V.
• Control+Shift+D will remove a LeaseyTag from the focused file. Press this keystroke twice quickly to delete all LeaseyTags.
• Delete key or Shift+Delete will delete the tagged files from the computer. A Dialog box will appear, asking if you would like to delete the files. Please press the letter "Y" for yes or "N" for no.
• Control+Shift+P will add all the tagged files to a LeaseyPlaylist. Please refer to the next chapter relating to LeaseyAudio for a further discussion on playlists.

As an example, if you wanted to copy files 1, 3 and 5 from a folder, and paste them into an alternative location, please follow these steps:

1. Locate the folder in File Explorer containing the files to be copied.
2. Press the Down Arrow key to focus upon the first file and tag it with Control+Shift+Space.
3. Move to the next file in the list, (it can be several files down), and again tag it with the same keystroke.
4. Repeat the procedure for the third file.
5. Press Control+Shift+T and the file names of all those you have tagged will be spoken back to you.
6. Press Control+C to copy the tagged files to the Clipboard ready for pasting elsewhere.
7. Browse to the second folder and press Control+V. If you have copied more than 10 items, you will receive a progress indicator letting you know periodically how many have been copied. You will be advised when the copying is complete. If any files could not be copied for any reason, a screen will appear using the JAWSVirtual Viewer, indicating which files could not be copied. Press Escape to close the window and return to File Explorer.

LeaseyTag Confirmation.

When you perform actions on LeaseyTagged files, (such as copying them to the Windows clipboard), you will hear a sound, followed by the word, “Complete”. When this is done, all LeaseyTags are removed from files. This is to ensure that LeaseyTags are not stored for a long period of time.

Using LeaseyTags in Microsoft Outlook.

This section of the documentation requires very careful reading.

LeaseyTags allows you to assign a tag to any message within a Microsoft Outlook mail folder. A good example would be the Inbox where all incoming messages live. Many people have an Inbox containing thousands of messages! This is not particularly efficient if you wish to find messages quickly. The best approach is to move messages you wish to keep into folders for the purpose.

In summary, you will tag messages you wish to manipulate. Once tagged, there are three things you can do with them:

1. Move them to an alternative folder, Control+Shift+V.
2. Copy them to an alternative folder, Control+Shift+Y.
3. Delete them, by pressing the Delete key.

Note that when messages are tagged, you cannot open them. The process of tagging them therefore should only be used in a situation where you have previously read the messages and you wish to tidy up your mailbox folder.

Simply focus upon the message you wish to tag, then press Control+Shift+Space. When you tag a message, you hear a LeaseyTag sound.

If at any time you wish to change your mind and cancel the processing of tagging, press the Escape key. All tags will be removed. The messages themselves are not removed.

To verify which messages are tagged, either:

1. Move through the list of messages by pressing Up or Down Arrow keys. As focus moves to a message which is tagged, you hear the LeaseyTag sound.
2. Press Control+Shift+T. Each message which has been tagged is announced.

You can press ALT+Windows+N to verify the number of messages which have been tagged.

In the event you wish to remove one of the LeaseyTags from the list, simply locate the message pertaining to the tag to be removed. This will be indicated by the LeaseyTag sound. Then, press Control+Shift+Space to remove it.

LeaseyAudio.

Introduction.

LeaseyAudio allows you to enjoy your music, books and any other audio in exceptionally high quality.

In order to take advantage of the LeaseyAudio playback, particularly the hot keys which can be used from within any application, you will need to install Foobar2000. The developers of Foobar2000 are particularly keen to ensure that the audio output from this application is second-to-none, so undoubtedly this is a player which deserves serious consideration when listening to audio.

If Foobar2000 is not installed, you can still use much of what LeaseyAudio has to offer in terms of creating, managing and listening to songs from playlists. Winamp and VLC Media Player for example can be used to good effect.

In this Chapter, we will walk you through all aspects of creating a playlist based upon files in your audio library. This will include editing and playing songs from it. We will also describe all the global hot keys which can be used with Foobar2000.

In order to make it easier for you to create playlists, if using LeaseyBasic we suggest you include the path to the start point of your audio library in LeaseyManager. However, this is by no means essential, and provided you know how to use File Explorer, creating a playlist will not be difficult. This simply gives you a useful starting point for browsing the audio library. You will, however, need to have read and understood the previous Chapter concerning LeaseyTags.

The LeaseyAudio Menu.

The leaseyAudio menu is located on the Leasey Main Menu by selecting the option “Launch LeaseyAudio”. Alternatively, press the Leasey Key followed by the letter “A” to access it directly.

The LeaseyAudio menu contains several items and we will work through them in the order in which they appear.

Create or Change a Playlist.

Activating this option on the LeaseyAudio menu will bring into view an Edit Field. You will be asked for the name of the playlist. Whether this is a new playlist, or an existing one you wish to add to, please type its name and press Enter.

Assuming you have instructed LeaseyManager where your primary audio folder is located, you will be taken to it automatically. If not, please browse to a folder containing audio files within File Explorer.

If LeaseyBasic is active, a list of folders is presented to you. You cannot press Tab or Shift+Tab to move outside the confines of the list. Pressing Enter will of course enter a folder, while pressing Backspace will return to the previous folder.

As described in the previous Chapter, please assign LeaseyTags to each file you wish to add to the playlist by pressing Control+Shift+Space when focused upon it. To repeat, this can be from multiple folders, however you can always add to a playlist later.

When all the tags are in place, press Control +Shift+P and the playlist will be created very quickly. You will hear the word, “Complete”.

If you wish to add to the current playlist at this stage, you can go ahead and tag more files from different folders and then press Control+Shift+P once again. Leasey remembers which playlist you are creating and will do so unless you change a name by selecting option 1 from the LeaseyAudio menu, “Create or Change a Playlist”.

Work With Your Playlists.

Activating the second option from the LeaseyAudio menu will let you “Work With Your Playlists”. Pressing Enter on this item will present you with a list of playlists you have previously saved. Press Enter on a playlist in order to work with it.

Managing a Playlist.

When within a playlist, four options are available:

• Listen to the Playlist. Pressing Enter here will begin playback of all the songs in the playlist in sequential order, unless you choose to shuffle its contents, (See Below).
• Listen to a Song from the Playlist. This option will present you with a list of all files in the playlist. Press Enter on an item to listen to it.
• Edit the Playlist. This option will bring the playlist into a file for easy text editing. If you wish to rearrange the order of items in the playlist, or delete from it, this is the option you need. Simply cut, copy, paste or delete items to suit your listening preference. Press Control+Enter to save.
• Delete the Playlist. Pressing Enter here will remove the playlist from the computer.

Listening to Audio.

When listening to any audio content, please hold down all three keys to the left of the Space Bar. These are the ALT, Control and Windows Keys. While doing so, press:

• P to pause and restart audio playback.
• Left Arrow skips back through the audio.
• Right Arrow skips right through the audio.
• F12 increases the volume level.
• F11 decreases the volume level.
• N skips to the next track in the playlist.
• B skips back a track in the playlist.
• U shuffles the content of the playlist.
• N resumes playback in the normal order of play.
• R repeats the current playlist.

Listening to an Audio CD.

If an audio CD is placed within the CD-ROM drive of your computer, from within any application press ALT+Control+Windows+O. A list of CD drives which are part of your computer will appear.

Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to select the drive in which the CD is located. There may only be one drive. Press Enter to start playing the CD.

When the disc is playing, use any of the playback keys above in order to move through (or listen to) the items.

Sound Card Properties.

Advanced users of Windows may wish to jump directly into the properties so as to manipulate various sound sources. In order to do this, from the LeaseyAudio menu select "Sound Card Settings". This will move directly into the Windows dialog box for controlling such devices, whereupon adjustments to levels and other characteristics of input and output for each device can be made.

VLC Media Player and Additional Winamp Functionality.

Despite our previous comments about Foobar2000 being preferable due to its global hotkeys, many people enjoy using Winamp or VLC Media Player. This section discusses the use of VLC and an additional function you can use in conjunction with the Winamp player.

VLC is an extremely widely used player which will handle just about any audio or video file you throw at it. It also gives you the ability to play CD's and DVD's if you have a necessary drive attached and that includes audio description content.

First of all, you are going to download VLC Media player. It will not take a degree in computer science to find it. Just google the term, download VLC media player, and you will be there.

Keystrokes and Concepts.

There are many keystrokes in VLC. Leasey interacts with a good many of them so as not to provide conflict with JAWS native commands and also to ensure that in certain conditions it speaks or sends to Braille appropriate information. You can activate or deactivate "Verbosity Mode" by pressing Control+Shift+V. When enabled, this mode will announce additional information, such as the file name when you move to the next track, the cursor position as you move through the item, etc.

So first of all, we will load a folder into VLC. You can do this by pressing Control+F. If you want to open a file it is Control+O, or of course you can just launch it from File Explorer. CTRL + D : Opens disk, such as a DVD

The first item begins to play. Here are some keystrokes you may care to use.

• Space equals Play and Pause.
• Control+Up and Down Arrow will change the volume level.
• N moves to the next track.
• P moves to the previous track.
• S stops item from playing.
• Left bracket next to P: Decrease playing speed. If verbosity is on, speedh is announced.
• Right bracket: Increase playing speed. If verbosity is on, speedh is announced.
• Left and Right Arrow: 10 seconds forward or back.
• Shift with Left and Right Arrow: 3 seconds forward or back.
• CTRL + RIGHT or Left ARROW : 1 minute forward or back.
• ALT+Shift+T: Announce elapsed time.

VLC has an interesting concept applied to it. You can either gain the remaining time of a playing song, or the total length of it. It is one or the other which is displayed. We have tried to provide a mechanism for toggling this. The keystroke for doing this is Control shift c for change time. Once you have applied the setting how you would like, press Control+Shift+T.

Other keystrokes worthy of note for now.

• B: Cycle through available audio tracks, for example on a DVD.
• M: Mute sound on and off
• Shift+A: cycles through all the audio devices available.
• Control+L: switch to playlist or back to media.
• Control+T Go to Time. Listen to the instructions provided and type the format exactly as described.
• Control+V followed by Enter, launch a specific URL. This can be a YouTube video, SoundCloud audio, radio station and so on. If you have the URL for a video or audio source you can use that too.
• Alternatively, you can press Control+N to open a network stream, paste it in and press Enter.

Locating a Previously Saved Position in Winamp or VLC.

You may well be interested in hearing audio books in MP3 format or similar. In this event, you may wish at a later time to pick up from the point where you left off reading.

1. Pause the playback of the book by pressing the Space Bar.
2. Close the program down by pressing ALT+F4 in the usual way.
3. Open up the file again at a later time and it will begin playback.
4. Press ALT+Windows+K so as to move back to the previously stored position.

Please note that the storing of the saved position is file specific, that is to say that the position is retained relative to the file you were previously playing.

Setting And Locating Bookmarks in VLC.

It is possible to set bookmarks in VLC Media Player so as to return to strategic points within the audio at a later time.

1. Locate the point in the file where you wish to set the bookmark.
2. Press the Leasey key then Control+1.
3. Type a name for the bookmark and press Enter.

To locate a bookmark, press the Leasey key then 1. A list of bookmarks relative to the current file is available. Select the one you wish to move to and press Enter. The audio should then begin playing at the desired location.

To delete a bookmark, press the Leasey key then 2. A list of bookmarks relative to the current file is available. Select the one you wish to remove and press Enter.

LeaseyRadio.

Introduction.

The LeaseyRadio player makes it possible for you to listen to radio stations from around the world, provided they are broadcast on the internet. Thousands of radio stations exist playing a wide variety of music covering many genres. Speech content is also very popular for news, sport and discussion of current affairs.

When compiling our LeaseyRadio directory, we have chosen what we feel are some of the most popular and high quality music and speech radio stations covering ten specific genres. You can listen to any station of your choosing, add it to a list of favourites so as to hear it again, or assign it to one of the ten presets which can be accessed from any application. Listening to your favourite station could not be easier! If on the other hand you would prefer to access a wider range of stations, you can now browse the Shoutcast radio directory, or the Radio Browser directory, both of which contain many thousands of radio stations to choose from.

Accessing LeaseyRadio.

LeaseyRadio can be accessed from the Leasey Basic Main Menu by selecting the option, “Listen to the Radio”. Alternatively, press the Leasey Key followed by the letter R, to access it directly.

The LeaseyRadio menu contains 18 items:

• Listen to the Most Recent Station You Were Hearing. As the name suggests, pressing Enter to select this option will begin playing the station you last heard. You will hear the announcement, “Connecting to”, followed by the station name.
• There are ten categories of radio stations. These are: BBC, classical, country, Dance and Electronic, Oldies, Pop, Praise and Worship, Smooth, Soul/R&B, and Variety.
• You will next find two other items in this list pertaining to radio station access. These are "Search the Shoutcast Directory for a Station Name, Artist or Song Title" and "Browse the Shoutcast Directory by Station Genre". These will be described fully below.
• Next comes "Search Radio Browser" described below.
• You will then find an option to add the currently playing station to your LeaseyRadio Favourites. You can store as many favourite stations as you like.
• The next item in the menu allows you to View your LeaseyRadio Favourites. Pressing Enter here will take you into a list of the stations stored in your Favourites. Press Enter on any one of the station names in order to listen to it. You will hear the announcement, “Connecting to”, followed by the station name.
• The next choice in the menu is Delete a LeaseyRadio Favourite. Pressing Enter will again take you into a list of stations you have stored as Favourites. However, this time, pressing Enter on a station name will cause it to be removed from the list. If this has been done in error, please don’t worry. You can always relocate the station again from the category in which it was originally found and add it to your favourites once more.
• The final item in the menu is to set an audio player so as to play radio stations, described below.

Setting An Audio Player.

If you have associated M3U audio playlist files with your favourite media player through Windows, you may feel that there is nothing further to do. When you listen to one of the radio stations through Leasey, the chosen player should begin playing the station automatically.

However, if you are unsure how to go about this, or you want to guarantee that your chosen player will be used for radio streaming, please activate the last item in the menu; "Choose Radio Player". This menu has five choices:

1. Winamp.
2. Foobar.
3. VLC.
4. Leasey Radio Player.
5. Windows Assignment of M3U Files. This is the default option.

Press Enter on one of these options. The chosen player should then be used. You should only need to set this option once.

A few words about the Leasey Radio player. This radio player has no visible interface. You can control it by pressing ALT+Control+Windows+S for Stop, and ALT+Control+Windows+Up and Down Arrow to change the volume.

Viewing a Station from the 10 Categories.

If you press Enter on any one of the 10 LeaseyRadio categories, you will be able to view a list of all the stations contained within it. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the stations, or type the first letter of the one you are looking for.

When you find the station you wish to listen to, simply press Enter to begin listening to it. You will hear the announcement, “Connecting to”, followed by the station name.

Assigning a Station to a Preset.

While it is true that you can store as many LeaseyRadio Favourites as you like, there will be stations that you would like to hear more frequently. To this end, you can set up to 10 presets which will allow you to quickly start playing 10 stations of your choice from within any program, without having to work through the menu system.

1. Choose a station from any one of the 10 LeaseyRadio categories.
2. When the station begins to play, you may care to reduce the volume slightly or stop the playback by pressing ALT+Control+Windows Key+S. Then you can hear the speech a little more clearly.
3. Press the Leasey Key then Windows+Dash. The LeaseyRadio Preset Dialog Box appears.
4. When prompted to do so, please type a value between 1 and 0 to assign the station to a preset between 1 and 10.
5. Press Enter to save the preset. You will be advised that the station has now been assigned to the chosen preset. Note that if a station has already been previously assigned, a Dialog box will appear, reminding you of the existing station name. Leasey will ask you if you would like to replace the previously stored station with the new one. Press the letter “Y” for yes or “N” for no as appropriate. If you have chosen to replace it, you will be advised that the new station has been assigned to the preset. If "no" was chosen instead, the previously stored station name will be announced as still being assigned to the preset.

To access any of the 10 presets directly, press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+1 through to Windows+0, with Windows+1 representing preset number 1 and Windows+0 representing preset number 10. Simply press any one of the preset keystrokes to begin playing the assigned station. You will hear the announcement, “Connecting to”, followed by the station name.

When a station is assigned to a preset, it is also added to your LeaseyRadio Favourites list, so it can be accessed from there if desired.

Listen to the Most Recent Station You Were Hearing.

While this option can be accessed from the LeaseyRadio menu, (indeed it is the first item), a keystroke also exists to begin playback of this automatically. Press the LeaseyKey followed by ALT+Dash. You will hear the announcement, “Connecting to”, followed by the station name.

What’s In the Leasey Top 10?

The LeaseyRadio application is updated regularly. Whenever we add a new station, you will find it in any one of the 10 categories.

However, we have provided 10 global keystrokes so you can access 10 radio stations we think you may like to listen to. So during one month, we may give you 10 very popular stations. Another month, you may find one station from each of the 10 categories, and so on. Feel free at any time to try each of the LeaseyRadio top 10 keystrokes to hear which stations we have chosen. Remember that, when LeaseyRadio connects to a station, you hear its title as it is being launched so you can always locate it again at a later time.

To access any one of the LeaseyRadio top 10 keystrokes, press the Leasey Key, then ALT+1 through to ALT+0.

Search the Shoutcast Directory for a Station Name, Artist or Song Title

Activating this option will allow you to search the Shoutcast radio directory for a station name, artist or song title. If you know the name of the station you are looking for, you can type it into the Edit Field and press Enter. A list of stations matching the search criteria will be returned. As you browse through the list with the Up and Down Arrow keys, you will hear the name of the station and, if it is broadcasting, the name of the song currently playing. If you do not hear a song title or artist, this could mean that the station is temporarily unavailable. If you are browsing the Shoutcast directory in this way, and the station is not available, please do not contact us as we will be unable to fix the problem.

As an example, type Team-FM into the search Edit Field and press Enter. This is a station which we know is in the Shoutcast directory and should be available 24 hours a day. When the list is available, you should find an entry similar to this one: Team-FM UK. Carole King - It Might As Well Rain Until September. The Time Machine. Press Enter to listen to the station.

A similar approach is taken when you type a song title or artist into the Edit Field. For example, if you typed "Madonna", a list of stations will be returned which are playing songs by that artist. You will be able to read the song titles as you move through the list. Press Enter on any station name to listen to it.

Browse the Shoutcast Directory by Station Genre.

Pressing Enter on this option will bring into view a list of the many station categories Shoutcast has available. Press Enter on a category to move into it.

A list of all stations in the chosen category will be available to you. Move through the stations with the Up and Down Arrow keys. You will hear the name of the station followed by the song that is playing. A good example would be: The 1920s Radio Network 99.3 Virginia Beach / Chesapeake 64M. Luis Russell - Don't Take Your Love from Me Press Enter to listen to the station. If you do not hear a song title or artist, this could mean that the station is temporarily unavailable. If you are browsing the Shoutcast directory in this way, and the station is not available, please do not contact us as we will be unable to fix the problem.

"Working With Radio Browser.

At the time of writing, Radio Browser contains close to 40 thousand stations for you to enjoy. You can either use the "Search Radio Browser" option on the LeaseyRadio menu or use its dedicated shortcut key, Leasey Key then Shift+R.

When you enter this screen, you are prompted to type what you would like to find. The search is fairly broad, so you can type the full name of a station, or a key word, such as "Jazz". Leasey will then return a list of stations which match your search term. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to locate a station you would like to hear and press Enter.

Special Note: Radio Browser is a community driven project. You do not need to be the owner of a station to add it to the directory. This means that you can receive multiple entries for the same station or indeed the same station with a slightly different spelling. Leasey is just returning the items in the database and so we are not responsible for duplicate or inaccurate entries. Please do not contact us about inaccurate data. Every effort has been made to filter out links which do not contain a valid audio source.

If you have accessed a radio station from a search term, and you wish to return to the list of stations, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow.

It is possible to access a list of recent search terms. Having entered the Radio Browser search screen, type the word "Recent", then press Enter. A list of recently accessed search terms is displayed. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to locate a previous search and press Enter. The list of results is retrieved and displayed.

If you wish to clear your list of recent searches, into the Radio Browser search edit field, type the word "Clear".

Conclusion.

We hope very much you enjoy using the LeaseyRadio player. When doing so, we would ask that you please remember the following:

• We are not responsible for any of the audio content you may hear on a station. If you find something is not to your liking, please switch to an alternative station which may be more suitable.
• We are not responsible for the audio quality of the output from radio stations. We have chosen stations which we feel offer maximum quality audio output, however this can fluctuate wildly - not only between stations but from one broadcaster to another. Many internet radio stations are run by volunteers who may not always adopt professional broadcasting standards.
• If the audio output from a station stops working periodically, it may be that the broadcaster is experiencing problems with streaming content to the internet or there may be a difficulty with your own internet speed or connection. If this occurs, perhaps try choosing another station to listen to, or the same one again at a later time. If the problem persists, and the station is unavailable, please let us know. If an alternative stream is unable to be found which serves the station, we will remove it from the radio directory. Please note that this point does not apply if you are browsing the Shoutcast directory.
• If no audio output occurs after 10 to 15 seconds following your selection of a station, one of two things may have happened. First, have you turned the volume all the way down? Alternatively, the station may not be broadcasting at the time. All the stations we have chosen claim to broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, internet connectivity problems can occur, and as a result we suggest you try an alternative station to ascertain whether the problem is with the broadcaster or your own internet connection.
• While our LeaseyRadio directory contains a reasonable number of stations in each category, many stations do exist. If you know of a radio station you would like to be included in the directory, please write to support@leaseycentral.com, and let us have the details. The radio station must broadcast in the English language. We do need please the name of the station, preferably a link to the stream where it can be heard, and confirmation that it broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The station should broadcast at 128K or higher. If you are unsure what this means, or whether the station meets that requirement, please do not be concerned. We will make enquiries regarding this.

LeaseyTunes.

What is LeaseyTunes?

Leasey provides full support for the itunes program from Apple. This is known as LeaseyTunes. In addition to allowing a person to copy material to an iPod, iPhone or iPad, iTunes itself is a complete music management system. Indeed iTunes contains its own Store from which items can be purchased or previewed, a music player and a way to transfer music from your existing audio CD collection into digital files stored on your computer. When the music tracks have been converted or purchased, they can be organised into Playlists. Finally, iTunes allows you to listen to or download content from the Internet including Podcasts and radio stations.

Apple have invested a lot of time and commitment in order to ensure that iTunes is accessible. However, there are still areas of the program which could be considered as being inaccessible, and certainly, many keystrokes are required to perform specific tasks. LeaseyTunes provides a special interface and many shortcut keys so that iTunes is a pleasure to use.

With LeaseyTunes you can:

• Locate frequently used areas of iTunes from a vertical list, ideal if you find it difficult to remember shortcut keys. The menus are divided into categories for easy location.
• Move to specific areas of the program quickly and easily.
• Examine the spelling of individual items.
• Change metadata (or details of songs) in an accessible manner, such as the artist name or song title.
• Find what you are looking for in the iTunes Store in an intuitive way.
• Listen to item information (such as the name, artist, time elapsed and time remaining) upon request. Numerical values are converted to minutes and seconds.
• Provides screen-reader users with terminology and procedures they are used to when working with Microsoft Windows applications.
• Full Hotkey Help facility allowing you to learn the shortcut keys if required and they can be performed from the help system itself.

This Chapter does not teach you everything about the iTunes program. However, it will give a broad overview of what can be achieved, and we focus to a large extent on the specific support given to users of Leasey with iTunes. We suggest for the best learning experience, you should consider purchasing our extensive audio tutorial in the use of working with iTunes and JAWS. This can be found from the Training page of our company website.

Starting iTunes for the First Time.

Assuming iTunes has been installed onto the computer, we strongly recommend that you consult the Configuration and Setup section of this User Guide so as to ensure your version of the program is optimally configured.

iTunes can be launched from the Leasey Main Menu. The item is entitled Start LeaseyTunes. After a short pause, the iTunes program should launch.

It is worth baring in mind that there are times when iTunes can be processing information concerning the songs you are playing and/or retrieving data from the internet, particularly when you are working within the iTunes Store. Should this happen, your computer and your screen-reader may not be as responsive as you would expect. Do be patient. Just wait a moment, and try working through the task you are trying to achieve again when computer resources maybe in a position to deal with your request. The specification of the computer and your internet connection may also play a part in how the system functions with iTunes.

The LeaseyTunes Application Menu.

Pressing the Application Menu key will bring into view all the items you can control. This makes it very quick and easy to find what you want. As and when you get to learn the items, you can use first letter navigation in order to find what you are looking for.

Terminology

Before we describe how to use iTunes, it is important to understand a little terminology.

Within this User Guide, we will refer to the term, “Item”. An Item can be a song on which you are focused, a movie or maybe a podcast. In most cases, it is a song, however because of the nature of the above, we refer to this as an Item. Such Items are displayed in what we call the “Item List”.

A “Playlist” is a group of songs collected together for listening to one after another. Years ago, you may have made up cassette tapes of your most favourite songs. In the iTunes context, this is known as a Playlist. We will fully describe how to create Playlists later.

Navigating Around.

We strongly recommend that, at least in the first instance, you use the LeaseyTunes Menu to select areas of iTunes you wish to visit, or alternatively, the shortcut keys listed in the Leasey Help System, Leasey Key then H. Pressing Enter on any item from either of these menus will cause focus to be set to your chosen area.

If you prefer, you can navigate through various aspects of iTunes directly using its native keystrokes for systematically moving through elements. In no way does Leasey prevent you from accessing anything you wish within iTunes.

Pressing the F6 key will move through each of the primary areas of iTunes in turn. For example, when examining your music, pressing this key repeatedly will cycle between the Item List, an Edit Field into which details of an item you wish to find can be entered, possibly a Tree View containing a list of Playlists and maybe a Status Area which is visible if iTunes is processing data or playing an item. Shift+F6 is used to move sequentially back through these elements.

Similarly, pressing Tab or Shift+Tab will move through other important items within iTunes. While we will return to these keystrokes later, for day-to-day usage of itunes used with Leasey, they should not be necessary in the most part.

Moving Directly to the Music section of your iTunes Library.

Lets start by learning how we examine the music which is within your iTunes Library, if you have any. During the setup process, iTunes may have given you the option to import music from specific folders if you already have audio files on the computer.

To move to the Music section, press Control+1 or select Music from the LeaseyTunes Menu. Focus will automatically be set to the Item List pertaining to music, and if all has gone well, you should hear the first item announced. Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the available items. Press the Home key to move to the top of the list and the End key to go to the bottom.

Additional Keystrokes.

Let’s introduce some more keystrokes in order that you can move to different components of the iTunes main screen more quickly.

We already know that you can use the LeaseyTunes Menu and Help System menus will allow you to set focus to specific areas, but lets introduce some more keyboard shortcuts you may like to use. These will allow you to work with items more quickly. Every item we will be describing however is available from the menu system.

If you ever need to return to the Item List from wherever you are within iTunes, press Control+Shift+L.

Pressing Control+F will set focus to the Search Edit Field from anywhere on the primary screen unless the Virtual PC Cursor is active, such as when viewing parts of the iTunes Store. In such a situation, please press Control+Shift+F.

To return to the Source List or iTunes Side Bar, press Control+Shift+T.

Adding Material to your iTunes Library.

It is advisable at this stage to add one or two tracks of music to your iTunes Library in the following way:

Use the iTunes Keyboard shortcut to deploy the Add to Library function, Control+O, or select the item from the LeaseyTunes menu. This reveals a standard Windows application “Open” Dialog Box, whereupon the conventions for locating a file should be used. Once the file is located, press Enter, and the file will be added to iTunes. You can also add entire folders, including any subfolders they might contain, using the Add Folder to Library option, Control+Shift+O. Again, this is available on the LeaseyTunes menu. To reiterate, go ahead and add at least two files to your Library.

Exploring the List of Tracks Added to the iTunes Library.

To view all the tracks in your iTunes Library:

1. Select Music from the LeaseyTunes Menu or press Control+1. Focus will be set to the Item List.
2. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the tracks. JAWS will read each track as you move to it. You may also hear other information, such as the album name, the length of time the track would take to play, music genre and how many times the song has been played.
3. If you have a large number of tracks in your Library, you may find it helpful to type the initial letter or few letters of the alphabet of the Artist or track name. This is known as first letter navigation.
4. In addition, pressing Page Down will move down through the list by several songs. Pressing Page Up will move up through the list by several songs.

Searching for specific tracks or Artists.

To search for something specific in your iTunes Library, such as a track title:

1. Press Control+1 to move to the Music section of the iTunes Library. Alternatively, select it from the LeaseyTunes Menu .
2. Press Control+F and you will hear JAWS announce the words Search Library, edit.
3. Type in the search term, such as a track name and press Enter.
4. Press Shift+F6 or Control+Shift+L. Focus will be set to the Item List and you should see the results. Pressing the Down Arrow key repeatedly will in time allow you to locate the desired song. You can then press Enter to play it. Note that if iTunes does not find the desired song the first time you carry out a search, you should repeat the process and in most instances it should be located correctly.
5. If only one song is in the search results list, you may need to use the JAWS Say Line command, Insert+Up Arrow, to read the item.

The Interact Command.

The Interact command is available from the LeaseyTunes Menu, or by pressing the shortcut key ALT+Control+Windows+Enter.

If you would like to check the spelling of any item on which you are focused, (or perhaps listen to the information at a slower pace), activate the Interact feature. In this context, when focused on an item it places the details of it into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection, perhaps character by character or one word at a time. When you have finished examining this, press Escape to return to the item with which you were previously working.

Obtaining and Modifying Track Information.

It may be helpful to learn more about the music track which has focus, for example the full title, Artist, year of release, track number on the album, the total number of tracks on the album, etc. You can also modify any aspect of a track if iTunes has made an error or the details have been incorrectly entered previously. This can be achieved by focusing upon a music track and pressing Control+I to bring into view the Information Dialog Box.

When the Information Dialog Box is in view, JAWS will set focus to the first logical field which is usually Song Name and this will be announced. Press Tab repeatedly to move through the fields. First, the heading is spoken (such as Song Name), pressing the Tab key once more announces the title of the music track. So in summary, pressing Tab once focuses upon the field label, pressing it a subsequent time causes the value pertaining to the field to be announced.

If you wish to change any aspect of what is displayed, this can be achieved by editing the text in a specific field. When an editable field is available, JAWS will say "Edit". For example, if you wish to change the artist of a song:

1. press Tab until JAWS says the word Artist.
2. Press Tab once more and JAWS will speak the name of the artist.
3. You are now focused in an Edit Field. Use standard navigation techniques, such as Right Arrow or Control+Right Arrow to move through the text. You can edit the text (or type new information) as appropriate.
4. Press Insert+Up Arrow to verify the text is correct. This is important. Sometimes, iTunes will attempt to complete the artist field particularly if it determines that you have made an error in the spelling, so be sure that what you intend is correctly displayed.
5. Press Tab when the text is as you want it, which will save the information within iTunes.
6. Press Enter to close the Dialog Box or keep pressing Tab and repeat the process so as to modify other properties of the track.

Selecting Tracks.

You now need to learn how to select tracks for manipulation.

Selecting an Individual Track

From your music library, press Control+Shift+L so as to focus on the Item List, if you need to.

Use the Up or down Arrow keys to move to the track you wish to select. Whenever you move to a track, it is automatically selected.

Selecting Tracks in a Continuous Range.

When focused upon a list of tracks, simply hold down the Shift Key and use Up or Down Arrow. JAWS will announce each track as you move to it together with the word selected. You can also press Shift with the Home or End key to select all tracks between the current item and the beginning or end of the Item List.

To verify the details of the tracks which have been selected, press Shift+Insert+Down Arrow.

Selecting All Tracks.

To select all the tracks in a list, simply press Control+A. Please be careful here! If you are viewing your entire music library, and it contains thousands of songs, this could cause your screen-reader to become unresponsive for a while. This keystroke should only really be used when selecting all items in a Playlist. We will refer extensively to Playlists later.

Deleting Tracks.

When tracks are selected using any one of the above described methods, they can be deleted from your iTunes Library. Here is an example you can follow to delete a track.

1. From within your music library, press Shift+Control+L and you will focus upon the list of items. Alternatively, select Item List from the LeaseyTunes Menu.
2. Press Down Arrow until the track you wish to delete is selected.
3. Press the Delete Key to erase the item.
4. You will be asked if you would like to remove the selected item. The default button is Yes, so go ahead and press the Space Bar to activate it. The selected track will be deleted. If the track is in your iTunes library folder, you will be asked if you would like to move it to the Recycle Bin. If you do, Tab to “Remove” and press Space Bar.

If you wanted to delete multiple items, you would first use any of the selection methods listed above in order to highlight the tracks for deletion. Then press the Delete Key.

Importing Tracks from your CD Collection into your iTunes Library.

To import tracks from a CD into your iTunes Library, follow these steps:

1. Place an audio CD into the CD-ROM drive of your computer.
2. Within a few seconds, the CD Lookup Results Dialog Box appears with an “OK” Button in focus. Press the Tab key twice so as to focus upon the list of possible results retrieved from the iTunes database on the internet.
3. Press Down Arrow until the correct title and artist of the CD is selected.
4. Press Tab to reach the "OK" Button and press the Space Bar.
5. By default, you will now be asked whether you would like to import the CD. If you want to import all the tracks, press Y to confirm this. If you would rather import only some of the tracks, type N. If you said “No” or were not asked whether you wanted to import the CD, do the following:
1. Within a few seconds of inserting the CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive, the list of songs on the CD should appear automatically.
2. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the tracks on the CD.
3. Remember that as you move to a track it is automatically selected for importing; however you can use any of the selection methods previously described to select more than one track. For example, shift+Down Arrow will select tracks in a continuous range. Press Shift+F10 (or the Context Menu Key), and Arrow down to the Convert Selection item.
4. Press Enter to begin the importing process.

While the importing is taking place, press F6 repeatedly to hear the time remaining before the importing of the current track or CD is concluded. Each time you press F6, you will hear different information, such as the current song being imported or the total length of the album. Useful tip. If JAWS announces the title of the song being imported, stop pressing F6 and, each time iTunes moves to a new song on the CD to import, its name will be announced so you can keep track of progress. iTunes is very fast at importing songs, so each title should take approximately six seconds.

When the importing process for all tracks has been completed, a “musical jingle” will be heard.

Rating a Track.

You’ve often seen situations where movies are individually rated. Now, you can rate songs too, with 1 star being applied to songs you do not particularly enjoy and 5 stars to those you love.

Why would you want to rate songs? One good reason is that you can use a Smart Playlist which iTunes can generate based upon songs with a specific rating. We will describe the process of creating a Smart Playlist later in this User Guide.

To rate a song, first find it within the Item List. Then, press Control+R or select the Rate Song item from the LeaseyTunes Menu. You will be taken into a menu through which you can browse with the Up or Down Arrow keys. You will hear JAWS read out the individual rating values. Press Enter to select the one you want.

As you move through the Ratings menu, you may hear the word “Checked” spoken with its value. This indicates that a rating has already been applied to a song. It can easily be changed by pressing Enter on the newly desired rating value in the list.

In a later section of this User Guide, we will be discussing how to change the viewing preferences so that when you move through the items (such as your music tracks), you can hear the individual rating values applied to songs.

The Status Area.

As you move through the various controls within the iTunes primary screen by pressing the Tab Key or F6, you will eventually locate the Status Area. JAWS identifies this by saying “Read Only Edit”.

The Status Area gives additional information relating to your iDevice and iTunes. It is always worth pressing Tab or Shift+Tab to reach the Status Area whenever you are focused within details relating to your iDevice, your Music Library, the iTunes Store or other functions of iTunes. The Status Area will give you information such as the number of tracks available, how much storage space is needed to accommodate them on your computer’s hard disk and how long the items would take to play if they were listened to continuously.

When you reach the Status Area, JAWS will identify that this item is available and will automatically speak the information contained within it. If you wish to review the information within this area more carefully, use the Interact key, ALT+Control+Windows+Enter. You are now able to use the Arrow Keys to move through the information in more detail. When you have finished examining the data, press the Escape Key to return to the Status Area.

Moving Around the iTunes Application.

If you choose to, as previously described you can move through the iTunes application by pressing F6, Shift+F6, Tab and Shift+Tab. While doing this, you may encounter the following controls and terms: Read Only. As described in the previous section, when you hear the term “Read Only”, this is a static block of text which iTunes displays to convey important information. We have already described how to work with such a situation. In short, press the Interact key if you would like to review it more carefully. Radio Button. Because you are using LeaseyTunes, the way in which you interact with Radio Buttons almost adopts a traditional approach of Windows navigation. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the Radio Buttons. JAWS will announce each in turn, advise you whether it has been selected and when you reach the top or bottom of the list. To select a Radio Button, press the Space Bar. Combo Box. Because you are using LeaseyTunes, there is a type of control iTunes would otherwise refer to as a “Button Dropdown”. Leasey however refers to this as a “Combo Box”. When such a control is encountered, simply press Down Arrow to move through the available choices. Press Enter to select the one you want.

Note that it is also possible to use the traditional Menu Bar of iTunes if you wish, (by pressing the ALT key, or when focused on an item, the Context Menu key (or Shift+F10). Particularly when using the Context Menu, you are likely to find a lot of hidden gems which may be useful!

Changing the Viewing and Sorting Preferences.

As you move through your music library, you may have found that too much information is being spoken by JAWS, or you wish to change the order in which the items are displayed. If either of these is true, you will wish to use the iTunes Viewing and Sorting Preferences Dialog Box, activated by pressing Control+J, or through the LeaseyTunes Menu. You will also wish to use the LeaseyTunes “Column Identification” feature, activated by pressing F7.

Note that the Viewing and Sorting preferences is relative to the area of iTunes in focus, so to change such settings for your music library, first activate this by pressing Control+1 prior to activating the Viewing and Sorting Preferences Dialog box with Control+J.

Activating this option using any of the above described methods places focus in a Dialog box, through which you can move by pressing Tab or Shift+Tab.

You are now on the first control, Change View, which JAWS announces. This List Box allows you to change the way in which the display for your music library is shown. Press Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the list. You can choose to select by Songs, Artists, Albums, etc.

Press Tab twice to reach a Combo Box labelled Sort By. This will determine how iTunes will sort the view previously selected. Press Down Arrow to enter the Combo Box and select the item you would like, for example Artist or Title. Press Enter on the desired option to save. Note that you can always determine what has already been selected by repeatedly pressing Down Arrow to listen to each option in turn. If JAWS announces the word Checked in addition to the item name, this is the current sorting criteria. When all the options have been worked through, the menu will wrap back to the top. You cannot get lost in this menu.

Note that this Combo Box can be entered a number of times by simply pressing Down Arrow on it repeatedly. For example, if Artists was selected in the previous step by pressing Enter, you can select whether they are sorted in an ascending or descending order. Press Down Arrow to open the Combo Box, press Down Arrow until Ascending is spoken and press Enter.

Press Tab now to reach the next Combo Box relating to albums. Again, press Down Arrow to open the Combo Box, followed by repeated presses of Down Arrow so as to hear the current selection. You will be notified of this as JAWS will say the word Checked in addition to the item name. Simply press Enter on the item you would like for the sorting preference, such as Album Artist.

Pressing Tab once more sets focus to a Check box entitled Show Artwork. In order to improve computer performance with your screen-reader, you may care to uncheck this box.

The final stage in this particular process is to press Tab one more time, whereupon you will return to the list of views to display, which was the focused item when you entered this Dialog box initially. Press Enter on this List Box to save the settings. If you have made significant changes to the view, (such as to display your library by album), it could be some time before the new display takes effect and the computer and screen-reader may be slightly unresponsive. Do not be alarmed by this. We tested a view containing over 300,000 songs and it did take at least two minutes for the new display to be available.

Having changed our view to our preferred settings, we now need to customise it a little further so we only hear the columns we need to know about as we move through the Item List. To do this: Press Control+Shift+L so that the Item List is in focus. Press F7. You are now in a very similar menu to the Combo Boxes we have been working with previously. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the choices. Press Enter to select the one you want. If JAWS announces that an item is Checked, press Enter to deselect it. You can check or uncheck as many columns as necessary. As you check or uncheck an item, you will drop out of the menu, so you will need to press F7 again to move into the list of columns. A useful tip is to deselect all the columns first. Once this is done, if you move through the Item List with the Up or Down Arrow keys, you will hear that only the song titles are being announced. Now, you can press F7, and add which columns you like by pressing Enter on each one, but you should do this in the order you would like to hear them. For example, we suggest that if you do want to hear details of items which have ratings, or the time of each track, you may like to add these last. In this way, if there are times when you are not interested in these, when moving through the Item List you can press Down Arrow so as to stop speech and move to the next one.

In summary, think about what information you really do want to hear and customise this view accordingly.

Using Itunes As An Audio Player, Playlists And Books from Audible.

Using Itunes To Play Music.

You can use iTunes to play your favourite music, either in ordered play, (the order in which the tracks appear in your Library) or using specially designed Playlists.

Ordered Play.

To play all the tracks in your iTunes Library from the focused position onward:

1. Select your music library by pressing Control+1.
2. Press Down Arrow or use first letter navigation to reach the item where you want the playback to begin.
3. Press Enter to commence playback.

You can also play a particular album or number of tracks by an Artist by typing the appropriate keyword or keywords into the Search Edit Box before locating the first track you want to play. You can in addition shuffle this list of tracks by pressing Control+Shift+S, (which is a toggle keystroke to enable or disable the mode), or by choosing it from the LeaseyTunes Menu.

As the track plays, use the following Keystrokes to manipulate playback.

• Pause/resume playback, Space Bar.
• Start playing current track from the beginning, Enter.
• Increase/decrease volume level, Control+Up or Down Arrow. Very useful as this is independent of the JAWS speech system. Note that through Leasey, JAWS has been instructed to not speak while these keystrokes are being pressed, so you should be able to focus on the volume level.
• Move forward and back by track, Right and Left Arrow.
• Speak the track title, artist, time elapsed and remaining time, ALT+Control+Windows+T.
• Skim forward through the track when it is playing, ALT+Windows+Control+Right Arrow.
• Skim back through the track when it is playing, ALT+Control+Windows+Left Arrow.
• Move focus back to playing song, Control+L.

Up Next.

If you are playing songs, you may decide that you want to hear a specific track after the currently playing item. This can be achieved by adding one to the Up Next queue. First, find a song in your music library that you would like to play. This can be done by browsing the Item List or by searching for it as described previously.] When it is located, press Control+Shift+A to add it to the Up Next queue. This is also available on the LeaseyTunes Menu. If you would like to view a list of upcoming songs, press Control+Shift+U. You will now be focused in a list which you can examine by pressing the Up or Down Arrow keys. This list can also be reached using the LeaseyTunes Menu. Should you wish to return to your music library at any time, press Control+1.

Ticking or Unticking an Item.

If you are listening to the contents of a Playlist (described below), an album, or any part of your music library, you may not wish to hear the songs which are scheduled to play after the current one. If this is the case you can Untick items by pressing Control+Enter on each one. This item can also be selected from the LeaseyTunes Menu. When the action is performed, JAWS will announce if the song is ticked or unticked.

Playlists.

There is one other option you may care to use, and this is a Playlist. Imagine preparing an audio cassette tape or CD of popular tracks for a party you are hosting, or containing suitable music to accompany you when undertaking an exercise routine! Creating a Playlist is based around the same concept.

Tracks from a Playlist can be transferred to your iDevice rather than the contents of your entire iTunes Library, they can be played using iTunes, or burned to a CD.

Creating a New Playlist.

Press Control+N on the Keyboard, type in a title for the new Playlist, and press Enter. Alternatively, you can access this item from the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Importing Tracks Manually Into A Playlist.

Use the following procedure to add tracks manually to an empty Playlist or to an existing Playlist at a later date.

1. Press Control+1 to move to the Music section of your iTunes Library.
2. Locate the track you wish to add to the Playlist.
3. Press ALT+Control+Windows+P to activate the option Add to Playlist, or activate the option from the LeaseyTunes Menu.
4. You are now in a list of all your playlists. Use the Arrow keys or first letter navigation to locate the playlist you want to add the song to and press Enter. If there is only one playlist that starts with a particular letter, the track is added when you pres that letter, without your needing to press Enter, so do be careful!

Importing Selected Tracks Into A Playlist.

When focused upon the Music section of your iTunes Library:

1. Press Control+Shift+L to focus upon the list of tracks.
2. Select a track or tracks in whichever way you prefer.
3. When all the tracks have been selected, press Control+Shift+N to activate New Playlist from Selection. This can also be activated through the LeaseyTunes Menu.
4. Give the Playlist a meaningful title by typing it into the Edit Field, and press Enter.

Importing An Album Directly Into A Playlist and Using the Column Browser.

You may want to create a Playlist of an entire album. In order to do this, you could put the album title and/or artist name in the search box so that only the tracks from the desired album are in the Item List. Another option is to activate the Column Browser. The Column Browser allows you to view all tracks in your iTunes Library by Artist, , genre or album title, and it is the album title you need to select to create the Playlist. It is possible during the setup process that iTunes has already created Playlists of all your albums, in which case this section is unnecessary.

Weneed to activate the Column Browser to transfer your chosen album into a Playlist. Don’t worry, you can de-activate this for normal operation if you wish.

Control+Shift+B can be used to activate and deactivate the Column Browser. It is a toggle action. JAWS will confirm whether the Column Browser is available or not. This option can also be activated from the LeaseyTunes Menu.

The first time you activate the Column Browser, you need to ensure that it displays the columns you want. To do this, go to the View menu with ALT+V, and press Enter on the Column Browser submenu. This submenu includes several columns which you can choose to show or hide. Pressing Enter on any of them toggles it between being shown or hidden; if it's checked, it will be shown. Revisit the Column browser submenu as often as needed to check all the columns you wish to appear in the Column Browser.

Once the Column Browser is visible, the layout of the screen changes to reflect the new status.

If you press Control+Shift+L repeatedly, you will cycle between all the lists now on screen, some of which you will not have seen before. These reflect the items previously selected under the View Column Browser menu item, and typically are: Genres; Artists; Album Titles; Track List of selected album.

When you find a list you wish to examine, press Down Arrow to move through it. For example, when focused upon the Album Titles, press Down Arrow to move through all those pertaining to a particular artist. It is the album Titles section we need for this exercise.

To create a Playlist based upon an album:

1. Press Control+1 to set focus to the music library.
2. Press Control+Shift+L until the list of artists is displayed.
3. Press Down Arrow to reach the Artist you want.
4. Press Control+Shift+L to move to the list of albums by the chosen Artist.
5. Press Down Arrow until the chosen album is selected.
6. Press Control+Shift+N to activate the New Playlist from Selection option. This is also available from the LeaseyTunes Menu.
7. The Edit Field in focus now contains the album title. Press Enter to create the playlist.

Smart Playlists.

iTunes includes a Smart Playlists feature that allows you to create Playlists based on certain search criteria. iTunes automatically updates the Playlist if new material is added to your iTunes Library that fits the search criteria. You could create a Ssmart Playlist of music tracks by your favourite Artist, for example, and any new tracks by the Artist you added to your iTunes Library would be added to this Playlist automatically.

To create a smart Playlist, press ALT+Control+N or choose the option from the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Now press Tab repeatedly to move through the Dialog Box. Most of the options should be self-explanatory, however we will work through the process of creating a Smart Playlist based upon songs we have rated with five stars.

Focus does not land on the first control in the Dialog Box, however it is arguably the most important. When you create a new Smart Playlist, you are creating a new rule for iTunes to obey based upon specific criteria. The Edit Field is the most important control because it is here where you will enter a value, such as an artist name or, in our case, a rating value.

Given that you can move through the Dialog Box by pressing Tab and Shift+Tab, lets explore the controls in the order in which they appear.

• “Match the Following Rule” is a Check box. Ideally, this should be checked which instructs iTunes to match the criteria.
• Next is a Combo Box from which you will select the criteria. Artist is the default option, so if you wanted to create a Smart Playlist of all songs in your library by one artist, this is the option you need. You would then type the artist name into the aforementioned Edit Field. We will select “Rating” by pressing the letter "R".
• The next Combo Box gives a list of parameters, the default one being “equal to”. This is likely to be what you want. If you need to change it however, press the Up or Down Arrow keys.
• Next comes the Edit Field mentioned previously. In our example, type a figure 5 here to represent a five star rating.
• Next is the Add Button which would be used if you wanted to add more than one rule to the Smart Playlist, for example, all songs by Roy Orbison with a rating of five.
• If you press Tab to move further through, you will see that you can limit the items generated to 25, and enable Live Updating. If, in our example, you later give songs a rating of five, they will be automatically added to your new Smart Playlist. Similarly if you had created a Smart Playlist based upon an artist, and new songs were purchased containing material from him or her, those too would be added automatically.
• Finally, press tab to reach the OK Button and press the Space Bar. You will be asked to give the Smart Playlist a name. Type it in and press Enter. The process is now complete.

Listening to Songs in Your Playlists.

To find all your Playlists, press Control+Shift+P. You will also find this option on the LeaseyTunes Menu. JAWS will say, “Fetching Playlists”.

You will then be presented with a Tree View containing all your Playlists. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through them or first letter navigation.

When you have located the Playlist you would like to listen to, press Control+Shift+L or from the LeaseyTunes Menu , choose Item List.

To begin playback from the start of the new Playlist, press Enter on the first item. You will notice that they are all sequentially numbered.

To begin playing tracks from any point in the Playlist, (not the beginning), from your list use the Up and Down Arrow keys to locate the track which will be the starting point of the playback, and press Enter to begin.

Renaming A Playlist.

To rename a Playlist, find it in the list of Playlists previously described. Then press F2. You will be placed in an Edit Field with the text of the current Playlist title highlighted. Type in a new name for the Playlist and press Enter.

Re-Ordering Tracks Within A Playlist.

By default, the tracks within Playlists are arranged in the order in which you added them. However it is possible to change the order of tracks in a Playlist using four simple steps.

1. As you move through the Playlist, you will hear the item number first followed by the details of the focused track.
2. Locate the track in the Playlist you wish to move with the Up or Down Arrow keys and, when the track is located, press Control+X. You can also find the Cut option on the LeaseyTunes Menu. This will mark the track for moving elsewhere. Note that by default, a Dialog Box appears, asking if you are sure you would like to “remove” the item from the Playlist. Do not be concerned by this as we will be pasting it back into the Playlist shortly, however you may like to press Tab until you reach the option not to display such a message again, and press Space Bar to Check it. Then, Tab to “OK” and press the Space Bar. This is a one time process.
3. Using the Up or Down Arrow keys, move to the part of the Playlist containing the track you would like to appear after the track you are about to move.
4. Press Control+V to move the track. Again, the Paste option can be found on the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Creating An Audio CD Based Upon A Playlist.

You can burn a CD in audio format containing the tracks in a selected Playlist. This CD can be played using a conventional CD player you may have in your home or the car.

Follow these steps to burn an audio CD based upon a chosen Playlist.

1. Insert a blank CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.
2. Use Down Arrow (or first letter navigation) to locate the desired Playlist.
3. Press the Context Menu key or Shift+F10.
4. Press the Down Arrow key and in time you will reach Burn Playlist to Disc. Press Enter on this item.

Activating this option takes you into a very accessible Dialog Box to control all aspects of creating an audio CD and how the resulting content on the CD will sound. One term that might be confusing is “Sound Check”. This option attempts to ensure that all the tracks will play at the same volume level. It is useful if you are burning a CD with tracks from multiple albums. If all the tracks come from the same album, however, it's best to turn Sound check off, as it makes the tracks on the CD play at a needlessly soft volume.

When all the options in the Dialog Box have been set to your liking, press Tab until you reach the “Burn” Button and press the Space Bar to commence the CD burn process.

Deleting A Playlist.

To delete a Playlist, just locate it from within the list of Playlists and press Delete. You will be asked if you would like to delete the Playlist. Press the letter Y to confirm.

Using Books From Audible.

To transfer a book to your iDevice from audible, it must of course first be included within your iTunes Library. Use the Control+O Keystroke to add a file to the Library, locate the file, and pres Enter. Alternatively, it is possible to download a plug-in from the Audible web site (called Audible Download Manager) which, when the book has been downloaded to your computer, will automatically ensure a link to it is placed in your iTunes Library.

To play the book in iTunes, locate, select and play the book as you would play a music track except that you start from the Audiobooks section rather than the Music section of your iTunes Library. This is located by pressing Control+6 or from the LeaseyTunes Menu .

When the book is playing, to move to the next or previous section, press Control+Shift+Right or Left Arrow.

Radio Stations.

Browsing Through and Listening to Radio Stations.

iTunes allows you to browse through a variety of radio stations by genre, and then select a radio station within the category of your choice. You must have an Internet connection to take advantage of this functionality.

To access radio stations:

1. Press Control+9 or select Internet Radio from the LeaseyTunes Menu .
2. Focus is automatically set to the list of radio station categories. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to select one.
3. When you reach a category you would like to expand to reveal radio stations for the genre, press the Right Arrow key. JAWS will speak the name of the category again. It is suggested that you wait a few seconds until after JAWS has finished speaking this information before you proceed to the next step.
4. Depending upon your Internet connection speed, within a few seconds the list of radio stations will be expanded. JAWS will announce the name of the category together with the total number of streams therein. Use the Arrow Keys to explore the list. You will hear the name of the radio station and a brief description relating to the content available.
5. Press Enter to listen to a radio station. There will be a pause while the radio station is located, and some may not work at all due to the time they are broadcasting.
6. Press Space Bar to stop the radio station playing. The volume can be adjusted independent of the screen-reader in the way you would usually adjust the playback volume, Control+Up Arrow or Control+Down Arrow. If it is available, you can hear information about the track being played by pressing ALT+Control+Windows+T.

1. Press Up or Down Arrow as needed to move to the category you wish to close.
2. Press the Left Arrow key twice - once to move to the head of the category and then again to close it.

Using The Itunes Store.

Introduction.

As the name suggests, the iTunes Store allows you to purchase music tracks or complete albums and have them downloaded to your computer automatically. You can also buy or rent movies, purchase TV episodes and subscribe to podcasts from the iTunes Store. The files are imported into your iTunes Library. It is possible to browse the iTunes Store without signing into an account and if you wish to do this, please skip the section of this User Guide relating to account setup. If you have registered an iDevice, you have already created an account, so you can skip this section as well. In order to use the iTunes Store, you will need an Internet connection.

General Notes On Account Creation.

The key to your success with the iTunes Store (or when using any iDevice) is to have an Apple ID. In order to create this, you should:

1. Press Control+Shift+H to visit the iTunes Store, or select the appropriate option from the LeaseyTunes Menu .
2. Wait a few seconds for a connection to be made to the iTunes Store, whereupon you will hear a “swishing” sound.
3. Press ALT+S for the Store menu, and from here press Down Arrow until focus is set to the item Create an Apple ID. Press Enter on this menu item.

You are now able to complete the Apple ID in exactly the same way as you would browse any other webpage. In most cases, using the Arrow keys, or pressing Tab repeatedly, will allow you to work through the process. However, on an occasional basis, it may be helpful to disable the JAWS virtual Cursor by pressing Insert+Z, then continue to Tab through. Note that Insert+Z is a toggle action, so when you have completed a page, be sure to enable it again by pressing the same keystroke.

Using The iTunes Store.

In order to browse to the iTunes Store, press Control+Shift+H or select the option from the LeaseyTunes Menu . You will hear the term Browsing to iTunes Store.

After a few seconds, you should hear a “swishing” sound which lets you know that the iTunes Store Home Page is in view. If you press Control+Home at this stage, you should hear the term, iTunes Store. You are now at the top of the iTunes Store Home Page.

When you browse the iTunes Store, it is a little like working with a web page on the internet. All the navigation keys within JAWS which you should be used to when using web pages should function, so you can move through Links and Headings etc. Leasey also provides some additional keystrokes and menu items to make working with the iTunes Store easier, and of course you will also find these on the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Searching For Individual Tracks Or Artists.

The easiest procedure in respect of searching for a track of music would be as follows:

1. When focused within the iTunes Store, press Control+Shift+F. In this context, Control+F would allow you to find specific text on an iTunes Store page rather than carry out a search for an item within it, so you should not use Control+F now.
2. When you have typed what you wish to find, press Enter to execute the search. When the search results have been computed, A swishing sound will be played to indicate that the iTunes Store page has been refreshed.
3. A useful tip is to press Insert+Escape in order to refresh the JAWS virtual environment for viewing an iTunes Store webpage. Indeed, every time you visit a new page in the Store, we suggest you press this keystroke to ensure that the text you are about to read is accurate.

Of course, when reading the pages in the iTunes Store, activating any one of the Hyperlinks can be achieved by pressing Enter whenever JAWS says the word Link. When a Link is activated, you may need to wait a few seconds until you hear a new instance of the swishing sound. This is your indication that a new page is in view.

You can buy or preview tracks using buttons, so pressing B repeatedly to move between the buttons is a good way to get a quick idea what your search results are. Pressing the letter H also helps as this moves from one major division of the iTunes Store to the next, for example from albums to singles. Please read the next section concerning previewing music tracks.

Playing And Purchasing Music Tracks.

There is a sample of each track within the music store so you can determine if what you are purchasing is your desired piece of music. When exploring the web page structure of the Store, you will notice a Preview Button for each track. Press the Space Bar to activate the Button. You will hear a 30-second sample of the music track.

However usefully, Leasey provides a method through which you can quickly and easily skip through the results found in the Store. This is because after each result found, there is a good deal of unnecessary intervening text which can be bypassed using this method. She will also allow you to return to the track you are previewing.

Please work through the following example where we will search for a music track in the Store.

1. Ensure that the iTunes Store Home Page is in view by pressing Control+Shift+H.
2. Wait a little while for the swishing sound, and press Control+Home to verify that you are at the top of the iTunes Store Home Page. If necessary, press Insert+Escape to refresh the JAWS virtual environment.
3. Press Control+Shift+F to find a track in the Store. Type the phrase, “Take Me to Church”, or a song title of your choosing.
4. Press Enter.
5. Wait for a few seconds until you hear the swishing sound and, again, press Control+Home to move to the top of the page, followed if necessary by Insert+Escape.
6. Press the letter H repeatedly to move through the Headings. You may encounter the term Albums or Songs. It is Songs we are looking for.
7. Press F4 to move to the next result. JAWS announces the next result found from the cursor position which if you recall was from the term Songs.
8. If you wish to preview the item, press the Space Bar. Alternatively, keep pressing F4 until you find what you are looking for. If you are not sure that the result is what you want, press Down Arrow to move through the text for each song. However, the keystroke F4 to move to the next result is a good one, as there is a lot of explanatory text and options below each item, so pressing this key provides a quick method of moving to each result in turn. Pressing Shift+F4 will move to the previous result. These options can also be found on the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Previewing Tracks.

When a track sample is being heard, many of the keystrokes used for listening to audio playback with iTunes will function. Control+Up or Down Arrow for example will change the volume level. ALT+Control+Windows+T will cause information about the track to be spoken.

While listening to a song sample, you can move the cursor elsewhere in the iTunes Store, perhaps to explore different results or read text on the page. Should you wish to return to the original position of the preview, press the Leasey Key then 1.

It is also possible to set a temporary LeaseyPoint on an iTunes Store page. This is temporary because the layout of iTunes Store pages varies considerably, so it is unlikely you would ever want to save it on a permanent basis.

To set a LeaseyPoint, move the cursor to the position you wish to return to and press the Leasey Key followed by Control+1. To return to the position again, press the Leasey Key then 1.

All of the above options can be found on the LeaseyTunes Menu.

Purchasing Tracks.

To purchase a track, assuming the cursor is first focused upon the result found, again from the same web page locate the Button to buy the track which will also advise you of its price. Press Space Bar to activate the Button. A Dialog Box may appear asking if you would like to purchase the item or items. Confirm this by activating the appropriate button. It’s that simple! Once the Space Bar is pressed the track will then be downloaded to your computer and imported into your iTunes Library. Note that if you have not previously signed into the music store you will be given the opportunity to do so prior to the purchase confirmation Dialog Box being displayed. A “musical jingle” will indicate that the song has been downloaded to your computer.

Should you wish to sign into your iTunes account prior to purchasing a music track, you will find that if you press ALT+S, this will take you to the Store menu. Now if you press Down Arrow repeatedly, an option will be available called Sign into My Account. Press Enter, and complete the fields as necessary, pressing the Tab key to move to each one.

Purchasing Albums.

This is very similar to the way in which you would purchase a song. This time however, when you have typed in your search term and pressed Enter, you will be looking for the Heading entitled albums. Once located, you may like to press Down Arrow twice and activate the See All Link by pressing Enter.

press F4 to look for the first album result. If this is what you are looking for, press B to reach the Buy Button, or Enter to activate the link for the album.

Once inside the album, press the letter H to move to the next Heading, (the album title), and then F4 repeatedly to move through each track on it. Alternatively you can select “Next Result” from the LeaseyTunes Menu.

To purchase the album directly from within it, move to the top of the page by pressing Control+Home, then press the letter B to reach the Button containing its price. Pressing the Space Bar will allow it to be purchased.

Should you wish to return to your search results, press ALT+Left Arrow or, from the LeaseyTunes Menu, select the option to move back to the previous page.

Finding Movies.

As well as finding music content in the iTunes Store, you can also rent and purchase movies. If the movie does not have a Button labelled Rent alongside it, it is not possible to rent the movie.

There are many ways to find movies in the itunes Store and here is just one of them.

1. Into the Search Edit Field activated with Control+Shift+F, type “Harry Potter” and press Enter.
2. After a short pause, the swishing sound should occur. As usual, move to the top of the page with Control+Home, and possibly press Insert+Escape.
3. This time, we are looking for the Heading “Films” or “Movies”, so go ahead and press the letter H until it is located.
4. Press F4 until the desired movie about Harry Potter is located.
5. Press Enter to activate the link for the movie.
6. You can now read the page for the movie. Don’t forget if you want to purchase or rent it, you need to press Control+Home to move to the top of the page, and then the letter B repeatedly to locate the correct Button with the price for the movie. JAWS will announce both the rental and purchase prices. Press the Space Bar to activate.

Should you wish to return to your search results, press ALT+Left Arrow or, from the LeaseyTunes Menu, select the option to move back to the previous page.

The Movies Home Page and iTunes Store Buttons.

There is a great deal of information on the Home Page of the iTunes Store for any category, such as Music or movies. For example, if when the iTunes Store is focused you do not type anything into the Search Edit Field but just read the page, you are then presented with the iTunes Store Home Page from which you can select a category if you wish. For example, bringing into view the list of Links with Insert+F7, and then selecting Films (or Movies depending upon your country) by focusing upon it and pressing Enter, will give you a page giving the top 20 most downloaded movies and other useful information.

You can always move back to the Home Page by pressing Control+Shift+H.

Browsing the iTunes Store.

You may have thought until this point that you have been browsing through the iTunes Store. This is not completely the case. iTunes does give you the ability to browse through genre, artists and albums as though you were in a CD store! Here is one way in which this can be done.

1. Ensure you are focused within the itunes Store.
2. Press Control+Shift+B to activate the Column Browser.
3. You will immediately be placed in a list of categories, such as Apps, Music and so on. Press Down Arrow to reach the item you want. We will select Music.
4. Press Control+Shift+L to move to the next list. You should find a list of music genres through which to browse. Again, select one from the list.
5. Press Control+Shift+L again to move into either a list of sub-categories or artists.
6. In summary, keep pressing Shift+Control+L and browsing the various lists. You can drill down as much as you like until you reach an album, or even individual songs which are part of it.
7. If you find something you wish to purchase, press the Context Menu key or Shift+F10. From here, you can preview a song or, if you press Down Arrow repeatedly, purchase it. The price will be given alongside the purchase information. Press Enter to do this.

What Happens After a Purchase Has Been Made?

A number of things will happen once a purchase has been made.

First of all, your purchase (for example a movie, music track or album) will begin to download.

While the purchased item is downloading, press Control+Shift+3. This will take you into a list of items currently downloading which you can explore with the Up or Down Arrow keys. A musical jingle will indicate that the items have been downloaded. You should now be able to search your music library to find them, or alternatively, from the Playlists area, find the Playlist entitled Purchased which will display your items.

Prior to looking at playlists however or browsing your library, you may care to close iTunes down and restart it, otherwise you could have difficulty exiting the Store.

Podcasts.

Introduction.

Podcasts are radio- and TV-style shows you can download from the Internet. You can download free Podcasts from the iTunes Store.

Podcasts are different from Internet radio stations, which stream live content over the Internet. Each Podcast is divided into a number of episodes. The frequency of episode delivery varies according to the authors or distributors of the Podcast, but each episode resides within its own unique audio file. Podcast episodes are downloaded to iTunes on your computer-and you can add them to your iDevice so that you can play them when you're not connected to the Internet. When you subscribe to a Podcast for the first time, the most recent episode is automatically downloaded.

Subscribing to Podcasts.

It is possible to subscribe to free Podcasts using the iTunes Store. Note that the term “Subscribe” in most cases does not mean you will pay any money to receive the episodes. It merely indicates that you wish to receive them.

If you move into the iTunes Store, you can either:

1. Press Control+Shift+F to locate the Find Edit Field and type the name of the Podcast.
2. Press Enter to search, or
3. Select the Podcasts Link from the list of Links Dialog Box, Insert+F7.
4. Find the Link and press Enter to activate.
5. You will now be in the Podcast directory which you can browse through in the usual manner in which a web page would be read.

If you have chosen to search directly for a Podcast, you will find a Heading on the Store page entitled Podcasts. Press the letter H to move to it. A good Podcast to start with would be “FSCast” from Freedom Scientific.

Once the Podcasts Heading has been located, you can browse through each result by pressing F4. When you find one you wish to subscribe to, press Enter on the appropriate Link.

When the new page is loaded, press Control+Home to reach the top of the page, followed by the letter B to reach the “Subscribe” Button. Press Space Bar to activate. Note that a Dialog Box may appear shortly after with a further “Subscribe” Button in focus. Go ahead and press Space Bar on this as well.

Viewing Details of Podcasts.

Press Control+4 in order to move to the Podcasts area or choose the option from the LeaseyTunes Menu .

You will find a list of all the Podcasts to which you have subscribed. When you reach a Podcast, you can find the list of episodes by pressing the keystroke Control+Shift+L, or by selecting Next List from the LeaseyTunes Menu .

You can now press Down Arrow to move through the Podcasts. If you wish to play an episode, press Enter. Press the Space Bar to pause audio playback as usual.

You will also find that activating the Context Menu on each Podcast episode, (or main Podcast title), options exist which you may like to take advantage of. These include the ability to download more episodes, settings to configure how often episodes should be downloaded, to Unsubscribe to a Podcast, and more.

Checking for New Podcast Episodes.

Under most circumstances, iTunes will automatically display new Podcast episodes as and when they are available. Should you wish to refresh or update the list of displayed episodes to check for new updates, press F5. You can also update an individual podcast by locating an episode, pressing the Context Menu key or Shift+F10, and choosing Update Podcast from the Context menu.

Working With Your iDevice.

During 2015, we do intend to significantly improve upon the interaction you receive when using iTunes in conjunction with your iDevice, be it an iPod, iPhone or iPad. However, the following keystrokes we hope will at least ensure that you can access the core components quickly. In addition, we have in this chapter also provided you with some strategies to navigate iTunes screens, notably using Tab or F6.

Pressing Control+Shift+I will locate the iDevice options assuming the item is connected to the computer and is available to iTunes. This is also available on the LeaseyTunes Menu.

When the relevant iTunes section has been activated, press Control+Shift+L to move to the Tree View of iDevice focusable areas. These can be moved through with the Up or Down Arrow keys. Press the Tab key repeatedly when focused on an area of your choosing so as to explore it further. Alternatively, you can quickly skip to the next iTunes Table, as described below.

When focused on an area relative to your iDevice, you may wish to move to the next "iTunes Table". iTunes Tables can contain details of preinstalled apps for example, or apps which can have documents transferred to them. To move to the next iTunes Table, press Control+Shift+t. To move through an iTunes table, (which is announced as a "Tree View"), press the Up or Down Arrow keys.

There are at least two areas of your iDevice which are worthy of important note.

The first item in the focusable areas relating to your iDevice is "Summary". Having located "Summary" with the Up or Down Arrow keys, if you press Tab to move through the options, you will be able to view information about your iDevice, such as its name, the storage space available and perhaps the telephone number it is linked to. On any of these items, you can press ALT+Control+Windows+Enter to interact with it, thereby allowing you to read the details a character or a word at a time. Press Escape to return to the iTunes screen.

The category "Apps" is also very useful. From here, press Control+Shift+T to move to the table of apps stored on the computer. As you press Up or Down Arrow to move through them, you will hear the name of the app, followed by whether it is Checked or Unchecked. The purpose of these Check Boxes is to control the apps which are automatically synchronised to your iDevice. If you uncheck an item by pressing the Space Bar, when the "Sync" Button is pressed, the app will be removed from your iDevice. Conversely, if you know that an app you have purchased on your computer is not currently installed on your iDevice, you can check the box pertaining to it, and again, when the "Sync" Button is pressed, it will be transferred to the device.

When all the relevant apps are checked or unchecked as appropriate, press the Tab key to move to the "Sync" Button and press the Space Bar.

LeaseySpotify.

Introduction.

Spotify gives you millions of songs at your fingertips. The artists you love, the latest hits, and new discoveries just for you. It allows you to stream songs over the internet and listen to them as if they were stored on your computer. Imagine being let loose in a music store with permission to play anything you want, old and new. You can play any song, any time! There are also hundreds of playlists other people have created to suit any mood or music genre. Why search for songs when someone else has done the work? Whether you want to relax, have music to exercise to or hear the latest hits, Spotify has you covered.

Sometimes only your favourite artist will do. You can play all their music on shuffle, for free.

There are two types of Spotify account, “Free” and “Premium”. Among other considerations, “Spotify Premium” allows you to play all the music you want without the interruption of commercials. If you enjoy listening to music, particularly albums in their entirety, it is worthwhile purchasing a monthly subscription to “Spotify Premium” for this useful addition alone.

Using LeaseySpotify and the Leasey Help System.

As usual with Leasey, there are several common factors to using the LeaseySpotify interface.

• Pressing the Leasey Application Menu key while focused within the Spotify program will cause the LeaseySpotify menu to appear from which all the options we will discuss can be selected.
• The Leasey Help system also contains a list of all the LeaseySpotify functions together with their corresponding shortcut keys should you choose not to use the LeaseySpotify menu. Moreover, as usual pressing Enter on any one of the keystrokes listed will cause the function to be carried out without you having to remember it.

Signing Up for a Spotify Account.

Even if you wish to use “Spotify Free”, this does require the creation of an account. Visiting the website at www.spotify.com will allow you to create one.

There are two ways in which an account can be created. The first is to log in with your Facebook cridentials if you have a Facebook account. If this is selected, then many of your details will be retrieved from your Facebook profile directly. This includes your Facebook Email address and password. You will use the Email address as your username.

The recommended option however is to create an account using your Email address, since you will be able to choose the username and password in order to use Spotify. The password can be something which is memorable to you.

When the account is created on the Spotify website, you can then elect to choose “Spotify Premium”, submitting your credit card information. Indeed the company may give you a trial of “Spotify Premium” at no cost if you would like to evaluate the experience.

When Spotify loads, you will be asked for your username and password. With Leasey installed, it is not necessary to enter “Forms Mode”.

1. Focus is automatically set to the “Username” field. Please type it in and press Tab.
2. Type the password for your account and press Enter.
3. Note that if you press Tab rather than Enter, focus will now be set to a Check Box. At the time of writing, it is not possible to toggle this Check Box by pressing the Space Bar and the status is always reported as being “Unchecked”. The purpose of the Check Box is to allow automatic log into Spotify each time it is started. However by default, the Check Box is set to allow automatic log in, so press Tab once more.
4. You are now on the “Sign In” Button. Press the Space Bar, not Enter, on this Button.
5. You should now be logged into Spotify. press Insert+T which will cause JAWS to announce the account type you have access to, such as “Spotify Free” or “Spotify Premium”. If JAWS announces “Spotify”, you are not logged in.

Using Spotify.

Having logged into Spotify, we can now begin to find music to listen to!

When working through the rest of the tasks in this Chapter, please pay particular attention to the instructions and carry them out precisely in order that LeaseySpotify will work correctly for you.

To the average user, Spotify appears as a series of web pages. So any techniques you have learned in order to browse content on the internet can be used here, together with the additional keystrokes and methods of navigation which will be detailed below. Pay particular attention to moving by Heading (by pressing the letter "H"), accessing a list of Links (Insert+F7), and using the JAWS Find facility (Control+F).

Searching for Songs.

Let us start with a simple task, searching for a song. Working through this procedure should introduce you to the concept is a good training ground.

There are two methods in respect of searching for a song. There is a method you can use from within LeaseySearch, or alternatively, the more traditional way. If you are using the LeaseySearch method, Spotify does not need to be running at this point. However, we will first relate the traditional method.

1. Press Control+Shift+F to find a song.
2. Type a song title such as “Thinking Out Loud”.
3. Press Enter.
4. The search is carried out and in a second or two you should be focused upon the first search result. JAWS will speak the title of the song assuming it exists.
5. Focus is now in a list of results. You can press the Down Arrow key to review them. First you will see what Spotify deems to be the "Top Result", followed by a list of the most popular songs matching the search criteria.

Song Details.

As you press the Down Arrow key to move through the songs which have been found, you are likely to discover a number of elements.

• A Button inviting you to play the song.
• The song name as plain text.
• A hyperlink to the artist. Pressing Enter on this item will take you to the artist page from where you can view their catalogue.
• A Button to save the song to your library.
• The length of the song.
• A Button entitled "More". Activating this Button will reveal options such as to share the item, add it to your playlist, and more. We will return to this later.

Press Enter on any of the Buttons to perform the desired action.

Note that when songs are playing, you can use the following keystrokes to control the playback.

Browsing Around.

Within this Chapter, we are going to describe some specific strategies you can use to get the most from Spotify when reading the pages. However, you may wish to explore the individual pages yourself, given that it has been made very accessible for you in the most part. You can read any of the text on the pages and activate the Links and Buttons in order to move to different sections of Spotify.

Here are some useful tips when navigating:

• Press Enter on any Link or Button, not the Space Bar.
• Use the list of Links, (Insert+F7), for fast navigation through sections.
• When focused on a new page, press Control+Shift+R (for “Results”), and Leasey will try to set focus to the starting point of the text on the page, bypassing any repeated Links or sections at the top.
• Press the letter “H” to move through Headings if needed.
• While every attempt has been made to instruct JAWS to refresh the new page when it is loaded, particularly with older versions of JAWS this is not always achieved. If you have loaded a new page and you feel that the text displayed is not what you expect to see, press Insert+Escape to refresh the Virtual Buffer, then try reading the page again.
• You can listen to songs continuously in Spotify while safely navigating to other sections. Playback will not stop unless you choose to terminate it.
• To move back to the previous page, press ALT+Left Arrow.
• To move to the Spotify “Home Page”, press Control+Shift+H.
• If you wish to search for a word or phrase on the page, press Control+F.

Using LeaseySearch to Find Items on Spotify.

This method is useful if you quickly want to find a song on Spotify and you may not have the application running or if you wish to locate an item fairly quickly. The concept is that you will find the item in a List Box, press Enter, and the relevant page on Spotify will be loaded into the application. You will then need to do a little work in order to begin playing the item.

1. Move into LeaseySearch by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+S.
2. Select Spotify and press Enter. If the Spotify application is already in focus, you can go straight to this method of search by pressing Control+Shift+S without the Leasey Key.
3. Type a song title and press Enter. Note it is important to be as specific as you can if possible, so if you are searching for a song, include the artist or group name to ensure the results are to your taste. You could also type an artist or group name by itself, or with the album name, etc.
4. A list of results will be displayed. Press Down Arrow to find the result you want. Note that the list contains anything Spotify holds including this term, such as songs, albums or playlists with this title. Find something which may interest you by pressing Down Arrow and press Enter. If you have searched for a song, and you have entered the artist or group name as well, in the vast majority of cases the first result will be the one you want.
5. The Spotify application will then run if it was not previously launched and the page for the item will be available. Hopefully, the song will begin to play if that is what you have searched for and focus should be on the "Pause" Button.

Now you should use any browsing techniques discussed above.

To return to your search results list, you can press the Leasey Key then ALT+Left Arrow.

Selecting an Artist.

You will have noticed while browsing the list of results in our song search that the artists are displayed as Hyperlinks. You can press enter on any one of the Links so as to display the artist page. Press Insert+T to verify that the artist page is loaded and you should find the name of the artist reflected there.

Having done this, press number 2 on the keyboard, above the letter keys. This takes you to the first level 2 heading where the results start, whereupon you can explore the page. This is usually under Spotify’s Heading of “Popular”, meaning that they are played by users more frequently. If you want to examine songs under this Heading, press Down Arrow repeatedly.

If on the other hand you wish to move through albums of the artist selected, press H to move through the Headings. Each album is denoted by a hyperlink. Press Enter to move to the album page. Again, the window title reflects the album which has been selected.

Moving to the first table by pressing the letter T will show all the tracks on the album. The layout is a very similar arrangement to search results, except that the items also contain statistical data, such as the number of times the item has been played. You can press the Space Bar on any item to play it.

You will find just above the songs listed on the album details of the number of tracks, the total playing time and, crucially, a Button labelled "Save". Pressing Enter on this Button will save the album to "Your Music" if desired.

Selecting Playlists.

We will now introduce you to the concept of Playlists. Playlists are a compilation of tracks a person has prepared, usually to reflect a particular musical style. These can make for good listening and, if you are not tempted to look at the track list, you can get a surprise when you listen to the music and perhaps one of your favourites is played. “Shuffle Mode” is also very appealing when listening to music in a Playlist.

From the Home Page, the easiest way to find your Playlists is to press the letter B to reach the Button "Create a Playlist". Just below this you will find your Playlists with each one denoted by a hyperlink. Press Enter to move into it. However, if you explore the home page, you will find plenty of Playlists advertised for you based on those songs you have played recently.

When you find a Playlist you would like to hear, press Enter on the Link containing its name.

When inside a Playlist, there are a number of things you can do:

1. Press Control+Home to move to the top of the page.
2. Press letter "H" to move to the first Level 1 Heading which is the Playlist title.
3. Press Down Arrow to read the page. You will first find a “Play Pause” Button. Press Enter to play all the songs from the beginning or in a random order of “Shuffle Mode” is on.
4. Next comes a “Follow” Button. If you are already following the Playlist, you will hear the word “Following”. Press Enter to unfollow or conversely, if you are not following the Playlist and you would like to do so, press Enter to follow it.
5. Next comes the name of the Playlist creator, the total number of songs and the running time.
6. The results are displayed in a table, so you can always move straight to this by pressing the letter "T".
7. If browsing through the results, you can play a track by placing the cursor on the "Play" Button relative to the track and pressing Enter. But in most cases, the purpose of selecting a Playlist is to hear a collection of songs and to enjoy them!

Creating Your Own Playlists and an Introduction to the Context Menu.

For each individual music track you search for, it is possible to activate a Context Menu so as to interact with it. You can add the song to a Playlist, start a radio station playing based on the track, add it to the playing queue, and more. In this section, we will work through how to use the Context Menu.

Before we do this, we need to create a new Playlist.

1. From any Spotify page, press the letter "B" repeatedly until you reach a Button entitled "Create New Playlist".
2. Press Enter on the Button, (or press Control+N), and an Edit Field will be in focus.
3. If necessary, activate Forms Mode by pressing Enter. Type the name of the Playlist into the Edit Field. We will use the title "Leasey" as our example.
4. Press Tab to reach the "Create" Playlist" Button and press Enter. You will note that there is a field for adding a description. This is optional.
5. Our Playlist is now created. We will add a song to it. Press Control+Shift+F and type a song title you know to be on Spotify. When this is done, press Enter. Alternatively you can use the LeaseySearch method of access.
6. After a short pause, you will be placed within the search results. Press the Up or Down Arrow keys until the song you wish to add is spoken.
7. Press Enter on the appropriate Button to play it. This is for two reasons: first because you can determine if it is the correct version and second because this loads up the appropriate song or album page.
8. Press letter "B" to reach the "More Options For" Button and press Enter. Tip: If you do not find this Button right away, it could be that the Button is not visually available. To work around this issue, press Control+End to move to the bottom of the page and press Shift+B repeatedly. Then press Enter.
9. You are now in a Context Menu. Arrow down to the item "Add to Playlist" and press Enter.
10. A list of your Playlists is displayed. Move to the name of the Playlist by pressing Down Arrow. In our example, this is, "Leasey".
11. Press Enter, and the song is now in the Playlist. JAWS says "Added to Playlist".

Note that if you wish to add other songs, you should repeat the procedure.

To be thorough, we should check that the song is in the Playlist, however when adding multiple songs it is unlikely you will carry out this process. It is worth describing however because at some point, you are going to want to listen to it.

1. From the Home Page, press the letter "B" until you reach the Button "Create a Playlist".
2. Press Down Arrow, and you will find all your Playlists. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to move through the available Playlists. When you reach one you would like to select, Press Enter.
3. PThe procedure for listening to the content of the playlist is exactly the same as that which we have already explored. In summary, press the letter "T" to reach the table of song titles and locate the song.
4. Underneath the Playlist title is a "Play Pause" Button. Press Enter to listen to the songs in the Playlist.
5. If you wish to activate the Context menu for the playlist, Press Enter on the "More" Button for it.
6. 1. Start Playlist Radio. Starts a radio station based upon the content of the Playlist, containing similar songs to those listed.
   2. Share. Allows the sharing of the Playlist on social media. This includes copying the URI to the Clipboard. This is a link which can be shared in order that anyone can listen to it on Spotify.
   3. Copy Playlist Link. Copies a Link to the clipboard of the Playlist which can be shared with someone else, perhaps in an Email. When the second user activates the Link, the Spotify web player will load in the browser, and will play the songs in the Playlist.
   li>Collaborative Playlist. Activating this option means you can then copy the Playlist URI (as above), and send it to a friend. When he or she opens the Playlist in Spotify, songs can be added, with them being available then to you and your friend.
   Press Down Arrow to move through the options on the Context Menu. The options include:
7. Make Secret or Make Public. This is simple. If made secret, the Playlist is not visible to the public. If Make Public is selected, it will be available to everyone potentially.
8. Rename. Allows you to rename the Playlist. An Edit Field is made instantly available. Edit the existing name, or type a new one, then press Enter.
9. Delete. This displays a new window with a "Delete" Button at the bottom of the page. Press Control+End, and you should be focused on the "Delete" Button. Press Enter to remove the Playlist.

To activate an item on the Context Menu, press Enter.

Deleting a Song from a Playlist.

If you wish to delete a song from a playlist:

1. Be sure you are located on the Playlist page as described in the previous section.
2. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move to the song you wish to delete.
3. Press ALT+Control+Shift+P to pause the playback.
4. Find the "More Options" Button underneath the song and press Enter to activate the Context Menu.
5. When the Context Menu is displayed, press Down Arrow until you reach "Remove from Playlist".
6. Press Enter to remove the song from the Playlist.
Press Enter to play the song to be sure it is the correct one.

Context Menu Items Relating to Tracks.

We have already explored the Context Menu relating to tracks, as we used it to add to our Playlist. However, there are other items on the Context Menu which are useful. These are very similar to the options we've just worked through when exploring a Context Menu for the Playlist. However, we have not covered:

• Add to Queue. If you are listening to a song, and you have a sudden need to hear a piece of music which comes into your mind, you can find the song on Spotify and use this menu item to add to the playing queue. It will be played when the currently playing song finishes.
• Start Song Radio. This is similar to the above option in relation to a Playlist, except that a radio station will be created based upon the selected song. This is excellent as it introduces you to new music of a similar genre.

Sharing a Track or Playlist With Others.

You may talk about music with your friends and family. They may well be Spotify users and hear songs you might enjoy. Now, they can send you Links to songs or Playlists they may have created and you can listen to them. How cool is that?

As we briefly described earlier, Spotify contains what is known as a "U R I". This is a Link pointing to a music track or Playlist on Spotify. When the Link is activated, the appropriate song or Playlist is automatically available in the application.

Leasey makes it easy for you to open such Links directly, whereupon you can then follow a Playlist or listen to the music track.

When activating either the Context Menu for a track or Playlist, you will see the option "Copy URI". Press Enter on this. It is then available on the Clipboard, which you can verify by pressing the Leasey Key followed by X. It can then be pasted into a tweet, Email or other text edit environment and sent to someone else for listening.

If on the other hand someone sends you a Spotify U R I, as you are using Leasey you can first copy the U R I to the Clipboard, then press Control+Shift+U, or activate the appropriate option on the LeaseySpotify Menu. An Edit Field is available, with a prompt requesting that you paste the U R I there. Please do this, then press Enter. Spotify will load the appropriate item.

If the U R I points to a Playlist, you will be taken to the page relating to it, whereupon it can be played or followed. Please refer to the earlier section concerning viewing a Playlist page.

If you have been sent a URI for a song, it is likely Spotify will take you to the album on which it appears.

Now you have the ability to run a Spotify URI easily, ask your friends to share their Playlists or favourite songs with you, and, enjoy the music!

Choose the Device to Play On

You may care to use your mobile device on which to listen to Spotify. If you have a number of Playlists which you are following, you have a large collection of songs in “Your Music”, or you just want to hear songs which can be quickly found using LeaseySpotify, you can hear these on your mobile device. Particularly if you have an external speaker or speakers, this can make for a wonderful listening experience as you can hear your music independent of the computer.

Certainly, the app for Spotify on I O S devices is particularly accessible and indeed using that, it is possible to create Playlists and add tracks to them yourself, then listen to those on the computer if you wish, in a simlar way to that described above.

If you are using Spotify on the computer, and you wish for your mobile device to immediately take over and start playing the music output, follow these steps:

1. Open the Spotify app on your mobile device and ensure it has an internet connection.
2. Using the computer, press Control+End to move to the end of any Spotify page.
3. Press Shift+B to reach the “Choose the Device to Play On” Button.
4. Press Enter.
5. Press down Arrow repeatedly and you should see a list of devices detected, including your computer and the name of your mobile device.
6. Press Enter on the name of your mobile device. It may take a second or two but the audio playback should begin. If it does not, exit “Browse Mode” by pressing F12, then press the Space Bar. All being well, you should hear the music from your mobile device.

If while the mobile device is connected, and you carry out any of the steps described in this Chapter such as playing a song by pressing the Enter key, communication will be sent to your mobile device as this is now the primary source for audio output. This means that all the control of Spotify can be carried out using the computer while you are listening to the music and it is reflected on the mobile device. It’s like magic!

If while browsing any page you press Control+End, you should be able to read the line of text stating that you are listening on a mobile device.

To re-enable your computer as the output source, work through the procedure described above. In summary, select the “Choose the Device to Play On” Button by pressing Enter on it, but this time, select “This Computer” in the list of devices which appears. Assuming a song is playing, playback should cease on the mobile device and you should hear it through the computer’s sound source instead.

Spotify Radio.

LeaseySpotify supports the ability to be able to listen to the SpotifyRadio “Genre Stations”. You can select a radio station pertaining to a genre and Spotify will play many songs matching the category.

1. From any page, press Insert+F7 to bring into view the list of Links.
2. Press the letter “R” for “Radio”.
3. Press Enter.
4. Press Control+End to move to the end of the page.
5. Press Shift+H to locate “Genre Stations”.
6. Press the letter “B” repeatedly in order to move through the genres.
7. Press Enter to select the one you want. You should now begin to hear the radio station.
8. Optionally, press ALT+Control+Windows+T to hear the current song title.

The HTML Assistant.

Introduction.

Many people are creating text for blogs, web pages and HTML documents. But in order for the presentation to look visually appealing and to enable a high standard of navigation by screen-reading software, it is important to include HTML markup. This enables you to create text at specific Heading levels, create bulleted or numbered lists or even insert tables and pictures.

Remembering the HTML syntax however to include in your text can be tricky. If one important character is not included, chances are that your formatting will not be present when you read the document at a later date, or maybe a link you insert will not function correctly. This is where the HTML Assistant can help.

There are many advantages of the HTML assistant:

1. You do not need to remember the characters to insert for the HTML code.
2. There is only one keystroke to remember in order to carry out all the tasks the HTML Assistant is capable of doing.
3. The HTML Assistant is intelligent enough to know which task you are working on and will always guide you.
4. In some instances, you can apply the HTML syntax to text you have already composed, although the preference is that you should use it while you are writing the original document. In summary, try to get into the routine of using the HTML Assistant as you write rather than after the event.

What the HTML Assistant Can Do.

To bring into view the HTML Assistant, hold down all three keys to the left of the Space Bar on a standard desktop keyboard, (ALT+Windows+Control), and while doing so, tap the letter H, for HTML.

A list of 19 items appears. When you press Enter on any option, you will be asked at least one question, possibly more. Remember, this is the only keystroke you need to remember to perform all HTML-related tasks.

The choices presented to you are:

1. Heading 1 through to Heading 6.
2. Line.
3. Paragraph.
4. Link.
5. Email Link.
6. Numbered List.
7. Bulleted List.
8. Block Quote.
9. Table.
10. Image.
11. Title Including New Document.
12. Create an Item in the Table of Contents.
13. Build the Table of Contents.
14. Clear the Table of Contents and Start Again.

Before using any of the options described below, be sure that the cursor is placed in a text composition area where you would like the code to be inserted. This could be a plain text document such as in Microsoft Notepad, or something more elaborate, for example a form field in a blogging platform or web page.

When you use any of the items in the HTML Assistant, going back into the menu will set focus to the place in the menu you had previously worked with. So if you had selected to insert a Heading at level 2, going back to the HTML Assistant will ensure that your focus is at the Heading Level 2 item in the menu.

Heading Levels 1 through to 6.

Pressing Enter on any one of these options will ask you for the text you would like to appear on the Heading. Simply type it in and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code.

If text has been highlighted or selected prior to choosing one of the Heading level options, it is assumed that you would like the text to be the title of the Heading and so you will not be asked for it.

Line.

Activating this option includes a line break in the HTML.

Paragraph.

Pressing Enter on this option will invite you to type the text for the paragraph. Please do so and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code. Note that if you wish to create a line break in your paragraph, press the Leasey Key followed by Enter. You will hear that a line break has been inserted and a new blank line is focused in the display area for the paragraph so it is easier to read.

If text has been highlighted or selected prior to choosing this option, it is assumed that you would like the text to comprise the paragraph and so you will not be asked for it.

Creating a Link.

Selecting this option asks for two pieces of information. You are first asked for the full URL (or web page address) of the Link you wish to create. You should type it and press Enter to move to the next stage. A good example would be http://www.mydomain.com/test.

Leasey Tip: If the URL of the page you wish to point to is a long complicated one, it may be an idea to ensure this is on the windows Clipboard first, prior to invoking the HTML Assistant. In that way, you can paste the URL into the first Edit Field when prompted.

The next question asks for the text you would like to be placed on the Link. A good example might be, "Please activate this link to contact me". Please type this and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code.

Creating an Email Link.

Selecting this option asks for two pieces of information. You are first asked for the Email address to be contained on the Link. You should type it and press Enter to move to the next stage. A good example would be support@hartgenconsultancy.com.

The next question asks for the text you would like to be placed on the Link. A good example might be, "Please Email me". Please type this and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code.

Numbered and Bulleted Lists.

This is one of the more complex parts of creating HTML code because not only is it necessary to insert characters to denote and terminate a list, but also it varies depending upon the type of list you wish to create. You would under normal circumstances have to place a tag at the start and end of each list item. Leasey takes care of this for you.

A bulleted list means that a bullet will be placed at the start of each list item. A numbered list means that the figures 1, 2, 3, etc, will be placed at the start of each list item. You will observe in our documentation that we always use numbered lists where step-by-step examples are given, but bulleted lists when highlighting a series of points to consider where you should not follow a particular routine.

Go ahead and select a bulleted or numbered list option. You are asked for the first item to be placed on the list. Type it in and press Enter.

The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code.

You will also notice that characters have been placed above the text you have just typed, which indicates that a new bulleted or numbered list has begun.

Press the HTML Assistant key again. Rather than taking you back into the list of options with which you will already be familiar, Leasey knows that you are in the middle of creating a list, so she just asks you for the next item to be placed on it. Type it in and press Enter. Repeat the process as many times as necessary so as to complete your list.

You will notice each time you are asked for the next list item, you also hear this prompt: "Please Type the next Item of the Numbered List, then press Enter. To end the list, type the word, end."

So, as instructed, when you wish to end the list, into the Edit Field type the word, "end", and press Enter. Your list is now created and Leasey has terminated it with the necessary tag.

You could encounter a situation where you have already composed text and you would like it to be formatted as a list. In that case you should work through the following procedure:

1. Select the line of the prepared text you would like to use as the first list item.
2. Press the HTML Assistant key and choose one of the list types. Press Enter to select.
3. When asked for the first list item, type the word, "text", instead. Indeed Leasey prompts you to do this if you wish. Press Enter.
4. You should now see that the text which had been previously selected is now surrounded with HTML code and the tag to commence a list item is also just above the cursor in the document.
5. Go ahead and select the next line for the list.
6. Press the HTML Assistant keystroke again. Review the text in the Edit Field, which should consist of the text you had previously selected, then press Enter. Repeat as many times as necessary.
7. When you wish to terminate the list, press the HTML Assistant keystroke once more, and this time, type the word, "end", then press Enter.

Tables.

A table consists of information presented in rows and columns. Initially, you need to insert column headers. Underneath the column headers you should insert information for each column in the row. This sequence is repeated until you have included all items you wish to appear in the table.

Choose the Table option from the HTML Assistant and press enter.

You will first be asked for the Table Caption. This information is important particularly for screen-reader users and should be used as a summary for the data which appears in the Table. Type in the caption and press Enter to move to the next stage.

When prompted, type the first column header and press Enter. When you press the HTML Assistant key again, Leasey knows that you are creating a table and will ask you for the next column header. Type it in and press Enter. Repeat as necessary until you have typed all your column headers. When you have completed this task, press the HTML Assistant key, and this time, type the word, "stop". Then press Enter.

You are now asked for the first item to appear at row 2, column 1, of the table. Type it in and press Enter. Press the HTML Assistant key, and type the data for row 2, column 2, etc. Keep repeating this process. Leasey is clever enough to know when you are starting a new row of the table and will remind you this is happening as you add more and more items.

When you have completed all the items in the table, press the HTML Assistant key and, when prompted, type the word, "end". Then press Enter.

Creating a Block Quote.

Pressing Enter on this option will invite you to type the text for the Block Quote. This is generally used to emphasise a point or to quote from a particular source. Please type the text and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary HTML code.

If text has been highlighted or selected prior to choosing this option, it is assumed that you would like the text to comprise the block quote and so you will not be asked for it.

Image.

An image presented on a web page can be a logo or maybe a photograph. When you select the Image option from the HTML Assistant, Leasey asks you for four pieces of information. You can move through each step by pressing Enter.

First you are asked for the path to the image on your web server. Usually, images are stored in a separate folder, such as in a folder called "Images", and so you would type, "forward slash images", like this: /images

Next you are asked for the alternative text you would like to be included for the image caption. This is critical for screen-reader users. Type it in and press Enter.

Next, you are asked for two pieces of information concerning the dimensions of the picture. First you are prompted to enter the width of the image and then the height. These values are entered in pixels, however Leasey gives you some guidance in terms of how many pixels equate to 1 inch.

When the dimensions have been entered, Leasey will enter the necessary code into your text and will give a measurement approximation in inches as to the width and height of the image so it is easier to understand.

Leasey Tip: We strongly recommend that when your web page is uploaded containing images, you should ask a sighted person to visually check that the presentation is satisfactory. Hartgen Consultancy are not responsible for the content or presentation of images on web pages. If the image is not as you intend, you might try changing the dimensions.

Title Including New Document.

This option should be selected in a new document containing no text. The purpose of this option is to create a new HTML document or web page with the necessary code so as to establish the page title and body text. You are prompted to enter the title. Please type it in and press Enter. You will note that the cursor is placed at a point in the document prior to the tag which terminates the body text.

This option should only be used when creating web pages outside a blogging platform, content management system, or similar. In most cases, such environments require that you enter the title in a completely different way.

Creating a Table of Contents.

A Table of Contents, as far as a webpage is concerned, is where you have a long document or web page, and you wish to create what you might call same page links to strategic points within it. This not only assists users of screen-readers to get to where they need to be, but it also means that sighted people can click on one of the links as well, which saves a good deal of scrolling.

The concept is that you will have a series of links close to the top of the document reflecting the items in the Table of Contents. In addition, each strategic point in the document will have some corresponding HTML code alongside it. When a person clicks the appropriate link in the Table of Contents, focus is moved to the anchor point within the document.

If you would like to see an example of such a Table of Contents, you can visit the J-Say page of our website at www.hartgen.org/j-say.

Move through the document and find the first heading you wish to include in the Table of Contents. We are going to ensure that each of our Table of Contents items sets focus to just below each heading.

Select the text of the heading to appear in the Table of Contents.

Go into the HTML assistant with alt control windows H, and select the option to Create an item in the Table of Contents.

The index marker is created, just below the heading.

Find the next block of text which will form an entry in the Table of Contents and select the text.

Again, go into the HTML Assistant and activate the Create an item in the Table of Contents option.

Keep repeating this process until all the headings are included in the Table of Contents

When you are ready to build the Table of Contents, move to the point in the document where this is to be displayed, probably near the top of the document.

Now go back into the html assistant, and this time, select the item, build the Table of Contents. It will be created and you will be advised when it is complete.

There is one other item on this menu, Clear the Table of Contents. Sometimes, you may want to start again with building the Table of Contents. If this applies to you, that is the item you will need.

Leasey Custom Help.

Introduction.

Along long time ago, we mentioned Leasey Custom Help which forms part of the Leasey Hotkey Help system. But what exactly is it?

Leasey Custom Help allows you to create notes to help you when working with computing applications or environments. We all need a reminder from time to time as to how to work with a program. Perhaps you may care to create a list of shortcut keys you can use for it. Maybe you need to note some reminders as to the best ways of navigating it; quick shortcuts and tricks to assist you in doing things that little bit faster. You can make notes of them to be accessed wherever you are on the computer, or perhaps associate them with the application for which the notes are intended.

If you are training a Leasey or JAWS user, Custom Help is the ideal tool for you to create text notes for your student. You then have confidence that he or she can access the notes at any point in the future. You can even create them if you are away from the student and Leasey is not installed if you know the format to use to create the file.

We will now work through some examples of how to create Custom Help, accessing it and managing it.

Working with Custom Help.

Leasey Custom Help can be accessed from anywhere by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. Think of it as help which you are controlling!

This takes you into a menu containing a number of choices.

• Read Custom Help. Read the Custom Help which is global or for the application which has focus prior to initiating this function.
• Search Custom Help. Search for a word or phrase which may be in your Custom Help.
• Create or Edit Custom Help. Create Custom Help notes globally or for an individual application. You can also edit them here.
• Deleting Application Custom Help. Deletes the Custom Help for the application which has focus prior to executing this function if it exists.
• Delete Global Custom Help. If you've created notes to be used anywhere, this function allows you to delete them all.
• Browse to Custom Help folder. Using File Explorer, this takes you into the folder where the training notes live. You could paste additional files in this folder if you wish which correspond to the file format described below.
• The last three items on the menu allow you to manage all aspects of the Custom Web Text feature described in the next section. They are placed here for convenience so that everything relating to creating custom notes is in the one central location.

Creating Global Custom Help.

First of all, we will create some notes that remind us how to launch an application from the Windows Start menu. This is something potentially you would carry out from any location which is why it should reside as part of Global Custom Help.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. The Custom Help menu appears.
2. Find the third option, "Create or Edit Custom Help".
3. Press Enter. You are asked if you would like this to be associated with the focused application.
4. In this example, because we want the help to be available anywhere, we will press letter N for no.
5. A special Help file is created. You can write anything you like in this file and edit it in the same way in which you would manipulate any text file. Write something like this:

To launch a program such as Microsoft Word:
1. Press the Windows key to bring into view the Start Menu.
2. Type part of the program name, such as Word.
3. Press Enter.
***

Now press Enter so as to create a new line of text, and we will create another exciting set of instructions!

"To bring into view a list of running applications, press Windows+Tab".
***

Press Enter again to create a new line. Note how we are presenting this text. You can create as many lines as you like; ideal for step by step examples. However, the end of each instruction must end with three asterisk characters ("***"). This will ensure that when you are searching your Custom Help, the entire text of the result will be available to you. You will observe in our second example, we only have one line of text as an instruction. This is fine, provided you terminate it with the three asterisk characters.

We now have our Custom Global text so we can save it. You can change or add to it at any time. Press Control+Enter and the notes will be saved and the text editor will close.

Creating Application Specific Help.

Now we will create notes for an application. Let us assume we would like to instruct someone how to move through a list of messages in Microsoft Outlook.

First, launch Microsoft Outlook. The location as to where you are within the application is not important.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. The Custom Help menu appears.
2. Find the third option, "Create or Edit Custom Help".
3. Press Enter. You are asked if you would like this to be associated with the focused application.
4. In this example, because we want the help to be available only for Microsoft Outlook, we will press letter Y for yes.
5. A special Help file is created for Microsoft Outlook. If you read the title bar of your text editor with Insert+T or Caps Lock+T if using the JAWS laptop layout, you will notice that it contains the name of the application, Microsoft Outlook. You can write anything you like in this file and edit it in the same way in which you would manipulate any text file. Write something like this:

"To move through messages, press Up or Down Arrow.
***

Now press Enter so as to create a new line of text, and we will create another exciting set of instructions!

"When composing a message, if you wish to change the Email account from which the message will be sent:
1. Press ALT+M.
2. Press Down Arrow to reach the account of interest, then press Enter.
***

Press Enter again to create a new line. Note how we are presenting this text. You can create as many lines as you like; ideal for step by step examples. However, the end of each instruction must end with three asterisk characters ("***"). This will ensure that when you are searching your Custom Help, the entire text of the result will be available to you.

We now have our Custom application specific text so we can save it. You can change or add to it at any time. Press Control+Enter and the notes will be saved and the text editor will close.

Note that if you launched a web browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, and then you decided to create application specific help, this will apply to the entire browser. So any notes should pertain to general web page navigation. If you do this, you are presented with a short message within the JAWS Virtual Viewer, stating this and advising you that you can use the Custom Web Text feature to create notes for specific sites and pages.

Reading the Global Custom Help.

So at some point in the future, you may like to read everything that is in the Global Custom Help.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. The Custom Help menu appears.
2. You are on the first option, "Read Custom Help".
3. Press Enter.
4. The help for all applications is displayed. It is shown in the JAWS Results Viewer which is a separate application. You can keep this window open, move to another application if you wish by pressing ALT+Tab, work in the program, and then move back to your notes again by pressing ALT+Tab.

Reading the Application Specific Custom Help.

Now we will examine the application specific help we created for Microsoft Outlook.

1. Launch the Microsoft Outlook application.
2. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. The Custom Help menu appears.
3. You are on the first option, "Read Custom Help".
4. Press Enter.
5. The help for Microsoft Outlook is displayed. It is shown in the JAWS Results Viewer which is a separate application. You can keep this window open, move to Microsoft Outlook if you wish by pressing ALT+Tab, work in the program, and then move back to your notes again by pressing ALT+Tab.
6. You will notice that the Global Custom Help is displayed underneath the application specific text. This is displayed for two reasons. First, whenever you want to read any help text at all, whether it is for a specific application or not, all you need to do is focus on the first option in the Custom Help menu, "Read Custom Help". That is the only thing you (or your student) really needs to be concerned with. Second, it could be that you need reminding of global help procedures while you are focused within an application for which help has been created. The Global Custom Help begins with a levelled heading.

Searching Custom Help.

Let us assume you have lots of notes you have created in Custom Help. You may wish to search for something specific rather than reading either the application specific (or global) help right the way through. Leasey allows you to search for a key word or phrase to bring back the necessary results.

The way Leasey works with search is as follows. If there is application specific help for the program which has focus, it is assumed that is the help you wish to search through. If the chosen word or phrase is not found there, she will search the global help instead. It is possible that you may have forgotten where you placed the help text; whether it was application specific or global. It does not matter. Leasey will find it anyway.

In this example, we would like to find the details relating to how to send messages from specific accounts in Microsoft Outlook.

1. Launch the Microsoft Outlook application.
2. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H to launch custom Help.
3. Select the second option, "Search Custom Help".
4. Press Enter. You are asked what you would like to search for. Type the word "Account" and press Enter.

The following text is displayed using the JAWS Results Viewer so you can keep the window open.

"When composing a message, if you wish to change the Email account from which the message will be sent:
1. Press ALT+M.
2. Press Down Arrow to reach the account of interest, then press Enter.

Searching Global Help.

Now we wish to search Global Custom Help instead. The procedure is almost identical to that described above.

1. From within any application, press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H to launch custom Help.
2. Select the second option, "Search Custom Help".
3. Press Enter. You are asked what you would like to search for. Type the word "running", because we want to remind ourselves how to bring into view a list of running applications. Press Enter.

The following text is displayed.

To Bring Into View A List Of Running Applications, Press Windows+tab".

Editing Application and Global Custom Help.

If you wish to edit any aspect of the application or global Custom Help, this can be achieved easily.

If the help you wish to edit belongs to a specific application, be sure you have launched it first and that it is focused. In our example, this is Microsoft Outlook.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H to bring into view the Custom Help menu.
2. Select the option "Create or Edit Custom Help".
3. Press Enter.
4. You will be asked if the help is for the focused application. If you press letter Y for yes, then you will be editing your Custom Help for that application. It will be launched in a text editor such as Notepad. You can then edit it. If there was no Custom Help for the application, it will have been created.
5. If you had pressed N for no in the above step, you will be editing Global Custom Help. It will be launched in a text editor such as Notepad. You can then edit it. If there was no Global Custom Help, it will have been created.

Deleting Application and Global Custom Help.

Deleting all the notes in Global Custom Help is self-explanatory. Having activated the Custom Help menu with the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H, select the item to delete the Global Custom Help.

Press the Enter key and you are asked if you are sure you wish to do this. Press letter Y for yes and the Global Custom Help is removed.

If you wish to delete Custom Help for a specific application:

1. Open up the application of interest. In our example, this is Microsoft Outlook.
2. Press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+H to enter the Custom Help menu.
3. Select the option "Delete Application Custom Help".
4. Press Enter. You are asked if you are sure you wish to do this. Press letter Y for yes. The application specific Custom Help is removed.

Creating Custom Help When Away From The Computer on Which Leasey is Installed.

If you wish to create Custom Help if you are away from the computer on which Leasey is installed, please follow these steps:

1. First, you need to make a decision as to whether this is Global Custom Help referring to training concepts which can be used anywhere or for a specific application.
2. If it is Global Custom Help, you should create a text file containing the instructions, with each set of instructions separated by three asterisk characters. This has been illustrated above.
3. The file name should be CustomHelp.txt.
4. If it is application specific Custom Help, you should create a text file containing the instructions, with each set of instructions separated by three asterisk characters. This has been illustrated above.
5. If it is application specific help, you need to know how JAWS interprets the name of the application. For example to do this, from within the focused application press Insert+Q (or caps lock+Q if you are using the laptop keyboard layout) twice quickly. The following is displayed on screen and in the JAWS Virtual Viewer. "Microsoft Outlook settings are used in the OUTLOOK.EXE application." The key to this is the part which comes before ".exe", in this case, "Outlook". So your text file will be named "OutlookCustomHelp.txt".
6. When you are next at the computer where Leasey is installed, you will press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H to bring into view Custom Help.
7. Select the option to browse the Custom Help folder.
8. Press Enter. This is where all the Custom Help files live. Paste your newly created files into this folder.

Leasey Custom Web Text.

Introduction.

Much earlier in this document, we discussed some useful tools we can use when navigating the internet. These included LeaseyPoints and LeaseyAlerts. Using the internet is one of the best things in life, there's so much you can do. But sometimes, you need a reminder of good strategies for navigating the site itself. After all, the web is a very unpredictable place to be.

When you visit a web site initially, the first thing you are going to do is to explore the page, so as to hopefully gain some navigational techniques you can employ in the future. Are there headings on the page which will take you to strategic points within it for fast navigation? Does the page contain tables, in which case it may be helpful to turn on the JAWS Smart Navigation mode so that it is easier to read? Do you need to use the JAWS Find facility to locate a word or phrase as a useful starting point? There are many more examples, and whichever trick works for you on a web site, you'll want to remind yourself what you did to get to where you need to be, so that the next time you go back there, you can do it all over again. Let us introduce you to Leasey's Custom Web Text.

How to Use Leasey's Custom Web Text.

When you visit a web site or a specific page, you have the opportunity of creating some custom notes for it. When you revisit the site again, you'll be told that there is custom text available, and to press a keystroke to read it. Remember, Leasey puts you in control, so she is not going to automatically speak the text, or place it into the Virtual Viewer thus interrupting your web browsing. You decide when you want to read it.

The first thing we need to decide is whether we want to create custom text for a domain or a specific page. This can be changed at any time. Lets just expand on that.

When we talk about a domain, we mean that the Custom Text will be applied to the entire website. So if you create Custom Text for http://www.hartgen.org, if Leasey is set to store Custom Text for the domain, she is going to tell you that it exists on every page of that site.

For this documentation, we will choose to create text for specific pages because that is probably the most useful. Most Home Pages of web sites for example are quite straightforward to navigate. Often the tricky part is how to access specific forms or tables which could be located on other pages as you delve deeper down into the site.

To change to specific pages, we're going to focus on a web site, and press the Leasey Key followed by ALT+Windows+C. So go ahead and open up a page in your web browser. The title of the page is irrelevant at this point as we're just setting up what we want to do in the future.

Pressing this key combination brings into view a screen using the JAWS Virtual Viewer. Because we haven't created any custom text for this web site as yet, Leasey assumes that you either want to create some, or you want to change modes. Press Enter on the appropriate Link to switch between options. The link is called, "Change between Page Mode and Domain Mode ." Keep pressing Enter on this link until you reach the mode you want. In this case, you should be listening out for, "Custom Text Will Apply to the Webpage".

Page Mode is now set, so press Escape to close the screen and return to the web site.

We now need to enable the Custom Web Text feature. As usual, it is off by default. To enable it, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Windows+W. It is a toggle keystroke. If you decide you no longer want it, press it again to disable it. But in most cases, once you've set it, you will probably want to keep it switched on.

Now we're going to create some Custom Text. Please browse to this page. This document is all about how to read tables on the internet with JAWS for Windows. It would be useful to set a reminder to use the JAWS Smart Navigation feature on this page. Smart Navigation allows you to read web page elements more easily including tables. When Smart Navigation is on, we can use the up, down, left and right arrow keys to move through the cells in a table. It saves holding down the ALT and Control keys as well as pressing the Arrow keys. So it sounds like a good piece of advice and we'll remind ourselves to take advantage of it.

Press the Leasey Key then ALT+Windows+C when you are on the page we've pointed you to.

A screen using the JAWS Virtual Viewer appears. Activate the first link to create some Custom Text.

Now, type the reminder text for yourself. For example, you might type: turn on smart navigation for this page by pressing Insert+X. JAWS will say, "Controls and tables". When I leave this page, I mustn't forget to turn it off!

When you have typed this text, press Control+Enter to save it.

Now navigate to this page. This page contains a useful form for practice purposes.

Press the Leasey Key then ALT+Windows+C when you are on the page we've pointed you to.

A screen using the JAWS Virtual Viewer appears. Activate the first link to create some Custom Text.

Now, type the reminder text for yourself, and press Control+Enter to save it. For example, you might type: Press the letter F to move from one form field to another, or I can press Insert+F5 to bring into view a list of form fields and press Enter on the one I want.

When you have typed this text, press Control+Enter to save it.

Our Custom Text is now created for both pages. To test it, revisit this page.

Notice that JAWS says "Custom Text", alerting you to the fact that Custom Text is available. To read it, press the Leasey Key then ALT+Windows+C, as we have done before. The following text is displayed using the JAWS Virtual Viewer, which you can read with the Arrow keys. turn on smart navigation for this page by pressing Insert+X. JAWS will say, "Controls and tables". When I leave this page, I mustn't forget to turn it off!

Then there are three links:

1. Edit Custom Text . Pressing Enter on this item will open up your Custom Text notes and allow you to edit or add to them.
2. Delete Custom Text . Pressing Enter on this Link will of course remove the Custom Text associated with this page only.
3. Change between Page Mode and Domain Mode . This has already been documented earlier.

As a final note, JAWS contains a feature called Custom Labels. If there are elements of a web site where the accessibility could be improved upon, you can label those elements to speak something more useful. Form controls are a good example as to where this may occur. If at Hartgen Consultancy we have created any custom labels to improve the web experience for users, they are not only downloaded in the background, but installed in the correct location on your machine. So the next time you visit the site, it should be a more pleasant experience for you. This only occurs if, and only if, Custom Web Text is enabled. You have to make the decision first that you would like this additional support.

A Note About Custom Web Text Options.

If you cannot remember the keystrokes to work with any aspect of the Custom Web Text feature, the options can be manipulated through Leasey's Custom Help utility explored in the previous main section of this documentation, Leasey Key then Control+Shift+H. There are three options. The first two of these relate to enabling and disabling the automatic reporting of whether Custom Web Text is available. The last option takes you into the main interface for customising and reading Custom Web Text described above.

WordWeb.

WordWeb is a dictionary which can be downloaded to the computer. The program has a full dictionary and thesaurus for American, British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, and global English. The WordWeb program does not form part of the Leasey installer, but it can be downloaded at no cost from the organisation's website. Leasey ensures that the program is very accessible.

WordWeb can be launched by selecting it from the Windows Start Menu in the same way that you would launch any other Windows program. Note that in WordWeb's Settings dialog, (activated by pressing ALT+O then P), an option exists to start WordWeb when Windows is launched, if you wish to activate it.

One way of using WordWeb is as follows:

1. Find a word for which you wish to know its meaning. This can be done from within any application.
2. Copy it to the Windows Clipboard by selecting it first and then pressing Control+C. Note that in many cases, selecting the text is sufficient. However, JAWS often presents text in a virtual environment, such as when browsing web pages. Therefore, the safest option is to copy it to the Windows Clipboard.

When copied, press the shortcut key for WordWeb, ALT+Control+W. This brings the WordWeb program into focus and the first definition will be announced automatically now Leasey has been installed.

3. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to work through all the definitions for the word. These will be announced.
4. You do have the option of pressing the Tab key to move through the choices. JAWS has been scripted so as to read all the information, including the series of tabbed pages available. For example, if you press the Tab key to readh the Tabbed Pages, you may find the Synonyms Tab, the Antonyms Tab, and so on.
5. When any Tabbed Page is selected, press the Tab key once more to focus on a list of words relative to the Tabbed Page which are associated with the original word.
6. Use the Up or Down Arrow key to move through the list. When you reach the desired word, press Enter, and again you will be automatically focused in the list of definitions.

You may like to work through the following example:

1. In a document, type the word, "ridiculous".
2. Select the word so it is highlighted, and then copy it to the Clipboard with Control+C.
3. Press ALT+Control+W so as to launch WordWeb.
4. The list of definitions is available. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through (and hear) them.
5. Press the Tab key. You will note you are focused on the Synonyms Tab. You can if necessary press Tab once more to focus upon a list of Synonyms.
6. Press Enter on a word to review the definitions for that word.
7. Alternatively, while on the series of Tabbed Pages, press Right Arrow. You will find that focus is now on the Antonyms Tab.
8. If you wish, press Tab to move into this Tabbed Page. As before, locate the desired word with the Arrow keys and press Enter to explore the definitions.
9. To close the WordWeb window, press ALT+F4. This does not exit WordWeb. You can repeat the above procedure at any time by copying a word to the Clipboard and pressing ALT+Control+W so as to browse definitions.

TinySpell.

Introduction.

Checking your spelling is one of the most difficult things you can do from a screen-reading standpoint. There is no consistency between the spell checking interfaces of many programs. For example, the spell checker in Microsoft Word is completely different to that in Mozilla Thunderbird. This in itself causes confusion for new computer users, because they have to adopt different procedures depending upon the program being used.

Finally, there's the scenario of checking the spelling of a word that you potentially wish to write in the future. You might want to write the word "catastrophe" in a blog post, but you don't know how to spell it.

We've tried to overcome this by employing the services of a small program called TinySpell. A version of this is free to download and some JAWS scripting and setup instructions which we have already provided in this document ensure you can get the most from it. Please consult the earlier section of this document relating to TinySpell setup instructions.

Using TinySpell.

There are two ways we envisage this being used. The first is to have TinySpell check the spellings of words as you type them. When you press the Space Bar, TinySpell will alert you to incorrectly spelled text by playing a sound. This can be a sound of your choosing.

For example, launch Microsoft Word or any word processing application and type the word "test" as "t t e s t". Then press the Space Bar. You will hear the sound. We can check the alternative suggestions for it, and we will show you how to do that in a moment. This feature can be disabled if you wish.

The primary reason for us using this program however is to check the spelling of words, either when they have been typed or those which you would like to check in advance of writing a document. The best way of handling this situation is this.

1. Type the word as you think it should be spelled. Type the word "Catastrofee".
2. Place the cursor on the word and select it with Control+Shift+Right Arrow.
3. Copy it to the Clipboard with Control+C. Selecting the word is important because in a moment, we're going to choose a word from a list of suggestions. That word will replace the original and so it needs to be selected in order that it can be overwritten. Copying to the Clipboard is also important because we'll ask TinySpell to check the contents of the Clipboard for any spelling errors.
4. Now, press the keystroke to bring up my list of spelling suggestions. You can choose which keystroke you like as we discussed in our setup instructions for TinySpell, but in development we chose ALT+Control+F9.
5. JAWS reads the first suggestion and spells it. Usually, the first choice is the one you want, so you can go ahead and press Enter. If it's not, press Down Arrow repeatedly.
6. You will notice an item in the list, "Add to Dictionary". So if TinySpell does not recognise a word you use frequently, you can add it to the dictionary so it will not be flagged as incorrect in the future.
7. When you have the correct spelling, press enter.

If you are in the situation where you are just checking the spelling of a word for future use, clearly you don't need to replace it in your document. You can just press Escape to exit the list as hopefully you'll now remember how to spell it.

Lets go back now to our situation where we have the sound enabled to alert us to an incorrectly spelled word. When you hear the sound, you do not need to go back, select the word, and copy it to the Clipboard. Just bring up your list of suggestions. Provided it is the last word you typed, TinySpell assumes that is the text you would like to correct.

TinySpell works in almost every application where you might want to check spelling. So what we've learned is that you can use it as an immediate spell checker, but also to check the spelling of the occasional word which you just want to know how to spell correctly.

It's a tiny program, but with Leasey's help, it becomes accessible and usable!

Using the Microsoft Outlook Calendar.

Introduction.

Leasey is extremely responsive and performs well within a local Calendar (stored on the computer itself), or within an Exchange Server environment (often referred to as a Shared Calendar as potentially other people can view it if permission has been assigned).

At this time, the Leasey calendar functionality can be used in the Day View only.

Before You Begin.

Prior to getting started, a decision must be made as to whether you would like to use the Leasey functionality for the Outlook calendar or not. From within Microsoft Outlook, press ALT+Windows+D. This is a toggle action. It will enable or disable the special functionality for the calendar. We're going to assume you want it enabled, so press the keystroke repeatedly until you hear that it is so. This setting will be remembered even if JAWS is restarted.

An Introduction to Creating Appointments.

Before you learn about the primary functions available as part of Leasey within the next section, you may not be aware how to create Appointments or All Day Events. An All Day Event occupies an entire day or a number of days, while an Appointment lasts for a specific period within the day, for example 2 hours.

The process of creating an appointment is quite straightforward and presents no accessibility challenges. Therefore, Leasey does not add any special functionality in this regard. Nevertheless, we will describe how to create a simple Timed Appointment.

Creating a Simple Appointment.

Please use the following example to create a Timed Appointment to remind you of a dinner you are going to attend at a restaurant on 4 October 2019 between 8 PM and 11 PM.

1. Having launched Microsoft Outlook, press Control+2 (figure 2 on the main QWERTY Keyboard) to enter the Calendar. JAWS announces the day and date, such as Tuesday 9 July 2019. That is all it should say if you are in the Day View. If JAWS announces other information, such as "Month View, , , 14 total events, 00:00 Monday, 1 July 2019 to 00:00 Monday, 5 August 2019", then you are within a different view. If this is the case, please press ALT+Control+1 to switch to Day View.
2. Press Control+G to activate the Microsoft Outlook “Go to Date” Dialog Box.
3. Type the date you would like to move to, which you can do in the form relative to your regional English language. Microsoft Outlook is quite flexible about the method by which you can enter dates. For example, within the United Kingdom or many other countries you might enter “4 October 2019” or “04/10/2019”, however within the United States of America you could type “October 4 2019” or “10/04/2019”, etc.
4. Once the date has been typed, press the Enter Key.
5. Press Insert+Up Arrow to verify that the desired date has been selected. JAWS speaks the day and date.
6. Press Control+N to create a new Calendar Item. After a short pause, Outlook presents you with the “Subject” field for it. As of later releases of Office, Microsoft now refer to this as the appointment title. The “Subject” field should contain a one line summary of the nature of the Item, such as “Dinner at restaurant”.
7. Once this has been entered, the Tab Key can be used to move from one field to the next. Note that most of the fields are self-explanatory, for example “Start Date” and “Start Time”. Indeed the “Start Date” field will already contain the 4 October 2019 date we previously selected.
8. For the purposes of this appointment, you need only complete the “Subject”, “Start Time” and “End Time” fields. When the details have been entered, press ALT+S to save the Calendar Appointment and return to the day View Window. The Insert+Up Arrow keystroke can be used to verify this fact and if successfully returned to the Day View Window JAWS will announce the day and date.

Moving Through Days of the Week.

There are various methods for locating a specific day of the week.

• You can use the Left and Right Arrow Keys to move through the days.
• Alternatively, Press Control+G to bring into view the Microsoft Outlook “Go To Date” Dialog Box. Type a date in the format appropriate to your country and press Enter. Entry of dates into this Dialog Box was described within the previous section.

However you have chosen to move to a date, JAWS announces (and displays in Braille):

• The day of the week on which the date falls.
• The calendar date and month.
• If no appointments or all day events exist, (and if the Leasey Sounds Scheme is enabled), a sound will play. This is especially useful if you wish to locate days where there is no activity. You can quickly press Left or Right Arrow repeatedly until the sound is heard.
• If all day events or appointments exist, you will hear the total number of these, such as, "3 items".

Here are some other keystrokes which may be useful when navigating through the days.

• Press ALT+Down Arrow to move to the next week and ALT+Up Arrow to move to the previous week.
• Press ALT+Page Down to move to the next month or ALT+Page Up to move to the previous month.

Moving Through Calendar Items.

To reiterate a point from an earlier section, Leasey defines Calendar Items in one of two ways:

• An All Day Event is a Calendar Item which occupies the entire day or spans a series of days.
• An Appointment is a Calendar Item occupying a specific period within the day, for example two hours.

If JAWS had advised you that Calendar Items exist for a given day, and you wish to hear details about them, press Tab. JAWS will announce information pertaining to the Calendar Item which has focus.

Condensed Mode.

As you press Tab to move from one appointment or event to the next, Condensed Mode allows you to hear appointments or event details in an abbreviated form. JAWS will announce the time range the appointment occupies, (such as "2 PM to 3 PM"), followed by the appointment subject. To enable Condensed Mode, press ALT+Windows+C. This setting is remembered across Windows sessions.

Here is an example of an appointment with Condensed Mode disabled.

"Call Jane at home, , , 14:00 to 14:30 Monday, 8 July 2019, Time Busy, Organizer Brian Hartgen. 2 of 3.".

Here is the same appointment with Condensed Mode enabled.

"14:00 to 14:30. Call Jane at home, Has Notes, 2 of 3."

If an All Day Event has focus occupying one day only, JAWS announces the event details without reference to time.

If an All Day Event has focus occupying several days, JAWS will advise you for how many days the event spans. For example, you will hear "11 days". It will also alert you if notes are attached to the item.

If Condensed Mode is disabled, and you press Tab:

• If an All Day Event has focus occupying one day only, JAWS announces the event details without reference to time.
• If a Timed Appointment has focus, JAWS will announce the start and end time of the Appointment, for example, “from 12 PM to 2 PM".
• The Calendar Item subject is then announced.
• JAWS will inform you of any other relevant information concerning the Calendar Item, including the Organiser (the person who has created it), the Status (such as “Busy”, “Free” or “Tentative”), and the location (such as a meeting room number or office).

In addition to the announcement of appointments in full, you will notice that disabling the Condensed Mode does not advise you of whether the appointment has notes. Moreover, it does not let you know if an event spans more than one day.

Regardless of whether Condensed Mode is enabled or disabled, you can keep pressing Tab to move through all your appointments for the focused day. Notice as you do so, JAWS speaks the appointment number followed by the total number of appointments. This is helpful: first because you can be reminded how many appointments or events exist for a given day. Second, you know when you have reached the end of the list. An example of such a count would be, "2 of 3".

If you continue to press the Tab key past the total number of appointments for a date, you will be taken to the next appointment for a date in the future regardless of how far forward that is. Should this occur, and if the Leasey sound scheme is enabled, a sound will play, indicating that you have crossed a boundary and that a number of dates may have been bypassed. As an alternative rather than doing this, on the last appointment or event, press Right Arrow instead to advance to the next date.

Using the JAWS Virtual Viewer.

So far, you have listened to your Calendar Item details and will have noticed there is a great deal of information to absorb. It is likely that even the most experienced JAWS users may wish to examine the contents of the Appointment or Event more thoroughly or slowly. In addition, you may wish to copy the Item details to the Windows Clipboard, perhaps for pasting into an alternative source such as an email message.

Leasey provides a convenient method for accomplishing all of these things which involves placing the Calendar Item into the JAWS Virtual Viewer. Once the Item is in the Virtual Viewer, the Arrow Keys or your Braille display can be used to move through it as thoroughly as you wish.

There are two places in which you may care to work with the Virtual viewer:

• When focused on a day of the week. Press Insert+Tab. The details of all appointments and all day events for the day will be placed there. Use the Arrow keys to explore the information. Press Escape to return to the calendar.
• When focused on a specific appointment, having pressed Tab to reach it first. Press Insert+Tab. The details of the appointment will be displayed, together with any notes which may be associated with it. Use the Arrow keys to explore the information. Press Escape to return to the appointment or event.

Time Slots.

When creating a Calendar Item, rather than entering a value into the “Start Time” Edit Field, it is possible to pre-select this by means of moving through Time Slots for the focused day as follows:

1. First, locate the date upon which you wish to create the Appointment.
2. Press Down Arrow repeatedly in order to move through Time slots for the current day. JAWS will announce a Time slot as you move to it. Each Time Slot occupies a 30 minute segment within the day by default.
3. When the appropriate Time Slot has been reached, press Control+N to create a new Calendar Item. Pressing Tab repeatedly will show you that the “Start Date” and “Start Time” fields are now populated with the pre-selected values.
4. If you wish to enter a simple appointment at the designated Time Slot, (containing just the subject only), do not press Control+N. When focused on the Time Slot, type the subject and press Tab to exit and save.

When you are focused on a specific date, you can now press Up or Down Arrow Keys to move through the available Time Slots. When you reach the time for which you set the appointment, the word, "Appointment", is spoken. Continual presses of down Arrow will cause JAWS to announce this word until the end time has been reached. This method of navigation is ideal if you wish to ascertain when free time in your day exists.

Similarly, if the sound scheme is enabled, Leasey will play a sound whenever you are inside a time slot where there is activity. This allows you to quickly move down the list of time slots to ascertain where available time exists.

Moving Through Appointments, Time Order Versus Actual Time.

If you press Tab repeatedly to move through appointments and events, you will notice that they are presented to you in a logical order. As you navigate to a date, then press Tab, you will find that each timed appointment particularly is presented to you in the order at which it occurs. This gives you a good understanding of how your day is structured and is highly recommended.

However, those people who have worked with the Outlook calendar prior to using Leasey may well find the transition of working in this way a little difficult to get used to. Leasey therefore tries to be flexible, and you can disable this feature by pressing ALT+Windows+T. This is a toggle action, and the setting will be retained, even if you restart the computer.

When this feature is disabled, you can work through the following steps:

1. Press Tab to move to a scheduled appointment. The appointment for example may be at 1.30 PM.
2. Press Down Arrow. You are now at the 2 PM Time Slot.
3. Press Control+N and create the appointment, or alternatively, start typing the subject now.

To repeat, while it can be an advantage to work in this way, our preference is to create appointments using the manner described elsewhere in this Chapter, where the appointment start and end times are entered manually. This ensures that the structure of the day is far easier to understand.

There is a further advantage in using our preference. If focus was at the 1.30 PM appointment, and you felt that you wanted to examine the details of an earlier one, this would require pressing Shift+Tab instead of Tab. A new computer user may well find themselves mystified if the earlier appointment is not sequentially presented in the Tab order.

Creating an Appointment with More Detail.

While not directly related to Leasey functionality, it is worth describing the purpose of some of the fields which are available within the "New Appointment" Dialog Box, activated by pressing Control+N. This Dialog Box is moved through by pressing Tab.

• Location. When in this field, you have a choice. You can type a location, such as "At client's home", or, "Hospital". Alternatively, press Down Arrow to access a list of previously entered locations. When the desired location is selected, press Tab to move to the next field.
• The Start Date, Start Time, End Date and End Time fields are self-explanatory, but particularly if you are adopting our recommendation of presenting the appointments in a sequential manner, do pay attention to the Start Time and End Time fields. You can either type 12 or 24 hour values into the Time fields, and Microsoft Outlook again is quite flexible about how you do this. You might type "2:00 PM" or "14:00". Alternatively, you can press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the time slots sequentially. Clearly, if you are preparing an all day event, the fields do not need to be completed.
• Date Picker Buttons. These appear next to the Start and End Date fields. Pressing the Space Bar on any of these buttons causes a grid to appear. You can use the Up, Down, Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate the grid. The Up and Down Arrow keys move by week, while the Left and Right Arrow keys move by date. Leasey has been customised to read these dates in a logical way, such as "09/07/2019, Tuesday". Use the Arrow Keys to find a date and press Enter to accept.
• All Day Event Check Box. Check this box by pressing the Space Bar if the event occupies the entire day.
• Notes. This is where you can type as many paragraphs as you wish so as to attach notes to the appointment. Having reached the Notes field, pressing Tab will cause you to insert a Tab character into your notes, so do be careful. You will know if you have done this because JAWS will report the new cursor position in inches or centimetres. To retrace your steps, press Shift+Tab.

Saving, Deleting and Editing an Appointment.

To save an appointment, press ALT+S. To delete an appointment, press Tab to reach it and press Control+D.

Should you wish to edit an appointment, locate it first by pressing Tab, then press Enter. If the "Location" field has not been previously completed, the focus is likely to be placed there. But given all fields in this Dialog Box are spoken by JAWS as you press Tab to move from one control to the next, this should not be a problem. When the editing is complete, press ALT+S to save.

Additional Calendar Options.

The Microsoft Outlook program provides a vast array of features, and many of these relate to the scheduling of appointments and events in the calendar. They go way beyond the scope of the Leasey documentation. However, you may like to take a look at the Context Menu, activated by pressing the Context Menu key (usually three keys to the right of the Space Bar), or Shift+F10.

In particular, you may like to visit the option for creating a new recurring appointment. This brings into view a Dialog box where there is a good deal of flexibility, available by pressing the Tab key. Most of the options are self-explanatory and it is quite an accessible Dialog Box. Certainly, creating less complex recurrences is very achievable.

LeaseyGames.

Introduction.

While many functions of Leasey relate to carrying out tasks which are essential to everyday computing, the product also provides a considerable amount of entertainment. This includes aspects of LeaseySearch, LeaseyAudio, LeaseyRadio and so on. The entertainment value of the product is very much strengthened through the inclusion of the LeaseyGames Module.

Leasey contains many games which can be played either alone, online with other people, or against the computer. The LeaseyGames are divided into three broad categories:

• Online Games, those played over the internet.
• Traditional easy-to-play games, where you can take your time in terms of play.
• Arcade Games, requiring either strategic game play or quick reaction to events.

This Chapter will describe each of the three categories of games together with how to access them and obtain help which is specific to the individual game being played.

Common Factors in LeaseyGames.

All the games contained in the LeaseyGames Module have several common factors associated with them:

• They can all be accessed from the LeaseyGames menu described below.
• All games are completely accessible using just a few easy-to-remember keystrokes. Many of the keystrokes you will be familiar with already, such as the Up and Down Arrow keys, the Space Bar, Enter and Escape. While other keyboard commands are introduced depending upon the complexity of the game being played, they are very easy to locate and will not present any challenges. All games have been chosen specifically because of their ease of navigation.
• While the approach to keyboarding is straightforward, this does not in any way mean that all of the games are easy to play. In line with Leasey's philosophy of learning and building confidence, many of the games will not only make you think, but will also improve both your listening and keyboard coordination skills.
• • The games Treasure Troll and Truffle Troll, (developed by Hartgen Consultancy in cooperation with Elias Software).
  • Q9 Action Game, developed by Blastbay Studios, for which Hartgen Consultancy now own the rights.
  • My Country Place, developed by Hartgen Consultancy in collaboration with VGStorm.Com.
  • Matchmaker, developed by Hartgen Consultancy in collaboration with Giggajoy Creations.
  Many of the games have been provided for users of Leasey by external sources. There are several exceptions to this:

In addition to the providers already stated, we would like to thank RS Games, NA Soft and Spoonbill Software for their kind generosity in allowing us to bring you an extremely wide range of games as a springboard for future developments.

Please note: In terms of fixing any problems with the games stated below, Hartgen Consultancy are responsible for, (and are in a position to remedy), difficulties with games which are exclusive to Leasey. However, where we have been given permission to distribute games at no additional cost from external providers, we cannot accept responsibility for any bugs which may be found within them. We will do our best to work with the game developers to resolve them, however we are providing these merely as a service to users and as a convenient platform for easy access and distribution.

Before You Begin.

In order to play any games, the LeaseyGames module must be downloaded and installed. We strongly recommend that you refer to the "Setup" chapter of this User Guide and install the LeaseyGames Module according to the instructions given in the appropriate sub-section. Note that if you have previously downloaded the LeaseyGames Module for Leasey version 2, you will need to do so again in order to take advantage of our complete range of games now available.

If the LeaseyGames Module is not installed, when attempting to play a game for the first time you will be advised of this and will be asked if you would like to install it. Again, please refer to the "Setup" Chapter which will describe precisely what to expect in this regard.

We must now spend some time discussing how the games make it possible for you to play them with appropriate speech output. These fall into two specific categories:

• Where the text is announced by JAWS. No interaction is required on your part to facilitate this.
• Which are self-voicing. This means that the games were designed to speak using your Microsoft Windows Text to Speech voice. Such voices are often referred to as being "SAPI Compliant". Windows has a number of text to speech voices pre-installed, and these can be individually selected through the Windows Control Panel under the option "Text to Speech Preferences". We would describe these voices as "Adequate". However, many people prefer to purchase additional higher quality voices which you may care to think are more natural and "human sounding". If you require advice or assistance with installation of such voices, please contact us.

We will describe into which of the two above categories each game falls.

Accessing LeaseyGames.

LeaseyGames can be accessed in one of two ways:

• From Leasey's Main Menu through the option "Play Games". Press Enter to select this item.
• By pressing the Leasey Key then G, where you will be taken into LeaseyGames directly from any application.

The LeaseyGames Menu.

At the time of writing, there are 44 possible options which can be selected from the LeaseyGames menu. These are arranged in alphabetical order. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to select a game to play or use first letter navigation to locate the one you want. Press Enter to play one of the games.

When the Enter key is pressed, (and if using Leasey Basic), Leasey will let you know that she is loading the game and to please wait while this takes place. The loading of the game should only take a few seconds.

While we will not describe how to play each game provided, we suggest you read the below sections carefully prior to playing any one of them.

Playing Leasey Games.

Online Games.

Online games are provided via the RS Games client. To access online games, please select the option "RS Games Online". All prompts are announced by JAWS.

RS Games is a revolutionary game client that allows people to play games against each other through a central server hosted by the organisation. In addition to making available a number of games, (which can be played alongside your friends or against a "bot" or a computer), a social element to the client means you can chat with people or listen to radio stations while you play.

The most important aspect of the RS Games client is the menu. Menus are used when choosing from several options. For example, each game has a main menu, with options such as "New Game", "Join Game" and "List Games". You might also use menus to choose from a hand of cards or answer "Yes" or "No" to a prompt.

To select an item from a menu, use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the options, and press Enter to select. Further keyboard commands are specific to each game, and are referred to in the individual documentation for it.

Logging In.

Prior to playing any of the games, you will need to create an RS Games account. If you don't yet have an account, you should choose "Create a New Account" from the main menu. You will be asked to enter your desired username, together with an email address. The email address you supply must be valid, since a temporary password will be sent to it. We strongly recommend you change your password to something you can remember. You can do this by choosing the "change password" option from the main menu.

If you already have an account, choose the first option in the menu, "Login with an Existing Account", and enter your username and password.

Auto Login.

When you login to the server for the first time, you will be asked if you'd like to enable auto-login. This feature allows the game to remember your login information so you do not have to type it in each time you play. If you'd like to enable this feature, choose "yes". Once it is enabled, an option will appear in the main login menu. For example, if your username is BobCat, you will see an option entitled "Login as BobCat". Simply choose that option and you will be automatically logged in.

When within the main menu, moving through the options will allow you to view all the games provided. Press Enter to select a game to play. If the game sounds have not been downloaded to your computer, the RS Games client will do this and advise you that it is taking place. This should only take a few seconds.

Other important keystrokes to note are:

• To exit a game, a menu or the RS Games client at any time, press the Escape key.
• To view game documentation, press the Leasey Key then H. Please note that an internet connection is required to access game documentation.

Spoonbill Software Games.

Leasey includes a large number of SpoonBill Software games, all of which are self-voicing, meaning that the output is generated by your default Windows Text to Speech Voice, (see above). Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing these games.

The catalogue of Spoonbill Software games included is as follows:

• Aces Up
• Battleship
• BG2048
• Boggle
• Brainiac
• Chess
• Code Breaker
• Cribbage
• Cribbage Solitaire
• Crossword
• Draw Dominoes
• Elevens
• Fifteen
• Fives Dominoes
• Freecell
• Hearts
• Klondike
• Lap
• Mastermind
• Mine Sweeper
• Nomination Whist
• Penguin
• Poker Solitaire
• Pyramid Solitaire
• Scorpion Solitaire
• Scrabble
• Simon
• Spider Solitaire
• Sudoku
• Tri-Peaks Solitaire
• Uno
• Word Builder
• Word Jumble
• Word Solitaire
• Word Target
• Word Yahtzee
• Yahtzee

As game play progresses, you will be advised which keystrokes to use when appropriate. However, in order to close a game at any time, press the letter Q. To access help for the game being played, press F1. When you do this, JAWS will reload and you will be taken to a page where you can read help for it. Use standard text reading commands in order to work through the help. Press ALT+F4 to return to the game.

The above games in this category can be played at what we might describe as a "leisurely pace", meaning that you can take your time. To this end, Leasey Advanced users can switch to an alternative program and return to the game later, perhaps to process Email or carry out any one of a number of other activities. To do this, launch your chosen program from the Start Menu or Desktop, press ALT+Tab, or press Insert+F10 to access a list of running applications.

Park Boss.

The aim of Park Boss is to build an amusement park from the ground up. As the boss everything regarding your park is under your control. The rides you add, the staff you employ and how much you pay them, the types of meals you serve, how much to charge for them, the advertising, dealing with situations which arise and balancing the need to keep your visitors happy with making money. Remember that unless you make money you can’t build new attractions.

There is no end to the game. You can keep playing and building as long as you like. There are over 70 attractions you can build along with 15 different zones which can be setup. Every so often you’ll get an offer to by the park. This is equivalent to selling up and taking the money. When you do sell then you invest all the funds in to purchasing new land and you start all over again.

The output from Park Boss is delivered as a mix of human narrated audio and speech emanating from your default Windows Text to Speech voice. Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing this game.

Almost all of the game play is delivered through menus. Use the Up or Down Arrow keys and Enter to select a choice. Pressing Escape will save the current setting and moves back a level in the game play.

Spoken assistance is required throughout the game so there is little need for the provision of help information. However, the following may assist you:

• The Control key silences speech.
• F1 announces the week number and what day it is. Weeks start on a Monday. Park state is assessed at the beginning of the week so expect emails and your customers view of the park to change at that time.
• F2 reports your current bank balance.
• F3 brings into view your Email window, which can also be accessed from the office. Use the Delete key to remove emails you’ve dealt with, press Escape to leave your inbox.
• F4 pauses the game. Pressing f4 again or Escape resumes game play. By pausing the game you stop time but cannot interact with Park Boss.

Treasure Troll: a Simple Arcade Game for Beginner and Intermediate Gamers.

As stated previously, Treasure Troll is part of a series of games developed exclusively for Leasey. Treasure Troll combines quality and fully orchestrated music (which changes depending upon how effective you are at game play), original sound effects and vocal production. The music emanates from the Elias engine. Used in specialist and mainstream gaming products, through Elias the music is just as dynamic and flexible as the corresponding composition would have been in a movie. Simple yet challenging, as with all the Leasey Games the interface is easy to use with few keystrokes to remember.

The output from Treasure Troll is delivered as a mix of human narrated audio and speech emanating from your default Windows Text to Speech voice. Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing this game.

Story.

You are a troll who, while walking through a forest, finds the ground suddenly disappearing beneath your feet. You fall into a cave where a vast golden treasury is guarded by a hoard of sleeping fairies. Fairies and trolls are on notoriously bad terms and if they find you in their cave, stealing their treasure, the consequences for you are likely to be painful! Can you play through ten levels of increasing difficulty, and steal the treasure from under their noses without waking them?

Main menu.

The game begins with a main menu. Use your Up or Down arrow keys to navigate through it. To choose an option, press Enter. At the end of each game you will be automatically returned to the main menu.

Game play.

This game is purely sound driven with no graphics, so you must use the sound effects and audio environments within the game to move from place to place and to avoid enemies and obstacles. For this you will need either a pair of stereo headphones or speakers that are positioned so that it is possible to hear what comes from the left and right, as this plays a crucial role in the game's navigation.

The game takes place inside the fairies' cave. Listen to the ambience and you will hear quiet breathing in the far left and far right of your stereo field. This will tell you where the walls are. You begin in the center of the cave, moving right or left with your arrow keys. You may repeatedly tap the Arrow keys to walk or hold them down continuously to run.

Treasure.

Every few seconds you will hear treasure. It will appear in a random place and begin sliding along the floor until it hits a wall, when it will disappear. The treasure is represented by the sound of coins. You must collect it before it reaches the wall. To do this, walk or run until the treasure is centered in your sound field then press the Space Bar to pick it up. You will hear a chime when a treasure is successfully collected and a soft thud if it has hit the wall.

Hazards.

You must not bump into the walls. If you do, the fairies will awaken and the consequences will cost you a life, you only have three to begin with. Walls can be avoided by listening to the breathing and by getting a feel for the game space.

Every now and then boulders will fal from the ceiling. These will fall more often and faster as you progress. You must take care they don't hit you, or the noise you make will awaken the fairies which will result in you losing a life.

We all know that caves harbour bats. now and then a hungry bat will fly down from the roof. The bats come more often and get faster as you progress. These bats are inteligent and will come after you. You must take care they dont' land on you because if they bite you will be frozen for five seconds, which will make you miss treasure. If you miss too many treasures you will get frustrated and make too much noise which will awaken the fairies, resulting in you losing a life.

Bonuses.

From time to time bonuses will fall from the ceiling, making a distinctive sound. You need to catch them before they shatter. Center them in your sound field and press the Space Bar to collect them. The bonuses are as follows:

• Sleep spell: gives you fifteen seconds in which the fairies will not notice any noise you make. When the Sleep Spell is in progress, you will hear a ticking clock sound. When the time has elapsed, this is represented by an alarm clock sound.
• Extra Life: Very useful, especially if you manage to collect severall of these.
• 500 extra points: a useful addition to any score.

Scoring.

You are given your score at the end of each level and at the conclusion of the game. There is also a menu option to view your top ten best scores so you can keep a record of how well you are doing!

The scoring system is based upon many factors, for example the time taken to collect treasure, how quickly you collect bonuses, whether you hit a wall, whether a bat bites you, and so on. While you may eventually be successful in beating all 10 levels, you can improve your game play by developing your quick reactions and dodging skills so as to improve your overall score!

Keystrokes.

• Hold down the Left or Right Arrow to move.
• Space Bar collects an item.
• Letter P pauses and resumes game play.
• Letter T speaks the remaining number of treasures that must be picked up in the current level.
• Letter L speaks remaining lives.
• Page Up and Page down will adjust the music volume.
• Enter key will skip introductory cut scenes and other audio.
• Escape will go back a level in menus or will cancel the current game round.
• ALT+F4 pressed at any time will exit the game.

Truffle Troll: The Tantalisingly Tasty New Game from Elias Software and LeaseyGames!

As with Treasure Troll (referred to Above), The output from Truffle Troll is delivered as a mix of human narrated audio and speech emanating from your default Windows Text to Speech voice. Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing this game.

Story.

Have you met our bumbling but lovable troll, who, at the end of our last game, was catapulted out of the fairies' cave with a heap of stolen treasure with which he went on a huge spending spree? One of the things he bought was an ice cream parlour.

Unfortunately, though trolls might be good at making ice cream, they're not terribly good at keeping staff, so now he has to run it all by himself. He must run to the freezer, collect bowls of ice cream on his tray, then run back and deliver orders. Unfortunately his customers aren't the most patient people in the world, so he needs to be quick or the customers will get angry and start wrecking the place. Over five minutes the action gets faster, more flavours are ordered and there's less time before the customers get irate. Can you deliver enough orders to make a profit? Can you also manage to serve the luxurious rum truffle ice creams for premium prices?

Main menu.

The game begins with a main menu. Use your Up or Down arrow keys to navigate through it. To choose an option, press Enter. At the end of each game you will be automatically returned to the main menu. Please note that there are two modes of game play: "Easy" and "Expert". The differences are described below.

Game play.

This game is purely sound driven with no graphics, so you must use the sound effects and audio environments within the game to move from place to place and to locate your customers. For this you will need either a pair of stereo headphones or speakers that are positioned so that it is possible to hear what comes from the left and right, as this plays a crucial role in the game's navigation.

The game takes place inside the ice cream parlour. When the game begins, you are advised which flavours of ice cream can be sold. More flavours are added as the game progresses. As your ice cream parlour grows in popularity, the more flavours people will wish to buy!

The freezer containing your current stock of ice creams is located on the extreme right. You will hear a sound when you reach the freezer door. In order to open or close it, press Enter. With the freezer door open, use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the available stock, and press the Left and Right Arrow keys to adjust the quantity of those items you wish to carry on the tray. The more bowls of ice cream you carry, the greater the chance of you being able to serve your customers quickly. However:

• Within "Easy" level, only ten bowls of ice cream can be accommodated on the tray at any time. It is possible to run to your customers and serve them in this mode, however you will need to frequently return to the freezer so as to replenish your items on the tray.
• In "Expert" mode, your tray can hold an unlimited number of items. But be careful! If you are carrying too many bowls of ice cream and you are running, you may drop the tray, causing bowls to be smashed, profits lost, and many angry customers!

As the game progresses, each customer will ask you for a choice of icecream. You need to be fast as more and more customers will enter the store. In order to serve a customer, use the Left or Right Arrow keys to locate him or her in the centre of the stereo field and press the Space Bar. Hold down the Left and Right Arrow keys to run, tap each key to walk.

Should you wish to check your stock levels, press the letter S. To hear the time remaining in the game, press the letter T.

Game Objective and Scoring.

The objective of the game is to make as much profit as possible. At the end of each game, you are told how much money was made in sales, whether costs were incurred in replacing broken furniture your angry customers had damaged, and, (when appropriate), whether icecream bowls needed to be replaced due to them being dropped. Money is deducted to replace furniture or bowls. Hopefully, you will hear how much profit has been made overall. There is also a menu option to view your top ten best scores so you can keep a record of how well you are doing!

Keystrokes.

• Hold down the Left or Right Arrow to run, tap each key to walk.
• Enter opens and closes the freezer door.
• With the freezer door open, Up and Down Arrows Move through available stock in the freezer.
• With the freezer door open, Left and Right Arrows change the quantity of bowls to be carried on the tray.
• Space Bar serves a customer.
• Letter P pauses and resumes game play.
• Letter T speaks the remaining time within game play.
• Letter S speaks the current stock.
• Page Up and Page down will adjust the music volume.
• Home and End will vary the rate of speech.
• Enter key will skip introductory cut scenes and other audio.
• Escape will go back a level in menus or will cancel the current game round.
• ALT+F4 pressed at any time will exit the game.

Q9 Action Game.

Finger numbing action, stunning audio imagery and a touch of morbid comedy is combined in this game, promising hours of thrilling and challenging game play.

The game features pristine sound effects and original orchestral music, carefully combined to create a truly unique gaming experience. Fight your way through four virtual worlds filled to the brim with all kinds of murderous monsters, treacherous traps and other surprises, and finally attempt to defeat the boss who is patiently waiting for you at the very end.

This game is what is called a "side-scroller" which means you control Q9's direction by using the Arrow keys on your keyboard; moving him left and right to navigate through the levels. This game is purely sound driven with no graphics, so you must use the sound effects and audio environments within the game to move from place to place and to avoid enemies and obstacles. For this you will need either a pair of stereo headphones or speakers that are positioned so that it is possible to hear what comes from the left and right, as this plays a crucial role in the game's navigation.

The output from Q9 is delivered as a mix of human narrated audio and speech emanating from your default Windows Text to Speech voice. Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing this game.

Story.

You assume the role of the little alien Q9 who has had the misfortune to crash on Earth, managing to lose his spaceship somewhere in the process. Now it's your job to guide him through numerous dangers and exciting adventures so that he can, with some luck, find his spaceship in order to return home again.

The Main Menu.

The game begins with a main menu. Use your Up or Down arrow keys to navigate through it. To choose an option, press Enter. At the end of each game you will be automatically returned to the main menu.

How to Play.

To move Q9 left and right, hold down the respective arrow keys, i.e. Left arrow moves Q9 to the left and Right arrow moves him to the right.

To run, first hold down the Ctrl key along with either one of the directional arrows. If you change direction by pressing the opposite arrow key to the one you are holding, you will quickly change direction without taking a step. This is a good way of spinning around when you need to attack something quickly, without wasting time.

To jump, press the up arrow. Holding this key down results in continuous jumping and pressing an arrow key whilst in the air enables you to move faster or slower, depending on the speed at which you press the arrow keys. You have to press the arrow keys in quick succession to move, rather than holding the key down. You can use this key combination to avoid falling into the pits and jumping over certain enemies.

Q9 is armed with a number of weapons from the start. The default weapon is a Large wooden club which is always available and can be used an unlimited number of times. However, using the club forces you to be close to the enemy you are attacking and does less damage than your other weapons.

You also have a slingshot equipped with rocks - use this to hit enemies from a greater distance. Be careful though as the slingshot has a limited amount of ammunition (you will need to pick up rocks along the way).

Finally, you have a weapon with a difference; the Deus Shield. This weapon acts as both attack and defense by protecting Q9 for a short time and also by hitting enemies with their own attacks twice as hard. Obviously your Deus Shields are limited, but like the rocks, you have the opportunity to collect more as you move through the worlds.

You are automatically equipped with the club from the beginning.

To change weapon, use the number keys 1, 2 and 3. 1 is the Large wooden club, 2 is the slingshot and 3 is the Deus Shield. There is also a fourth weapon somewhere, but we shall conveniently forget to mention how to access it...

You may also press the ALT key to quickly switch between the weapons, which is good when you are hard pressed in a battle and need to activate a Deus Shield at lightning speed for example.

To hear how much ammunition you have left for a particular weapon, select it either with one of the number keys or the ALT key and then press "A".

During the game you will run across (literally in some cases!) pits here and there. You'll have to jump over these unless you want to see poor little Q9 hurtle down hundreds of feet to his death! These pits are represented by a howling wind (you can of course learn this sound in the "Learn Game Sounds" menu). Around the edge of each cliff are two small, muddy patches which will help you clear the gap. To do this, it is best if you approach the mud slowly and walk onto the second patch and jump from here. Remember! You have to press the arrow key quickly whilst airborne for you to cover enough distance and avoid falling. The distance between each cliff increases depending on which difficulty level you are playing, so if you are on Easy the pits will be smaller while on Insane, well good luck!

Every so often you'll hear a constant "blip" sound which you should run after wildly as these are bonus items. To get your bonus just run to the place you hear the "blip" and once the sound is in the centre, you should get your bonus item. The various bonus items you can get are:

• Extra strength
• Extra lives
• Extra points
• More rocks for the slingshot
• Deus Shields.

If you're not fast enough the bonus items will hit the ground and shatter, so run run run! How quickly they fall depends on the difficulty level set.

As you are running along, you will eventually find yourself faced with a strange something that makes a peculiar humming sound that rises and falls in pitch. This, without a doubt, is a fortune field. Tread carefully around these as they may have quite drastic results. Whenever you step on a fortune field it will either take away, or give you 50 strength. This means that you can either be extremely lucky, or find yourself a tad closer to the grave... You may simply jump over these if you are not feeling brave enough. The fortune field will have exactly the same effect on any enemy that runs over it, though of course they will also jump over the fields at times.

Once Q9 reaches the end of a level safely he will come across the Level Portal which transports him to the next level or world. All you need to do to move on in the game is move so that the portal sound is centralized in your headphones/speakers and wish Q9 good luck in the next stage of his quest!

Worlds & Levels.

There are 4 worlds which Q9 must complete before he can go home and these are as follows:

• The Jungle World
• The Cave World
• The Mountain World
• The Death World.

Every time you transport to the next world you will encounter 1 or more new enemies. The only exception is the aptly named "Death World" which features every enemy from every level! (excluding the gorillas) All of the worlds, however, contain pits and bonus items and of course, the Level Portal at the end.

In each world there are 3 levels which gradually increase in difficulty. For example, the 1st level of the Jungle World is the easiest while the 3rd level of the Mountain World is a nightmare and the entirety of the Death World is, let's just say - very very difficult!

When you lose a life you will be taken back to the beginning of the level at which you died, and once you run out of lives you have to start all over again.

Between Levels 2 and 3 in each world, there is a rather nice bonus level which gives you the chance to try and pick up as many bonus items as possible in a roughly 30 second time limit. These bonus levels are located near waterfalls, as you will hear, and when the allocated time is over, Q9 falls through the water and down into the next level.

NOTE: Navigation is slightly different in the bonus levels. All you have to do is run left and right by tapping the arrow keys (no Ctrl this time) as fast as you can and collect the falling bonus items. There is no speed limit, so try and press those buttons with lightning speed! Each keystroke moves you 1 step.

Enemies.

What would an action game be without enemies? There's certainly a nasty bunch ready to make Q9's life difficult in this game, so make sure you learn how to recognize them in the "Learn Game Sounds" menu.

Below is a list of the enemies you're going to encounter and a brief description of what they do:

• Gorillas - You'll find these grumpy apes in both the Jungle and Cave worlds. They may be pretty stupid, but they like nothing more than bashing little aliens on the head, so be careful! They don't inflict too much damage, (apart from a headache) and they are relatively slow when attacking.
• Leopards - These only inhabit the Jungle World and the Death World. Being faster and smarter than the gorillas, you may find them a bit more difficult to kill. Keep on your toes, as leopards love to dodge Q9's attacks and then strike for a tasty morsel of alien meat.
• Rhinoceros - Keep an eye, or an ear out for these stampeding creatures as they'll quite easily flatten you where you stand if you don't jump quickly over them! There is no way to kill the Rhinos, just jump and if you should run into the front end of one, just hope you have some lives left! Luckily, these are only found in the Jungle and Death Worlds.
• Bats - Ugh! These squeaking, irritating little things can be found flapping around in the Cave World and the Death World. Whilst Q9 stays on the ground the Bats just fly around his head and are a general annoyance, but if you jump into the air they might give you a nasty bite. To kill them, jump up and quickly strike out (preferably with your club), otherwise they can distract you so you might not hear the wind howling around the pits...
• Bears - In the Cave World, Mountain World and Death World, you're better off keeping your distance from these as they are very hard to kill and do a huge amount of damage in a few strikes. Stay away and take them down with your slingshot or activate a Deus Shield and let them do the attacking for you!
• Wolves - Found in the Mountain World and the Death World, wolves attack in a pack, hitting you from in front and behind and running around to avoid your attacks. When they attack you, they take a medium amount of your strength away, making them even more of a nuisance to kill, but you didn't think this would be easy, did you?
• Boars - Easily one of the most dangerous animals you'll meet throughout your quest, however they are also quite vulnerable. In the Mountain World and Death World, these enraged pigs will run at you much like the Rhinoceros, and like the Rhinos, Q9 can simply skip over these, or, if you're feeling particularly sadistic or angry, you can kill them with one blow!
• Mini Demons - Look out! In the death world, these devilish little fiends are more than happy to sneak up on you to steal a large chunk of your health and then quite conveniently teleport somewhere else as soon as you try to defend yourself. They are not very strong but they do a fair amount of damage per hit and so should certainly not be dealt with casually...

Saving.

The game automatically saves itself whenever you complete a level. This means that you are able to resume from the last level that you arrived at, with exactly the same number of lives and rocks and other properties as when you left off. The saved game file is automatically deleted when you complete the game, as well as when you lose your last life.

Survival Mode.

In survival mode you start with twice your usual resources (which is to say 200 strength, 100 rocks for the slingshot and 4 Deus Shields). However, you only have one life and you cannot get any extra ones by grabbing bonus objects. This means that you have to make your way through the adventure in a slightly more realistic manner. If you die once, then you are dead and that's the end of it. Good luck!

Keystrokes.

• Left arrow key moves Q9 to the left.
• Right arrow key moves Q9 to the right.
• Hold down Ctrl with either of the above keys to run in each direction.
• Up arrow makes Q9 jump. When airborne, you can press the Left and Right arrow keys to move in that direction, and there is no speed limit unlike when you're on the ground.
• Space Bar press to use your currently selected weapon.
• Number keys 1, 2, 3 and 4 switch between your weapons.
• ALT switches between your weapons in order.
• Letter P pauses the game. Press again to return to the game.
• Letter S tells you how many points you have on the current level.
• Letter T tells you how much strength you have remaining.
• Letter L tells you how many lives you have left.
• Letter A tells you how much ammunition is left for your selected weapon.
• Page Up and Page Down adjusts the background music volume.
• Escape exits the active game and takes you to the Main Menu.
• Enter skips introductory, cut scenes and some other messages throughout the game.
• ALT+F4 closes the game.

My Country Place, the Ultimate Farm Simulation Game.

Overview.

My Country Place is a farming sim game. You are responsible for a farm consisting of twenty plots of land and a large house. You can lay your farm out in any way you like, raise a large variety of crops, buy animals, build farm buildings, buy farm machinery to improve crop yields, and furnish your house with the best that money can buy. Each year there will be tasks to perform together with new challenges to meet. You will see your farm grow and improve as you play.

This game is purely sound driven with no graphics, so you must use the sound effects and audio environments within the game to assist in moving from one location to another. The output from My Country Place is delivered using speech emanating from your default Windows Text to Speech voice. You will need either a pair of stereo headphones or speakers that are positioned so that it is possible to hear what comes from the left and right, as this plays a crucial role in the game's navigation. Keys usually associated with Leasey, such as to access the Leasey Main Menu, cannot be pressed when accessing this game.

Please note that the game events do not correspond exactly to a farm's conventional calendar.

Story.

You have lived most of your life in the big city but have always dreamed of getting away from the heat and noise, escaping to the country. You’re not afraid of hard work and you think a house and a plot of land would just suit you. Suddenly you receive a windfall. This, together with the money you’ve saved enables you to buy a good piece of land and a sound, sprawling old ranch house. You even have $100,000 over to give you a start. You clear away your old life, pack the bare essentials and head off for your country place.

The Main Menu.

When you first launch the game you will enter the Main Menu in which there are four options.

• “New Farm” will enable you to create a new farm containing no crops or animals.
• “Load Farm” will load a previously saved farm. Please note that there is only one saved game possible, so starting a new farm will destroy the existing one.
• “Configure your text to speech settings” will be discussed in the next section.
• “Exit” will terminate the game.

As with all List Boxes within the game, the Main Menu is navigated by pressing the Up or Down Arrow keys.

Configuring Text to Speech Settings.

Before you begin your first farm you may like to configure your text to speech settings. Do this by pressing Enter on the appropriate item in the main menu. This will bring into view a List Box.

To change the voice, press the Up or Down Arrow keys. Doing so will cycle between all of the Text to Speech voices installed on the computer. Selecting a voice will cause sample text to be spoken using the selected Text to Speech engine.

To adjust the rate of speech, press the Left and Right Arrow keys.

To adjust the volume press the letters V to increase and Shift+V to decrease the level.

To adjust the pitch of speech, press the Left Bracket to decrease and the Right Bracket to increase. Typically, these keys are situated to the immediate right of the letter P on a standard QWERTY keyboard.

Press Enter at any time to save the settings.

Before Setting up a new farm.

Before beginning to set up your farm you may need to give it some thought, as when the game begins you have only a limited time to get your first crop sewn. Failure to do this on time means you will have a year with your fields lying fallow. Bills still have to be paid whether you are making money or not, so fallow fields are not a good thing. So consider the following.

Do you want your farm to be arable or mixed? If you intend to buy animals you will need to build a barn to house them, plus a grazing pasture so that they can eat grass for most of the year. You will also need to purchase some fodder for them or they will starve before you can get them out to graze. Fodder is not cheap, but buying too little can have disastrous consequences very fast. You can check fodder at any time by pressing letter F.

Decide which crops you want to plant. Fruit costs more money to plant and maintain but fetches more. If you’re going to have animals you need to grow at least four fodder crops, these are all the grains plus sugar beet, clover and hay. Do you need to have clover and hay or is one better than the other? Fresh flowers and salad vegetables both grow in greenhouses. They are both expensive but is one better than the other? Are you going to have one or both greenhouses?

Here is a list of crops and their planting costs. Please note other costs will be incurred during the year.

• Apples: $1,500.
• Barley: $1,000.
• Black-eyed peas: $500.
• Cherries: $1,500.
• Clover: $750.
• Corn: $1,000.
• Fresh flowers: $3,000.
• Grapes: $3,000.
• Hay: $500.
• Lemons: $2,000.
• Mixed Vegetable Market Garden: $1,000.
• Oats: $1,000.
• Oranges: $2,000.
• Peaches: $1,500.
• Peanuts: $500.
• Pomegranates: $2,000.
• Potatoes: $500.
• Rapeseed: $500.
• Salad Vegetables: $3,000.
• Strawberies: $1,500.
• Sunflowers: $500.
• Sugar Beets: $1,000.
• Watermelons: $1,500.
• Wheat: $1,000.
• Grazing Pasture. $500.

You may only plant one field of any type of crop on your farm.

There are three kinds of animals you can buy. They are:

• Cow: $5,000.
• Angora Goat: $3,000.
• Sheep: $2,000.

You are allowed to buy five of each type of animal.

You also have a chicken field containing five chickens. This is a great way to make money in spare moments as will be discussed later.

Setting Up a Farm.

To start a new farm, use your Up and Down Arrow keys to focus on New Farm in the Main Menu and press Enter. After the introductory scene has been played, you will be asked to name your farm. Type in a name and press Enter. You will immediately hear music and your farm’s ambience. To adjust the music volume, use the Page Up and Page Down keys. The game can be paused and resumed at any time by pressing the letter P.

Layout.

You are standing on the farm’s main thoroughfare. Behind you is the front door to your house, you can hear it, that buzzing type of sound. To your left is a rustling hedge with ten openings in it which lead into ten fields. Across the path to your right is a similar rustling hedge with openings into ten large fields. The fields are arranged vertically. It is important to note that the bottom lefthand field for example is considered to be “the first field on the left”. It will be useful to know this information when you begin to plan your farm and for later exploration. If you walked straight up the middle of the farm you would come into the chicken field. We’ll have time to explore later, right now we have work to do.

The Management Menus.

To access the Management Menus you can press F1 from anywhere on the farm. These menus give you access to planting, building, buying, selling and more.

There are several points to bare in mind when navigating the Management Menus.

Pressing Enter on any item from the Management Main Menu will take you into a sub-menu relative to the item you have chosen. For example, if you select the first item relating to planting crops, the sub-menu for this will appear. Pressing the Escape key will return you to the Management Main Menu, a Leasey concept with which you should already be familiar. You will be advised that you are back in this menu. Pressing Escape once more will return focus to the farm, which is not confirmed through speech output.

Planting crops.

Crops can only be planted from the beginning of September to the beginning of November. To check the date at any time, press letter Y. To plant crops, press F1 to bring up the Management Main Menu”, focus on “Plant Crops” and press Enter. You will find an alphabetical list of crops together with their planting costs and which type of field it requires. It is not possible to use first letter navigation in this menu, so please press the Up or Down Arrow keys instead.

Some crops, for example fruits and greenhouses, can only be planted on large fields. Press Enter on a crop you would like to plant and you will be asked where you would like to plant it, together with a list of available fields. Use your Up and Down arrow keys to find the one you would like and press Enter.

Managing Buildings.

If you are planning on raising animals on your new farm, one of the first things you will need is a barn. Make sure you have left a field free for it. To build a building, press F1 to open the “Management Main Menu”, focus on “Build a Building” and press Enter. Here you will see a list of buildings together with their costs. Find the one you want to build and press Enter. You will be asked where you would like to place it. If there is more than one space free you can use your Up and Down Arrow keys to cycle through them till you find the one you want, then press Enter.

As your farm grows richer you may want to build more buildings to improve the yield of your farm. Fruit juice brings in much more money than the raw fruit, the dairy comes with all kinds of exciting upgrades for you to buy and if you make enough to build the winery well, who doesn’t like a nice glass of wine? You’ll really see your profit margins spiral!

Of course it may happen that you fall on hard times or want to change things around. You may need to put building land back out to crops again. If you need to tear down a building simply open up the “management Menu” by pressing F1 and press Enter on “Tear Down Building”. You will be asked which building you wish to tear down. The appropriate building can be selected with the Up and Down Arrow keys and press Enter to select. You will get back a small per centage of the price you paid to build it and your field will be usable for crops again.

The Farm Year.

The new farm year always begins in September. In game time a day runs for about 6 seconds, so a year lasts about 36 minutes. This gives you ample time to perform farm tasks, explore, make improvements, buy upgrades for your house and grab some spare cash by playing mini games.

Throughout the year you need to perform set tasks to care for your crops and animals. Failure to do anyone of a number of things can result in your crops or animals dying. You also need to keep a close eye on your cash. Check how much is in the bank from anywhere on the farm by pressing letter C. You have money going out all year: household bills, crop maintenance, etc, if you have cows and goats you may have income during the year but your main income is at harvest time. You need to manage your money so that you have enough to pay for everything through the year as well as your new crop planting. You start with $100,000. You are permitted an overdraught of $20,000 but this has to be repaid within three months or your farm will go bankrupt.

Basic Orientation.

When you begin playing for the first time, your farm house will be behind you, (slightly to the right), and the chicken field some distance ahead.

If you press the Left Arrow once or twice, you are likely to hear the sound of the hedge. The hedge is your guide for navigating to different farm locations.

When located at the hedge, press the Up or Down Arrow keys to move through the farm. Periodically, you will hear the sound of an opening, indicating that a field can be examined. Press the Left Arrow key to determine the field’s existence, and if appropriate, any crop or building which may be situated within it.

You are now inside the field. Press the Right Arrow key, and the word, “Farm”, will be announced, indicating that you are once again located on the main farm thoroughfare rather than the field previously entered.

A corresponding number of fields are located on the righthand side of the farm, which can be reached by pressing the Right Arrow key several times. You will know that you are on the righthand side as you will once again hear the sound of the hedge.

Naturally, when navigating through the fields with the Up and Down Arrow keys in this situation, you would press the Right Arrow key when focused on an opening, so as to determine the field and anything which may be found there. The Left Arrow key will, in this scenario, return you to the farm.

Tip: When wishing to interact with a field as discussed in later sections, you only need to take one or two steps into it. Taking further steps could result in you losing orientation on the farm.

SMS Text Messages.

As you walk your farm you’re always accompanied by your trusty cell phone. This is a very good thing as you will receive periodic SMS reminders which let you know what needs to be done next.

To access your SMS messages, press F5. Your messages will appear in a list with the most recent first. Press Enter to open and read a message. Press the Delete key to delete it. Press Escape to exit the SMS list. Press F6 to hear the most recent SMS message.

The Context Menu.

We now need to introduce you to the Context Menu. As the name suggests, the Context Menu is context sensitive, and will provide you with a list of choices you can make relative to where you are located.

To access the Context Menu, press the Space Bar. All tasks which you can perform with the Context Menu are discussed in the next few sections.

Fertilization.

The first task of the year is fertilization. All the crops need fertilising or they will die. You need to walk to each field in turn. Once there, press the Space Bar to bring up the Context Menu. You will be asked if you’d like to perform the task, simply press Enter and you will hear a sound to let you know the task is going ahead.

Animals Out to Grass.

In the spring your animals, if you have them, can be turned out to grass. Do this by walking to the barn, entering it and pressing the Space Bar to bring up its Context Menu, finding the item “Take Animals Out to Graze” and pressing Enter. It’s a good idea to check how much fodder is left in the barn at this stage too.

Spraying and pruning.

From March to May the crops are sprayed and pruned, but not all in one go. Watch your phone so that you know which ones have to be done next. Perform each task by entering a field and pressing the Space Bar to bring up the Context Menu. If you enter a field where nothing needs doing that particular month, and press the Space Bar, no menu will appear. If you’re unsure you’ve done everything, walking the farm and checking each field in this way sets the mind at rest.

Watering.

It’s a hot summer and some of the crops need water. Keep a close eye on your phone so that you know which ones need doing. Enter the relevant field and press Space Bar to bring into view the Context Menu. Take particular care with the grapes during the summer if you have them.

Dipping Sheep and Goats.

In July the sheep and goats have to be dipped or they will get scab and the wool will be lost. Worse, you will incur a hefty vet’s bill. When you receive the SMS text message, go to the grazing pasture, press the Space Bar to bring up the Context Menu, find “Manage Animals” and press Enter.

Harvest.

It’s harvest time, hurray! Go to each field in turn, press the Space Bar and reap the reward for your hard work. Once the crop is harvested you’ll be asked if you’d like to replant the same crop in that field. If you’d like to change things around simply press Down Arrow to the option “No”, and press Enter. You will then have an empty field to plant or build on as you like.

Don’t forget, the grazing pasture is a part of your harvest if you have sheep and goats, so walk into it, press the Space Bar and select “Manage Animals”. Wool fetches a good price.

Placing Fodder.

Before you go to market it’s a good idea, if you have animals, to make sure they have plenty to eat for the winter. Go to the barn and press the Space Bar to activate the Context Menu. The first item you’ll hear is “Place Fodder”, together with how many pounds of fodder you have. Press Enter on this and you will be given a list of fodder to select from, together with how many pounds you have of each. You need to work out how much your animals are going to eat during the winter, check on it closely and buy more if you have underestimated.

Visiting the Market.

There are a few things to remember when visiting the market.

Firstly, prices vary, so if your top crops are getting bottom prices you might want to wait a few minutes and try again.

Secondly, crops go bad. You can’t leave them for more than two months before selling or you won’t have anything to sell. If something is about to go off you will hear a warning, a series of peremptory tones which sound every five seconds or so. When you hear this, immediately press F1 to open the “Management Menu” and press Enter on the item “Visit the Market”. You will be asked what you would like to sell, together with a list of available crops and the prices they are fetching. Press Enter on the one you’d like to sell. You will be asked for confirmation. Press Enter and you will hear a cash register ring to confirm the sale has been made.

If you have cows and goats or have chicken eggs to sell you will grow used to visiting the market roughly once a month. These three things are good to have and can really help with the bills.

Fetching In the Animals.

Before the farm shuts down for the winter the animals must be brought safely into the barn. You will receive an SMS message mid-November telling you that it is time. Go to the grazing pasture, press the Space Bar to open the Context Menu, and press Enter on “Bring Animals into the Barn”. Be sure to check during the winter that they have enough fodder. If the fodder runs out they will immediately starve.

Exploring the House.

Before we discuss the benefits of purchasing upgrades for your house, lets learn how to explore it.

As previously stated, you can hear the door of the house as you navigate with the Down Arrow key, since it is located at the opposite end of the farm to the chicken field.

Be sure that the sound of the front door is located in the centre of the stereo field and simply press the Down Arrow key to walk through it.

You are now in the main hallway and you will note that the sound of the music has changed. As you would expect from a hall, at either side of you are rooms which can be entered. On the left can be found the Master Bedroom, Bedroom 2, and the Bathroom. On the righthand side is located Bedroom 3 and the Living Room. Entering the Living Room does reveal further rooms which will be explored later.

The concept of walking into each room can be explained in the following way. Use the Arrow keys until you hear the loudest part of the door’s entry point on either the left or right. This may take some practice. When it is located, press the corresponding Left or Right Arrow key to locate the door and walk through it with the Up or Down Arrow keys.

For example:

1. Press the Down Arrow key from the farm thoroughfare to enter the house.
2. Press the Left Arrow key so that you walk a step or two to the left.
3. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly, and in time, you will hear the door which indicates the Master Bedroom. This is the room we wish to enter.
4. When the opening of the door is in view, indicated by listening for the loudest indication of the door, press Left Arrow repeatedly to locate and walk through it.

If you explore the Living Room, you will find that it contains the Sun Room straight in front of you, located by pressing Up Arrow, and the Dining Room behind you and to the right. You need to walk through the Dining Room in order to reach the kitchen area.

As described in the next section, you will certainly want to spend money upgrading your house to include the best luxuries money can buy. When you do buy the items, you will want to find out what they look or sound like.

Locate the item you have bought with the Arrow keys. It will be denoted by either an ambience or beep sound if it is furniture. Ensure it is located in the centre of the stereo field and press Enter to read its description.

Buying Upgrades.

The winter is a time for taking stock, exploring and, if you have the money, buying upgrades. If you open the “Management Menu” by pressing F1 you will see two kinds of upgrade, “Farm Upgrades” and “House Upgrades”.

For your farm you can buy machinery such as a tractor, a sheller harvester, a combine, an oil press and, once you have it, all kinds of nice things for your dairy. Each upgrade affects a different crop and will dramatically improve its yield. Some upgrades affect more than one crop. There’s even an upgrade for the animals.

The house upgrades are arranged by room. Nothing is cheap, but then you are not planning on moving anywhere, so you want everything for your home to be the very best you can get. Once you have it you can explore the house, find where it is within the room, it may have its own special sound, and each and every item has its own unique description.

Mini games.

“My Country Place” comes with four mini games. One of these is a way to make extra money in your spare moments while the other three come up randomly as part of the annual challenge.

The Challenges.

As we know, things don’t always run smoothly and once a year, in August, there is a crisis. You will receive an SMS message informing you that there is a problem and telling you which field is in danger. When you enter the field you will be plunged into a fun mini game. Instructions on how to play will be automatically given to you. If you win, the crop will be saved. If you lose, you fail and the crop will die. No crop is safe so take care!

The Chickens.

At the back of your farm is a field containing five chickens. When you enter this field they will run around you then bounce away. They lay eggs which you can collect and sell, they fetch $15 per egg, but it’s not so easy! The eggs make a bleeping sound and they are not all pitched the same. The bleep gets lower when the egg is behind you. You must get the eggs in the center of the stereo field and then walk over them to collect them, whereupon you will hear an “egg cracking” sound. It is likely that you will need to use all four Arrow keys to achieve this. And there’s one thing more. You can only find these eggs while they’re warm. After a while they go cold and you can’t hear them anymore. Practice makes perfect, however, and the quiet winter’s a great time to make a good stash of egg money before it’s time to start the year’s tasks again.

Saving the Game.

The game is automatically saved every time you exit. Just press ALT+F4 and the game will close. When you wish to reopen the game, select “Load Farm” on the Main Menu. You should hear the message “Welcome to …” and your farm name. You will be placed at the exact location where you were when you exited the game. For example, if you exited in the chicken field, that is where you will be when you restart. If you are not quite sure of game time, simply press letter Y to check the date.

Backing Up and Restoring a Farm.

We hope that you are going to spend many hours building up your farm, gaining profit, and purchasing items for your new home. It could well be therefore that you will want to take a backup of your farm and restore it if software needs to be reinstalled for any reason. You also may wish to copy your farm for playing the game on another machine without having to start again. This section will show you how you can do these things.

In order to backup a farm:

1. Be sure that the “My Country Place” game is not running, even in the background.
2. Using Windows (or File) Explorer, browse to the folder in which you wish to place the backup. This could be an alternative drive, (such as a USB storage device), a folder using Dropbox, or elsewhere. Be sure you are located inside the folder by pressing Enter on it.
3. Press the Leasey Key, then ALT+B. An Edit Field will be presented to you containing the path of the potential backup. This can be amended if you change your mind or if it is inaccurate in any way. When the Enter key is pressed, you will be advised that the backup is taking place and it should take less than a second.

To restore the backup, perhaps to an alternative location:

1. Be sure that the “My Country Place” game is not running, even in the background.
2. Using Windows (or File) Explorer, browse to the folder where the backup of the farm was previously stored. This could be an alternative drive, (such as a USB storage device), a folder using Dropbox, or elsewhere. Be sure you are located inside the folder by pressing Enter on it.
3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+R. The farm will be copied to the correct location for Leasey to use.

• Arrow keys: Navigate game board and menus.
• Page up and Down: adjust music volume.
• P: Pause and resume game.
• F1: Open the Management Menu.
• F5: Open SMS Text Message list.
• F6: Hear most recent SMS Text Message.
• Delete: delete SMS Text Message.
• Escape: Exit SMS Text Message list or menu.
• Space Bar: Open the Context Menu.
• Enter: Skips introductory cut scene, reads text descriptions of house items and is used in the mini games.
• C: check cash.
• F: Check Fodder.
• Y: Check Date.
• Alt F4: Exit and save game.
• Leasey Key then ALT+B: Backup farm.
• Leasey Key then ALT+R: Restore farm.

Matchmaker, the Perfect Tile Matching Puzzle Game.

Overview.

Matchmaker is a simple matching tile puzzle game which takes its inspiration from a multitude of matching games, among them Candy Crush, Pudding Pop, BeJeweled etc. It is meant to be fun, relaxing and unstressful.

Where our game differs from most is that it is infinitely customisable. Instead of playing on one size of board with one set of tiles, or only a limited choice, you can customise the board to be as large or as small as you like, you can also customise the levels to be as simple or as challenging as needed, plus there are a large number of tile sets, with more being frequently added.

This game is purely sound driven with no graphics, so you must use the sound effects and audio environments within the game to assist in moving from one location to another. The output from Matchmaker is delivered using speech emanating from the JAWS screen-reader.

The Puzzle.

The puzzle consists of a board laid out with tiles. Each tile contains a value according to which set you are playing with, it might be fruits, gems, colours, numbers etc. You need to match a line of three or more tiles to clear them from the board. You may make lines of tiles vertically or horizontally but not diagonally. As tiles are cleared, tiles from the row or column above slide down to fill the empty places on the board and new tiles are added at the top, you will never see an empty space on the board. The more tiles you clear, the more points you score, you also earn bonus points for making more than one match at a time. When you have cleared a certain number of tiles you complete a level and can move up to the next, which scores higher, but the number of tiles you need to clear each level usually increases. The object of the puzzle is to make as many matches and score as many points as possible before all the matches run out.

The main menu.

When you first open Matchmaker you will be placed in the main menu. This contains three options:

• Play: Takes you into a new game or your saved game.
• Configure: Takes you into the customisation options.
• Exit: Leaves the game.

Configuring speech.

To make any changes to your speech configuration, select “Configure" from the Main Menu, then select “Configure speech Verbosity”. We recommend initially however that the settings in this menu are left at their default values at least while you are becoming used to playing the game, although you will almost certainly want to change one of the options as and when you become more accomplished.

Pressing Enter on this option allows you to configure whether you would like JAWS to announce cleared tiles, announce clearing score, announce multi-match bonus scores and announce total score. Pressing Enter on any item in this menu will cause a further sub-menu to appear, containing the options "On" and "Off". Press Enter to select an item, whereupon you will be returned to the "Speech and Verbosity" configuration menu.

Configuring the game.

Matchmaker comes preconfigured and ready for you to play with an eight by eight board and the fruit set of tiles. You may, however, want to customise the game further. It is worth noting that changing any of the settings overwrites all the game configuration settings you have, so do make sure to go through the game configuration thoroughly or Matchmaker will not play properly.

Configure Board.

First you need to decide what size of board you would like to play on. Follow these steps.

1. Select “Configure” from the Main Menu, then “Configure Game”. You will be warned your saved settings will be overwritten.
2. Select “Configure Board Size” and press Enter.
3. You will be asked to select board length. Enter a number between five and twenty and press Enter.
4. You will be asked to select board width. Enter a number between five and twenty and press Enter.
5. You will be asked to select object variants to scatter on the board. You will be prompted to enter a number between 5 and the maximum number of values your list contains. Press Enter to complete.

Your board is now configured, you will be returned to the configuration menu. Note, a square board, for example length 10, width 10, object variants 10 is easier to play on than an irregular board.

Configuring Board Values.

You’re still in the “Configure Game” menu. You now need to decide which set of tiles you want to play with. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Select “CONFIGURE BOARD VALUES” and press Enter.
2. Depending on how you have configured your board you will see the number of tile sets which are available for you to play with. Some sets have only a small number of tiles, some are a full set of twenty tiles. You will only see the ones which are available to you.
3. Choose the set of tiles you want and press Enter.
4. You will be returned to the “Game Configuration” menu.

Configuring Round.

Next you need to configure how many tiles need to be cleared before a level is complete. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Select “CONFIGURE ROUND” and press Enter.
2. Select “CONFIGURE MINIMUM CLEARED TILES TO PROCEED TO NEXT LEVEL”, and press Enter. This takes you into a choice of numbers of tiles to clear between 20 and 100. Press Down Arrow to reach the one you want and press Enter.
3. Select “CONFIGURE SUBSEQUENT DIFFICULTY FACTOR”, and press Enter.
4. This takes you into a list of choices between no change and 100. Press Down Arrow to the choice you want and press Enter.
5. You will be returned to the “Game Configuration” menu.

Configuring the Timer.

You do not need to configure the timer unless you are planning to play a timed game. If you would like to configure the timer, follow these steps.

1. Select “CONFIGURE TIMER” and press Enter.
2. You will be asked to choose how long you are allowed before tiles are taken away from your score.
3. You will then see a list of time choices. Press Down Arrow to reach the one you want and press Enter.
4. You will be returned to the “Game Configuration” menu.

Important! On completing Configuration.

Important! On completing game configuration, tap the Escape key once to exit the “Game Configuration” menu. You will find yourself in the main “Configuration Menu”. Press Up Arrow to reach the ”Save Settings” option and press Enter. You will then be returned to the “Main Menu”. If this last part is not completed your settings will not be saved and you will have to begin again.

Playing The Game.

To begin playing matchmaker, select “Play” from the “Main Menu” and press Enter. You will be asked to select a difficulty level. There are three difficulties, but as game play is the same whichever level you work with we will discuss the levels in a later section.

When the game starts you are placed at the top lefthand corner of your board which is laid out with tiles. You can now move around the board using all four Arrow keys, exploring either in horizontal rows or vertical collumns. When you see two tiles of the same value together, for example two apples, that is the start of a potential match. Explore till you find a third apple. It does not have to be on the same row or in the same column, it can come from anywhere. When you find a match, select it using your Space Bar. You will hear a symbol sound to tell you it has been selected.

Now, navigate back to where you saw the pair of tiles and move to where you want to put the third one to make a line of three either vertically or horizontally. There will be a different tile already there. Press your Space Bar to swap that tile for the one that will make a match. You will hear a tambourine sound if the swap is valid and the game will tell you if the match has been made and how many tiles have been cleared. A swap is only valid if it will make a line of three or more matching tiles. If you have made an invalid swap you will hear a double buzz sound, your tile will be de-selected and you will need to try that match again.

If, at any time, you wish to cancel a swap, you can do so by pressing the Delete key. If you would like to check how many tiles you have cleared, press T. To find out your score, press S. To check what level you are on, press L. To adjust the volume of the music, press page up or page down. To adjust the volume of the sound effects, press control page up and control page down.

Strategy and Bonuses.

If, by the sliding down of tiles and the swapping of others, you manage to find several matches with one swap, you will earn bonus points. The more matches you make with one swap, the more bonus points you will earn. Also if you can visualise in your head what your board looks like you may be able to employ strategy to manage your swaps so that large numbers of matches can be made at one time.

Saving The Game.

You can always exit the game quickly by pressing ALT+F4. If you exit this way your game will be saved. You can also tap Escape from inside the game to return to the “Main Menu”. If you do this your game will be terminated and you will be warned to this effect.

Difficulty levels.

Beginner: In this difficulty there are always moves to make, tiles may be added in pairs or triplets. If you always save your game you can go on playing it for as long as you want to.

Normal. The standard game, the tiles are added at random and finding matches, particularly on the larger boards, is not quite so easy. It is possible to run out of matches.

Timed Game. The most difficult. You play against the clock. Make matches as quick as you can, because every few seconds items are removed from the board. The less tiles there are, the less matches you can find.

Keystrokes.

• Four Arrow Keys: Navigating the board and menus.
• Enter key: Select menu items.
• Space Bar: Select and swap tiles.
• Delete: Cancel Swap.
• T: check cleared number of tiles.
• S: Check Score.
• L: Check level.
• Page Up and Page Down: Adjust music volume.
• Control+Page Up and Control+Page Down: Adjust Sound Effects volume.
• ALT+F4 or Escape: Save and Exit.

Studio Recorder.

Studio Recorder is a seriously underrated software package from APH, the American Printing House for the Blind, and is ideal for anyone who wishes to record speech perhaps for podcasting, to produce and edit the reading of a book, or some other purpose. While not widely recognised, it also can be used to mix music with speech. Indeed we would go as far as saying that unless you want to use multi-track software, it beats every other mainstream product hands-down for mixing sound on sound for some very compelling reasons! We have a training course available for purchase relating to how to use Studio Recorder.

Some JAWS scripts were created for the training course mentioned above. In addition to providing additional spoken information when visiting some fields within Dialog Boxes, there are some additional utilities.

Ordinarily, pressing the Space Bar will activate the Play and Pause function of Studio Recorder. Pressing Enter will stop the audio playing, relocating the cursor back at the point where play had commenced. However, some people used to working with other audio editors would prefer that pressing the Enter key paused playback. For very precise editing on extremely small fragments of audio this makes the process easier. Should you require this functionality, press ALT+Windows+F12. This is a toggle action and will enable and disable this special setting.

Other keystrokes you may find helpful in Studio Recorder are:

• To report the current time press Shift+control+M.
• To report the total file length press Insert+Delete or Caps Lock+Delete if using the laptop layout.
• To report the selection length press Shift+Insert+Down Arrow.
• To hear a sound indicating whether recording is in progress press ALT Grave Accent next to number 1 ALT+`.
• To toggle whether the time is announced when the Enter, Escape or Space Bar is used press Alt+Windows+F11.

Markdown With Leasey.

Introduction.

Markdown is a lightweight markup text language that can be used to add formatting elements to documents and other text areas. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown is now one of the world's most popular markup languages.

When you create a Markdown formatted file, you add syntax to the document which represents the attributes or formatting you wish to create. There are special codes for applying bold text, headings, even tables. However, it is not always possible to remember the syntax or spacing to use in order to gain the effect you want. The precision of how Markdown is applied is essential so that when it is converted to an alternative format, such as a Word document, the conversion tool interprets it correctly and can apply the necessary formatting.

Markdown can be used when composing web sites, Microsoft Word documents and even podcast Show Notes in some cases. There are also other tools to create journals which support Markdown. To repeat, it is widely used and accepted.

Why would you want to create a Markdown document rather than use a tool such as Microsoft Word? Markdown is cross-platform. If you create a Markdown document, then it is likely it will be accepted whichever application you try to import it into. Admittedly in some cases, a small amount of adaptation is sometimes required, but it does make sharing documents much more viable. It is also completely accessible since you can read the necessary code with your screen-reader. Once you become familiar with reviewing it, you will know that the required formatting has been applied and you can ensure the end result will be of a good standard.

How Does Leasey Help With Markdown?

Leasey gives you three ways to assist with composing Markdown text. Before these are described, Leasey contains what is referred to as the Markdown key. This is similar to the Leasey key in operation. You press a key on the keyboard, release it, and then press a number or letter key. The Markdown key is the ALT key and the Leasey key pressed together.

The ways of accessing Leasey Markdown functions are:

1. Through a menu system. Press the Markdown key then M. All the items described in this Chapter can be found on the Markdown menu.
2. Through shortcut keys. While using the Markdown menu is good, we hope you will over time begin to use the shortcut keys. Using these keys mean that the flow of writing is not interrupted.
3. Through Elegance for ElBraille. When using Elegance mode on the Focus Braille display, described in its own Chapter of this documentation, you can enter abbreviations into Elegance mode to carry out the formatting. This is one of the features which really makes Markdown stand out; the fact that, without using any complex key sequences, you can create some very well formatted documents with not too much effort.

Viewing The End Result.

Creating a beautifully formatted document using Markdown can be done as described above, but how can you as a blind person check the finished result to ensure it is what you intend? One possible method if you have Microsoft Word is to use a Plugin called Writage which can be found at writage.com. This is a tool which can be easily installed once downloaded. Once done, and you open a document with an >MD extension, Word interprets such a file as a Markdown document and Writage will convert it for you as if you had created it in Microsoft word. You ought then to be able to use any technique within JAWS to verify formatting has been correctly applied. Pressing Insert+F (or Caps Lock+F if using the JAWS laptop layout) is a good starting point.

Note that writing requires a nominal fee of approximately $30 US.

Composing and Saving a Markdown File.

A Markdown document can be created and saved using any text editor. Notepad or EdSharp would be good examples of text editors with no frills which can be used to compose a Markdown compatible file. You do not need anything special in order to create or save it. You save the file with its name and an .MD extension. The title of this document for example might be Leasey.MD. You would type that into your text editor's "Save As" Dialog Box.

How To Apply Formatting.

You can use any of the Leasey Markdown functions before you type text or you can apply it to text you have already composed. In order to do the latter, you will need to select it first. For example, if your document contained the sentence "This is my first Markdown document", and you wanted to embolden the word "First", you would select that word and then apply the command for bold. You either do that through the Markdown menu, (Markdown Key then M), through one of the provided shortcut keys, or using an abbreviation typed into Elegance for ElBraille. Don't forget that the Markdown key is Leasey Key together with ALT. Think alternative Leasey commands.

Creating a New Paragraph.

To create a new paragraph in a Markdown document, just press Enter twice.

The Markdown Menu.

Press the Markdown Key then M.

Eloquence Abbreviation: menu.

This contains a list of all the items you can apply in Markdown. Use first letter navigation or the Up or Down Arrow keys to find the item you want. Then press Enter. The Markdown menu also contains a reminder of the shortcut keys in the hope you will over time remember them for more efficient use.

Headings.

Press the Markdown key then numbers 1 through to 6.

Eloquence Abbreviation: headinga through to headingf, where the word heading followed by letter A represents heading 1.

To create a new heading, just activate this item before the text for the heading. For example, press Markdown key then 1 followed by the text "This Is My Heading". Then press Enter twice to create a new paragraph which terminates the heading.

Bold.

Press the Markdown key then B before and after the text to be emboldened.

Eloquence Abbreviation: bold.

If text is selected, the necessary characters to indicate emboldened text are placed before and after the selection.

Italics.

Press the Markdown key then I before and after the text to be italicised.

Eloquence Abbreviation: italic.

If text is selected, the necessary characters to indicate italicised text are placed before and after the selection.

Bold and Italics.

Press the Markdown key then L before and after the text to be italicised.

Eloquence Abbreviation: both.

If text is selected, the necessary characters to indicate bold and italicised text are placed before and after the selection.

Block Quote.

Press the Markdown key then Q before the text to be included in the block quote. Pressing Enter twice terminates this.

Eloquence Abbreviation: quote.

If text is selected, the necessary character to indicate a block quote is placed at the start of the text to be included in the quotation.

Creating a Link.

Press the Markdown key then K.

Eloquence Abbreviation: link.

Selecting this option asks for two pieces of information.

You are first asked for the full URL (or web page address) of the Link you wish to create. You should type it and press Enter to move to the next stage. A good example would be http://www.mydomain.com/test.

Leasey Tip: If the URL of the page you wish to point to is a long complicated one, it may be an idea to ensure this is on the windows Clipboard first, prior to invoking this item. In that way, you can paste the URL into the first Edit Field when prompted.

The next question asks for the text you would like to be placed on the Link. A good example might be, "Please activate this link to contact me". Type this and press Enter. The text is inserted surrounded by the necessary Markdown code.

Note that if text was selected prior to invoking this option, the second screen will not appear, since the selected text is assumed to be the link title.

Numbered or Ordered List.

Eloquence Abbreviation: ordered.

There are two ways of approaching the creation of a numbered list.

Method 1.

1. Prior to creating the numbered list, first activate the item by pressing the Markdown key then O.
2. Item 1 is created with a number at the start.
3. Type the text for item 1 and press Enter.
4. The moment you press Enter, item 2 is created. You do not need to enter the new numbered value for this and any subsequent paragraph which requires it.
5. When you reach the final item in the list, do not press Enter. Use the same command again so as to terminate the list, such as Markdown key then O. You can then proceed by pressing Enter twice so as to create a new paragraph.

Method 2.

1. Write each item first but do not include the actual numbers for the text to be included in the list. Be sure to separate each item with a line break by pressing Enter.
2. Using any text selection method of your choosing, select all of the text you have just written.
3. Use the item to create a numbered or ordered list, such as the Markdown key then O.
4. Leasey works through all of the items within the selection and preceeds each of them with a number.

Bulleted or Unordered List.

Eloquence Abbreviation: unordered.

There are two ways of approaching the creation of a bulleted list.

Method 1.

1. Prior to creating the bulleted list, first activate the item by pressing the Markdown key then U.
2. Item 1 is created with a bullet at the start.
3. Type the text for item 1 and press Enter.
4. The moment you press Enter, item 2 is created. You do not need to enter the character to represent a new bullet for this and any subsequent paragraph which requires it.
5. When you reach the final item in the list, do not press Enter. Use the same command again so as to terminate the list, such as Markdown key then U. You can then proceed by pressing Enter twice so as to create a new paragraph.

Method 2.

1. Write each item first but do not include the bullet signs for the text to be included in the list. Be sure to separate each item with a line break by pressing Enter.
2. Using any text selection method of your choosing, select all of the text you have just written.
3. Use the item to create a bulleted or unordered list, such as the Markdown key then U.
4. Leasey works through all of the items within the selection and preceeds each of them with a bullet sign.

Tables.

Press the Markdown key then T to create a new table.

Eloquence Abbreviation: table.

Whether Microsoft Word or an alternative text editor is used, the creation of tables is one of the more difficult word processing tasks. Using Leasey and Markdown it should be super easy!

Prior to creating your table, you may like to give some thought as to how many columns will be required for it. The number of rows does not matter as much but you will want to think about the number of columns. If you have a table recording a person's name and the number of points in a match that person has obtained, this would be a three column table: First Name, Last Name and Total.

1. Start the table creation process from the Markdown menu or by pressing the Markdown key then T.
2. You are guided through the process of creating the table. Type the first column title, such as First Name, then press Enter.
3. When you are ready to type the next column header, press the Markdown key then T again. Type it in, such as Last Name, then press Enter.
4. When you are ready to type the next column header, press the Markdown key then T again. Type it in, such as Total, then press Enter.
5. Now we need to tell Leasey that we have finished entering column titles. Press the Markdown key then T again, but this time, type the word Stop, then press Enter.
6. It is now necessary to type the cell data for each of the columns. Press the Markdown key then T. JAWS announces the title of the first column so as to remind you of what it is you are meant to be typing in this space. Type the person's first name, such as Joe, then press Enter.
7. Press the Markdown key then T again, type the word Johnson, and press Enter. If you forget which row and column you are in, press the Markdown key then C. Eloquence Abbreviation: column. You will hear the column number together with the column title.
8. Press the Markdown key then T again, type the number 200 to represent the total, and press Enter. If you forget which row and column you are in, press the Markdown key then C. Eloquence Abbreviation: column. You will hear the column number together with the column title.
9. Now we will move to the next row of the table. Press the Markdown key then T again. Before being prompted for the next item to be placed in the First Name column, JAWS announces that you are starting a new row of the table.
10. Repeat as necessary until all of the information in the table is entered.
11. To complete the table, press the Markdown key then T a final time. On this occasion, type the word End, and press Enter. This is a very important step so that the table can be concluded.

Footnotes.

Press the Markdown key then `F.

Eloquence Abbreviation: foot.

Footnotes are notes that are placed at the end of a document and used to reference parts of the text (generally using superscript numbers). Writers use footnotes for several purposes, including citations, parenthetical information, outside sources, copyright permissions, background information, and more.

Now that you understand what footnotes are, you might be wondering: why use them? The truth is, long explanatory notes can be difficult for readers to work through (especially when they occur in the middle of a paper). Providing this information is necessary, but doing so in the main text can disrupt the flow of the writing.

There is a specific procedure within Leasey you need to follow in order to create Footnotes.

1. Write the text in the document. If the text has already been written, place the cursor at the point in the text where you wish the Footnote to appear. For example you may have this sentence: I use a screen-reader.
2. This is where we want the Footnote. Invoke the Leasey option for this, for example, press the Markdown key followed by F.
3. This takes you into a list of three items. Select the first option, Create Footnote, and press Enter.
4. Type the number for the Footnote. In our example, this will be achieved by typing number 1, just above the letter keys. Then press Enter. Why don't we number the items for you automatically? Simply because Footnote references do not need to be numbered. If you wanted to, you could call it, "My Wonderful Footnote Number 1", if you were so inclined. But 1 will do just fine for now.
5. Having pressed Enter, you are asked for the text to represent the Footnote. This will be placed at the end of the document. We will come to that later. Type it into the Edit Field. We will type, It is called JAWS for Windows. Then press Enter.
6. In the document, you will now see the Footnote reference number but not the text relating to the Footnote.
7. Now write this sentence: It is used to help blind people.
8. Invoke the Leasey Footnote item once more by pressing the Markdown key then F.
9. This takes you into a list of three items. Select the first option, Create Footnote, and press Enter.
10. This time, type the number 2 to represent the Footnote reference number and press Enter.
11. Type the text to represent the Footnote. We will type, like me. Then press Enter.
12. Continue to work through this procedure as necessary.
13. When you have completed the document, you need to insert all your Footnote explanations. Be sure that the cursor is at the end of the document. press the Markdown key then F once again.
14. This takes you into a list of three items. Select the second option, Insert Footnotes, and press Enter.
15. All your Footnote references are then entered into the document.
16. Finally, go back to the Footnotes area, Markdown key then F. This time, select the third item down, "Clear Footnotes From Leasey", and press Enter. If you do not do this, the next time you create a document containing Footnotes, the old Footnotes will be inserted into the new document together with any newer items.

ALT Codes.

Introduction.

You may have come across a situation where you need to enter a character into your text edit area which is not present on your keyboard. As a basic example, what if you need to enter a pound sign and your keyboard layout does not accommodate it? This is where ALT codes come into play.

In some situations, there is a very nice and efficient way of entering such special characters by pressing and holding the ALT key, and simultaneously entering the character’s decimal value on the numeric keypad. This is where the term ALT codes comes from. For example, to enter the ellipsis, you could press and hold the ALT key, and enter 0133. This would give you the appropriate character. For the • character, you could enter the code 0149. However, this requires you to turn NumLock on, (not intuitive for screen-reader users needing the NumPad), and this also presupposes that either there is a NumPad on your keyboard, or at least you can turn the central part of your keyboard into a numPad.

Unfortunately, on some modern notebooks, there are keyboards that do not have these possibilities. There is no NumLock key, and there is no mode to enter numbers, other than on the regular number row.

Sighted people experience this issue of being unable to enter ALT codes on modern notebook keyboards. There are two solutions to this one, and none of them works efficiently if you are blind. The solutions require you to use the Character Map application, or, alternatively, to use the On-Screen Keyboard to simulate NumLock.

What Can Leasey Do To Help?

Leasey has a special tool for entering the ALT codes available. Pressing the key to start the process, (Leasey Key then ALT+C), asks for the ALT code to be typed. For those who are very familiar with this practice, it is simply a matter of typing the code, pressing Enter and the relevant sign is inserted into the text area. If the user presses the same key combination again, Leasey Key then ALT+C, the edit field contains the same code as previously entered in the event the sign needs to be repeated.

For those who are not familiar with the codes, if the edit field is vacant, pressing Enter will bring into view a list of all the ALT codes available. The description is given together with the code number. This serves two purposes. First, a code can be selected from the list and the Enter key pressed to insert the relevant sign. Second, giving the code values in this way helps anyone in learning them so that they can be entered manually at a later time, bypassing the list.

In the event a person prefers to use the list of codes constantly, focus never returns to the top of it each time it is entered. The option just used gains focus automatically in the event that the sign needs to be repeated.

Additional Utilities.

There are several additional utilities which do not fall into other categories but which nevertheless are worth documenting here. All of them are going to provide you with an enhanced level of accessibility to applications.

Maximising Windows Automatically.

In many applications, JAWS is able to provide a greater level of speech and support if a window is maximised, where it fills the entire screen. But it's a question of remembering to use the keyboard shortcut for it each time.

Leasey has a function which will automatically do this for you when you are within an application. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+Space to enable or disable this feature. Once it is set, the setting is remembered, even when you restart the computer. If enabled, the application window will be maximised each time.

Windows Notifications

Controlling how much your computer speaks when specific events occur is always a good thing to know about. Quite often, you will receive Windows notifications or application alerts which vocalise (or display in Braille) far more information than you need. This section of our documentation explains a way in which this can be customised.

Starting in JAWS 2022, Vispero have introduced into the screen reader a utility called the notification history list. The term "notification" in this context is a very broad one. It could be an announcement emanating from a proper Windows notification, such as that sent out by WhatsApp, Outlook or Teams, but it could also be what we call an alert, and that is a message sent by an application to the screen reader to convey information, such as in Microsoft Edge. Have you ever been in Microsoft Edge and it said, for example, "Loading page", "Load complete"? That is what we call an alert. It's not an official Windows notification.

Regardless of what kind of alert or notification it is, you can press the insert key or the caps lock key if you're using the laptop layout together with space. Then the letter N for notification. This shows a list of the last 500 entries comprising notifications and alerts. You can leave this list open all day if you really wanted to because it's constantly going to refresh with the most recent notification at the top. You can always alt-tab over to it if you want to review the last few notifications that you've received.

If you are using JAWS version 2023, you can create "special" rules so as to manage some of the speech and braille output when a notification is captured by JAWS. Because this process is somewhat unwieldy and not particularly easy to understand, you can import our own special rules so as to handle these notifications more efficiently.

Rules are available at present for Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Edge and the FileZilla FTP client.

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B so as to move into the Backup and Restore Manager.
2. Select the option to "Import Leasey Notification Rules".
3. You will be asked if you are sure you want to import the rules. This question is important. If you have created notification rules yourself, we cannot merge the Leasey rules with those you have previously created. You can create rules afterwards if you wish, but if you choose to import those created for Leasey, at least initially any previously defined rules will be overwritten.
4. Assuming "Yes" is activated, the latest set of rules will be downloaded from the Leasey Central web site and you can start using them right away.
5. You are free to remove or modify any of the Leasey imported rules and use them as you see fit, assuming you have the skills to do that.
6. In the event you wish to remove the Leasey rules and reinstate those you previously created, return to the Backup and Restore Manager, and this time, select the option to Reinstate Old Notification Rules. Again, you will be asked if you would like to proceed. Select "Yes". The Leasey rules will be removed and your old rules reinstated.

Miscellaneous.

Pressing the Leasey Key then P will cycle between the various options concerning how JAWS announces punctuation. The options are none, some, most and all.

Pressing Control+Windows+Shift+Up or Down arrow keys will increase or decrease the computer's system volume. This is ideal especially if you have purchased a new laptop computer and have no idea how to change the volume settings. Pressing Control+Windows+Shift+Left or Right Arrow will change the volume level in smaller increments.

Press the Say Window Title keystroke twice quickly, Insert+T or Caps Lock+T, to place the title of the Windows application into the JAWS Virtual Viewer for closer inspection.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Down Arrow will read the time.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Up Arrow will read the date.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Windows+Down Arrow will read the time including seconds.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Left Arrow will insert the current time into your document or edit area.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Right Arrow will insert the current date into your document or edit area.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Left Bracket, (to the immediate right of letter "P"), will speak the Leasey version and build number currently running.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Right Bracket, (two keys to the immediate right of letter "P"), will speak the JAWS version currently being used.

Pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Left Bracket will speak the Windows version number being used.

Press the Leasey Key then letter U to hear the JAWS serial number being used. This information is also copied to the Windows clipboard.

Pressing the Leasey key then Windows+Delete will delete the current line of text.

Pressing the Leasey key then Control+Delete will delete all text from the cursor position to the start of the line.

Pressing the Leasey key then ALT+Delete will delete all text from the cursor position to the end of the line.

Pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+D will report the status of your Dropbox activity if it exists. Pressing the Leasey Key then Control+D will open the Dropbox Preferences, while the Leasey Key then Windows+D will launch the Dropbox folder. When entering the Dropbox Preferences Dialog Box for full customisation of this service, you will find that this is now much more accessible than it otherwise would have been. Press Tab to move from one field to another, or Control+Tab to move through Tabbed Pages.

Pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+G will report the status of your Google Drive activity if it exists. Pressing the Leasey Key then Control+G will open the Google Drive Preferences, while the Leasey Key then Windows+G will launch the Google Drive folder.

Pressing the Leasey Key then ALT+O will report the status of your Microsoft OneDrive activity if it exists. Pressing the Leasey Key then Control+O will open the Microsoft OneDrive Preferences, while the Leasey Key then Windows+O will launch the Microsoft OneDrive folder.

Pressing the Insert Key with figure 2 on the main QWERTY keyboard will cycle through the JAWS "Typing Echo" modes. Unlike JAWS default behaviour, the setting is permanently stored.

If you wish to hear useful information about the document or webpage, (such as the number of characters, words or lines), press the "Speak Information" keyboard shortcut, Leasey Key then I. Important notes:

• If text is selected prior to pressing the above keyboard command, the number of items reported relates to the selected text.
• If focused on a webpage and you execute this keystroke, in addition to other useful information you will hear whether the JAWS forms Mode is active or not.

Pressing ALT+Control+Windows+Page Up will increase the JAWS speech rate. Pressing ALT+Control+Windows+Page Down will decrease the JAWS speech rate. Both settings are permanently stored.

If you have a Pearl camera attached to your computer, pressing the Leasey key then ALT+P will cause the item under the camera to be scanned automatically.

Obtaining a Computer Report.

Leasey contains a feature which can produce a detailed report of your computer for you. In order to carry this out, press the Leasey Key then Control+Right Bracket, two keys to the right of the letter P. You will receive results similar to this which are displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer:
Computer name.
Windows version and build number.
Original install date of Windows.
The last time the system was re-booted.
The computer manufacturer.
The model of the computer.
The processor.
The default Windows folder where the operating system files live.
The drive the computer boots from.
The default Windows language.
The current time zone.
Amount of memory capacity.
Available memory.
Network card being used.
IP addresses.

File Explorer File or Folder Properties.

Anyone familiar with File Explorer will know that it is possible to access the properties of a file or folder. Properties include details of the size of the item, together with when it was last updated. If focused on a folder, the number of files contained within it is displayed there.

JAWS provides no easy way to read the information in the properties Dialog box. Leasey however allows you to access it.

1. When focused on a file or folder in File Explorer, press ALT+Enter to bring into view the Properties Dialog Box.
2. Press ALT+Enter once and you will hear the size of the folder or file together with the last modification date.
3. Press ALT+Enter twice quickly to place the above information into the JAWS Virtual viewer, together with how many files are contained within the folder, assuming a folder was selected prior to invoking the Properties Dialog box.
4. If you are reading the information in the Virtual viewer, as prompted on the final line, press Escape to return to the Properties Dialog Box.
5. Press Escape to exit the Properties Dialog Box.

Converting a Scanned PDF to a Text File.

Have you ever had a PDF file which is a scanned image of a document? You will know if you have such a file because, when you launch it and try to read its contents, JAWS will say, "Document is empty".

JAWS versions 16 onwards provide a facility where the document can be scanned and the results are delivered back to you within the Results Viewer, a webpage-like environment allowing you to read the text. To carry out such a scan, with the file loaded press Insert+Space, then D. After a short pause, you should be able to read the results of the scan.

If you would like a text file containing the contents of the file, with the scanned document in focus press the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+F. When prompted, type in the full path where you would like the file saved and press Enter. The full path may look like, "c:\temp\phone information.txt", although you do not need to include the ".txt" extension. The file should now be present on the machine with the required output.

Audio Splitter.

If you are using stereo headsets or speakers, you can route all JAWS or Fusion speech to one ear while routing audio from all other applications to the other ear. This helps make it easier to continue getting work done with JAWS while following along during a Zoom or Teams meeting, a Skype call, or a YouTube video.

To split audio, press Insert+Space, (or Caps Lock+Space if using the JAWS Laptop Keyboard Layout), then:

1. Left Arrow to route JAWS to the left and audio to the right.
2. Right Arrow, to route JAWS to the right and audio to the left.
3. Up Arrow, to restore sound balance.

Note: Before attempting to split your audio, make sure your headset or speakers are properly oriented. For instance, if you route JAWS speech to the left and instead hear it in your right ear, your headset is most likely reversed.

Once you split your JAWS speech and application audio, it remains in effect until you restart JAWS, or use the command to restore the audio balance.

Press Insert+Space or Caps Lock+Space then Down Arrow to move through soundcards.

The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager.

Introduction.

The LeaseyBackup and Restore Manager is extremely powerful. It not only allows you to backup and restore your JAWS settings but it also makes it possible for you always to keep your Leasey settings and configuration files safe. Moreover, it always means that your settings can instantly become available on multiple machines you may have access to. If you use a number of computers with Leasey installed, all your preferences you may have customised in the program on one machine will be available to Leasey on the other devices. This includes any LeaseyTexts, LeaseyClips, browser favourites, LeaseySearch customisations, LeaseyCuts, audio bookmarks you may have created for VLC Media Player, LeaseyAlerts, LeaseyPoints, LeaseyDiary entries and so much more.

It is likely you will be synchronising files with a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive, although if you wish, you could use it in conjunction with another drive internal to your computer or a shared storage device. For this reason, we refer to this part of the Backup and Restore Manager as LeaseyCloud.

You may think that this section of the documentation does not apply to you. But it could do. If you really want to keep your settings and configurations secure so you can go back to them if the worst happens, it would be an advantage to you to go through this setup process now.

This chapter of the User Guide is comprehensive and we hope it covers most scenarios in terms of using this utility. It is likely that you will only carry out the below setup routines on a very occasional basis. We recommend that you follow the directions given in this User Guide as closely as you can to ensure that everything is configured correctly.

Please note: you do not need to use the utility described in this chapter at all if you do not wish to. Leasey will function as she always has in previous versions. It is not essential that you follow the guidance below.

Why Would I Want to Use the Backup and Restore Manager?

Here are some common situations why you would want to use this tool rather than relying on your computer's hard disk to preserve your settings.

• If your computer's hard disk develops a fault, you've potentially lost everything you have previously customised.
• You can have access to all your configurations on multiple devices. This is ideal especially if you rely extensively on tools such as LeaseyTexts for both work and home use.
• If Leasey needs to be re-installed at a later time, perhaps due to a repair of JAWS, files which Leasey needs to install as a consequence will not be overwritten.
• All your JAWS settings (as well as those belonging to Leasey) can be stored in a safe location and can be used again, perhaps when you upgrade to a new version of the screen-reader, or if a repair is required. It can take some time to customise JAWS speech and Braille settings, so it makes sense to have them backed up safely.

Setting Up Leasey On Machine 1.

While the process for setting up Leasey to work with a cloud storage device is almost the same for each machine, for the avoidance of doubt we are giving you some examples of how you might go about using this tool on multiple devices.

1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure is to be created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
5. When the Enter key is pressed, Leasey creates the necessary folders and then you will be asked for a Machine Name. There are two groups of files which are specific to the machine you are using and can not be shared between multiple devices. The first group is the LeaseyCuts pointing to files and folders. Because the paths the LeaseyCuts are pointing to can vary from one machine to another, it is important that these are computer specific. LeaseyCuts pointing to web pages are shared. The second group is the JAWS settings for the machine. Not only can JAWS preferences vary from one machine to another, but the JAWS serial number on each device may be different.
6. Type a Machine Name, such as "Desktop", and press Enter. The name you give to the machine does not need to be your computer's official name. It can be whatever you want it to be.
7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.

If you are using the Dropbox service for storage, there may be an additional step which needs to be taken. This depends upon your current Dropbox configuration. The Smart Sync service must be disabled for the LeaseyCloud folder.

With Dropbox Smart Sync, you can see and access every file in your account and every folder that’s been shared with you, directly from your desktop, without taking up your hard drive space. Normally, synced files are downloaded fully to your computer and they take up hard drive space. With Smart Sync, you can make files and folders "online only". Online-only files use a small amount of hard drive space to store information such as the file name, size and thumbnail, but the full contents of the files are stored securely in the Dropbox cloud. You’ll always see your online-only files on your computer, so when you need them, you can open them.

Leasey will not function if this feature is applied to the LeaseyCloud folder which has now been created as she is frequently checking for, and updating, configuration files.

1. Using File Explorer, navigate to the point in your Dropbox folder structure where Leasey has created the folders for use. This is likely to be the root of your Dropbox folder you found in the previous set of steps.
2. Locate the folder entitled "LeaseyCloud" but do not press Enter to open it.
3. Activate the Context Menu by pressing the Applications Menu key or Shift+F10.
4. Press Down Arrow until you reach the option "Smart Sync" and press Enter.
5. This presents you with a sub-menu containing two options: "Local" and "Online Only". You can press the Down Arrow key to move to each choice.
6. As you move through each option, JAWS will say which one is checked. Hopefully, JAWS is reporting that "Local" is checked rather than "Online Only". If "Local" is checked, you can press Escape to exit the menu, since the configuration is as we need it to be. However, if "Online Only" is checked, use the arrow keys to find "Local", and press Enter. The configuration is now complete.

Next, we're going to bring over all your settings and customisations you may have carried out in respect of Leasey from a previous version. If you have not used Leasey before you can ignore this step.

1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B so as to select the Backup and Restore Manager.
2. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly until the option "Migrate Old Leasey Settings to an External Drive, Folder or cloud source" is selected. Then press Enter.
3. Leasey migrates the settings in a very short period of time and JAWS is restarted.

In summary, you have now set up the first machine and you have brought over any customisations from it. This does include LeaseyCuts pointing to files and folders you may have had on that machine.

Setting Up Leasey On Machine 2 and Subsequent Machines.

Assuming Leasey is installed on Machine 2, please work through the following procedure.

1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure has been created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive. Note: It does not make any difference if the path of the cloud storage varies from one machine to another. For example, on the first machine, the contents of the Dropbox or other Cloud Storage may be on drive D. But on the new machine on which we are working now, it may be located on Drive C. What is important here is that you point Leasey on each machine to the same Dropbox account.
2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
5. When the Enter key is pressed, Leasey creates the necessary folders and then you will be asked for the Machine Name described above.
6. Type a Machine Name, such as "Laptop", and press Enter.
7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.

In terms of configuration, that should be all you need to do. You should not need to migrate settings from a previous version onto this machine as they are already in place and can be used. You would repeat the steps in example 2 for any subsequent machines you may have access to. The only exception to this would be if you wanted the LeaseyCuts you were using on the second machine to be available to you. If that is the case please follow these steps.

1. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B so as to select the Backup and Restore Manager.
2. Press the Down Arrow key repeatedly until the option "Migrate Old Leasey Settings to an External Drive, Folder or cloud source" is selected. Then press Enter.
3. A Dialog Box will appear with the following prompt: "Migration Already Exists. Leasey has detected that you have already carried out migration of settings from one machine. Are you sure you wish to remove these and copy settings from this machine? Select No to just copy LeaseyCuts". Press the letter "N" and only the LeaseyCuts will be copied.

If you really did want to remove all the settings and use those from the second machine, you would press the letter "Y" for "Yes". But this would be in a very exceptional circumstance.

What To Do If Leasey Has Been Removed From Your Machine And Reinstalled.

Absolutely nothing. Provided the folder c:\LeaseyData has not been removed from your machine then everything should neatly fall into place. This can be checked by going to the Backup and Restore Manager. If the item "Run Development Report" is at the bottom of the list, then Leasey is linked to the cloud storage.

If you did not remove Leasey, and you just re-installed over the top of the existing version, you should not need to do anything further since she should still be linked to the external or cloud storage.

If you re-formatted your computer's hard drive however, you will need to link Leasey back to the original cloud storage drive and use the same machine name as before.

1. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure is to be created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
2. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
3. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
4. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
5. When the Enter key is pressed, you will be asked for a Machine Name.
6. Type exactly the same machine name you used before. This is a critical step. If the machine name is different to that used previously, the linking mechanism will not work correctly.
7. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
8. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
9. Finally for this step, press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.

Additional LeaseyCloud Options in the Backup and Restore Manager.

There are other options remaining in respect of Leasey settings directly.

Unlink External Drive, Folder or Cloud Storage From This Machine.

If you have previously linked your copy of Leasey on a machine to an external drive or cloud storage location, and it is not functioning as you expect, you can unlink it so as to cause Leasey to behave with the old configuration settings you were using before you went through this process. Press Enter on this option. JAWS will restart.

Run development report.

When you press Enter on this item, a report concerning information about the Machine Name, and various paths to folders, will be copied to the Windows Clipboard. You can send this to us if we ask for it by pasting the contents into an Email message.

Options Relating to Notifications and Alerts.

These options relate to the importing of our rules to abbreviate the output from JAWS when a Windows Notification or application alert is available. Please refer to the "Additional Utilities" Chapter for details.

Backing Up and Restoring JAWS Settings.

We will now discuss how to backup and restore your JAWS settings. Please note that these are not settings belonging to Leasey, such as those we have discussed up until now. These are all JAWS script files, configuration and dictionary files, voice profiles (such as those for various speech synthesisers), and rules for the JAWS Notification History feature.

It may sound obvious but we will spell it out anyway. You should only make a backup of your JAWS settings if it is working the way you want it to.

If Leasey is linked to an external drive or cloud storage location, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+B to enter the Backup and Restore utility. Select the option "Backup JAWS Settings" and press Enter. A copy of the settings is made, relative to the machine you are using. Leasey confirms that the JAWS settings are being backed up and the Machine Name you are working with. This means that, should the need arise, you can restore the settings specific to that machine.

Please note: not all JAWS files are copied. There is a specific list of files which is excluded from the copying process. These are core files of Leasey which are likely to be updated in the future. This means that you can quite safely restore the settings without any concerns about whether older files will overwrite those which are more recent.

Now we will learn how to restore the JAWS settings. You should only need to do this in the following situations:

• If JAWS has been uninstalled, reinstalled and then you have carried out a fresh install of Leasey.
• If you are upgrading from one JAWS version to another.

If you have repaired JAWS, re-installed it, or you are upgrading from one JAWS version to another, follow these steps.

1. Install JAWS and be sure that it is functioning correctly.
2. Install Leasey and ensure it is activated.
3. Using File Explorer, browse to a primary folder where the necessary Leasey folder structure has been created. This could be the root of your Dropbox folder, or in the case of Google Drive, it would be Google Drive/My Drive.
4. Ensure that you have pressed Enter so as to move inside this folder.
5. Press the Leasey Key then ALT+S for Storage. Leasey will bring into view a Dialog Box containing an edit field. The edit field displays the full path of the folder where the Leasey files and sub-folders will live, such as d:\Dropbox (Joe Thompson), or G:\My Drive.
6. Examine the content of this Edit Field carefully and be sure that the path to the folder is accurately reflected there. If it is, press Enter. If it is not, you can change it so that it is accurate. Please be careful if you are going to make such a change.
7. When the Enter key is pressed, you will be asked for a Machine Name.
8. Type exactly the same machine name you used before. This is a critical step. If the machine name is different to that used previously, the linking mechanism will not work correctly and your JAWS settings will not be restored. Remember that the JAWS settings are linked to the individual machine name and cannot be shared among machines. So if you get this wrong, then you cannot restore them.
9. Leasey will confirm the name of the machine she is now using.
10. Leasey completes the setup process and JAWS is restarted.
11. Press ALT+F4 so as to close File Explorer.
12. Press the Leasey key then Control+Shift+B to enter the Backup and Restore Manager.
13. Check the bottom of the list. If the item "Run Development Report" is present there, then Leasey is linked to the cloud.
14. Select the option to Restore JAWS Settings and press Enter.
15. The necessary files will be brought across from your copy of JAWS and the screen-reader will restart.

Backing Up and Restoring JAWS and Leasey Settings If Leasey is Not Linked to an External Drive or Cloud Storage Location.

In the event you have not linked Leasey to an external drive or cloud storage location, you can still enter the Backup and Restore Manager by pressing the Leasey Key then Control+Shift+B. There are four options if this is so.

• Backup JAWS Settings
• Restore JAWS Settings
• Backup Leasey Settings to a Local Drive or Folder
• Restore Leasey Settings from a Local Drive or Folder

In respect of all of these options, you will be requested to type the drive letter or path where the backup will be made to, or the restoration will come from. This could be a drive letter such as D, then a colon, or it could be a folder on the drive such as D colon Backslash Test.

When the drive letter or path is entered, press Enter and the appropriate action will be performed.

Note that if you have linked Leasey to a Cloud Storage location, you cannot make a backup to a local drive or folder. That is why you cannot see the options for that in the Backup and Restore Manager.

Leasey and the ElBraille and BrailleSense.

Introduction.

Some people may say that the ElBraille is a cutting edge product for the 21st century. Put very simply, it is a portable computer, containing a Focus Braille display and JAWS for Windows to drive it. However as you can imagine, the ability to command the functions of the Windows operating system using a Braille entry keyboard, where the regular Windows keys are not at your disposal, is not easy. While a concept built into JAWS can make this possible, it is not particularly easy to learn. Moreover, the ability to easily find text in documents is not straightforward. We hope that all of these issues are addressed in Leasey and will be described here.

Please note that when we refer to the ElBraille, we also mean the Focus 14 or 40 Braille displays as well. Note that unless otherwise stated, the functions described below can also be used if a BrailleSense 6 device is connected to your computer. So, when we refer to the term "ElBraille", we also are referring to the Focus Braille display or the BrailleSense 6. If using the BrailleSense, it is not necessary to invoke the special Typing Mode, (Dot 2 Dot 3 Dot 4 Dot 5 Dot 7 and Space). As soon as you press the special keystroke to send a Windows or screen-reading command to the computer described below, Typing Mode is enabled automatically which is necessary in order for JAWS to interpret the keystrokes.

Controlling Windows With a Braille Entry Keyboard.

The ElBraille gives you a lot of flexibility in order that you can use your favourite Windows applications while on the go, and with the unit's long battery life, it could be a good proposition. However imagine using only 8 keys to perform all those Windows functions you take for granted. The concept is that you press various keyboard combinations to effect Windows keystrokes. So if you want to execute ALT+F4 to close a program down, you hold down dot 8 with space which says to the ElBraille "I want to do a Windows keystroke now", and you also press dot 6 which represents "ALT", and dot 1, which means "A function key is now going to be pressed". Release those keys, and press letter "D", representing 4. Furthermore, if using the BrailleSense connected to your computer, it is completely impossible to control all Windows functions or screen-reading commands using the Braille entry keyboard alone.

Leasey makes this much easier. We call this functionality Elegance for ElBraille or Brilliance for BrailleSense. It gives you complete control of your device without the need to remember complex key sequences, and it also means you can do so within a matter of minutes. That is how it should be. You've purchased a sophisticated device and you want to get up and running as quickly as possible. Elegance for ElBraille allows you to do this while you get to learn the more complex Braille input keys, if that is what you wish to do.

The concept is that you press a key on the keyboard which is "Of-Sign Chord", or dots 1-2-3-5-6 with the Space Bar.

You will hear a small click sound and the phrase "Enter Command" is sent to the Braille display. This indicates to you that the keyboard has been suspended from its usual functionality and is in a special Elegance or Brilliance mode waiting for you to control the device with an appropriate command. Note that this keyboard suspension occurs only for 30 seconds, so you need to move onto the next step within that 30 second period. Once that keystroke has been pressed, you can type what you would like to happen.

Use computer Braille to type a command, so for example type: windows D That is windows space d, uncontracted, and press the Enter key. When you press the Enter key, you will hear a sound to indicate that the Elegance or Brilliance mode has been terminated. Note that if using a Focus display, such as that connected to an ElBraille, we suggest pressing Z-Chord instead which is more reliable.

The above example sets focus to the Windows Desktop. Now use the same procedure to run a windows application. Press Dots 1-2-3-5-6 with the Space Bar, wait for the click sound, and type windows R, that is Windows space R, and press Enter. The Run dialog box appears, into which you can type Notepad and then press the Enter key to launch it.

Here are some other commands you may like to enter. You can of course substitute these strategies for other keyboard commands.

Control Space F4.

ALT Space F4.

Control Space Shift Space P.

Windows Space E.

ALT+Windows+RightArrow.

You can also carry out any JAWS screen-reading command. Provided you know the keyboard action to perform the command, you can enter it on the device. Here are some examples.

Insert Space F7. Brings into view a list of links on a web page.

Insert Space UpArrow. Reads the current line.

Insert Space F11. Brings into view a list of icons in the System Tray area of Windows.

It is possible to abbreviate any one of the above keystrokes. This saves a great deal of time when controlling your device, since the full word of the keyboard action does not need to be spelled out, such as Windows. The abbreviations are:

Windows equals W.

ALT equals A.

Control equals C.

Shift equals S.

I equals Insert.

Here are some examples of how you might use these abbreviations.

W Space R. Brings into view the Run dialog box.

I Space F7. Presses the keystroke Insert+F7 so as to bring into view the list of links dialog box.

Finally, Leasey-related keystrokes can be entered by substituting the Leasey key for the abbreviation, L E. Here are some examples:

LE Space Control+L. This brings into view the list of LeaseyCuts.

LE Space Control Space Semicolon. This brings into view a list of LeaseyCuts pointing to web pages.

LE Space F1. Copies text to LeaseyClip 1.

There are a small number of utilities built into Leasey which can be accessed in this way.

If you enter the word "Start", the Leasey Start Menu appears. Please refer to the section of this documentation relating to the Leasey Start Menu.

If you type the word "AddStart" into Elegance, the focused application will be added to the Leasey Start Menu.

Elegance also contains a number of commands specifically for use with Markdown. Please see the relevant section of this documentation in relation to using Markdown to create text documents.

Advanced Functionality of Elegance or Brilliance.

Now we have outlined the basic principles of using Elegance for ElBraille or Brilliance for BrailleSense, we will go onto describing how it can become more sophisticated and how you can make it do tricks.

The above discussion is all very well if you are content to type out the various keystrokes in full, but this can be a little time consuming. However Elegance or Brilliance gets a little better, because you can customise your own shortcuts and abbreviations to carry out a number of tasks.

This is done by launching the Elegance or Brilliance mode using dots 1-2-3-5-6 with the Space Bar and typing the word, elegance if you are using an ElBraille or, if using a BrailleSense, type the word brill. This opens up a file in notepad, a simple text editor. We have provided a sample file for you. You can delete or change any entry in this file, and we encourage you to create your own entries so the device will do what you want it to do with the minimum of effort.

The concept is that you specify the abbreviation you would like to type, then write an equals sign, and follow it up with the action you would like to carry out as a result.

Below, you will find contents of the sample file provided, and we will go through it with you here so that you can see some of the actions which are possible. It will also teach you how this file should be constructed so you can create your own abbreviations and shortcuts.

Conventional windows keystrokes.

desk=windows+d

run=Windows+R

close=alt+f4

What does this all mean? Simply this. If you add such an entry to the Elegance file, in the future you can just type the abbreviation to carry out the task. You do not even need to press Enter so as to terminate the special mode. In the above examples, if you pressed dots 1-2-3-5-6 with the Space Bar, then the term Desk, you would automatically be focused on the Windows desktop. If you pressed dots 1-2-3-5-6 with Space, and typed the word Run, the Windows Run dialog box would appear.

Let us now look at some other examples.

JAWS keystrokes

sp=Control+NumPad5

If you used this abbreviation, pressing dots 1-2-3-5-6 and Space Bar, followed by the characters SP, would cause JAWS to read out the current paragraph. The default command for that on an ElBraille device by the way is LEFT SHIFT+RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 2-3-5-6-7-8, so it's quicker and easier to do it this way.

links=insert+f7

If you used this abbreviation, pressing dots 1-2-3-5-6 and Space Bar, followed by the word Links would cause the list of links dialog box to appear.

For the TWBlue Twitter client

rt=alt+windows+rightarrow

lt=alt+windows+leftarrow

Whenever you press Of-Sign Chord followed by RT, you would advance to the next buffer in a Twitter application, such as TWBlue.

It is even possible to run specific files if you care to create abbreviations for them.

For ElNotes

ElNotes=C:\Program Files (x86)\Elita Group\ElNotes\ElNotes.exe

This means whenever you type Of-Sign Chord followed by the word ElNotes, the ElNotes application will launch.

What we are doing here is specifying in our elegance.ini file the abbreviation, an equals sign, then the full path of the file to be launched.

Finally, if you have created LeaseyAbbreviations which are attached to LeaseyTexts, you can even type those through this feature. For example, if you had an abbreviation assigned to the characters SIG, this may type your signature, such as name, company position, etc. There is a LeaseyBite audio tutorial on how to create abbreviations. In this example, you would press Of-Sign Chord, followed by the characters SIG, to reproduce the signature.

When you have added your various abbreviations, press Control+S to save the file, followed by ALT+F4 so as to close it. As soon as the file is saved, you can begin using the abbreviations.

Concluding Notes on Elegance for ElBraille or Brilliance for BrailleSense.

It could be that you enter Elegance or Brilliance Mode with Of-Sign Chord, and then change your mind. For example, you may enter the mode and misspell the word Control, to represent the control key. That is not a problem. Just press Z-Chord, or Z with Space, and this mode is terminated. You will hear a sound to indicate it has been terminated.

Finally, there is a conventional Windows Desktop keyboard shortcut which allows you to enter Elegance or Brilliance mode. This is ALT+Windows+F12. This allows anyone to test this functionality using a standard Desktop keyboard if necessary.

Word Processing, ElBraille or Focus Display Only.

If you prepare files in a word processor, you are going to want to find text quickly. There will always be words or phrases you need to locate. Using the ElBraille by default, you would have to press the keystroke for Control+F, (dot 8 with space and dot 3), then F, type in the phrase, press Enter, then Z chord for escape. You then should be on the correct instance of the word. If you are not, you will either need to press Shift+F4, remembering you need to locate the Braille equivalent first, or maybe F3, depending on the word processor. We can just press F with Shift 1 on the ElBraille. Type what you wish to search for, press Enter, and the cursor is on the desired line and it is spoken. If that is not the correct instance, press letter N together with Shift 1 for next.

Still in a word processor, delete the current word with D chord, or D with space. Delete the current line by pressing shift 2 with letter D. Select text by pressing dots 2 3 4 5 6, or With sign chord to mark the beginning of the selection, move to the end of the text, and then press Of sign chord or dots 1 2 4 5 6, whereupon you can manipulate it in whichever way you wish.

Finally, if you have created LeaseyTexts and associated them with LeaseyAbbreviations, you can type the series of characters and then press Shift 2 with dots 4 5 and 6. This is the Abbreviation Lookup key. This means that you can create your own Braille shorthand, reproducing even long passages of text with the minimum number of keystrokes.

Leasey Virtual Notes.

Introduction.

It is more than possible that you would like to work in one application while referring to notes in another one or within a series of applications. Here are some examples. You may be writing a report in Microsoft Word, but you've made notes relating to a client which are stored in a text file which would typically be opened up in Notepad or another text editor. To get to those notes, you may have to press alt with tab a number of times to find it, especially if you have several applications open.

alternatively, you may be a person who does quite a lot of audio recording, and you need to read text which you have compiled from a number of documents or web page sources. You would need to start the recording, and then press alt tab often several times in order to move to the web page or document of interest.

Leasey Virtual Notes makes referring to text a very easy process. You can stay within the primary application, such as Microsoft Word or your recording application, and still have access to your important text. It's a bit like a sighted person having two monitors side by side: one containing the document and the other displaying the text notes. Best of all, these notes can be from a variety of different sources.

How It Works.

The first thing we probably should do is to clear any existing notes we have previously stored. This is because, even if JAWS is restarted, your notes are still in place. Press the Leasey Key followed by Shift+B for Buffer.

1. Move into the application from which you wish to copy text to add to your notes. Mark the start point of the text you wish to copy with the same keystroke you would use to mark the beginning of text you wish to select, Leasey Key then Comma.
2. Move to the end point of the text you wish to add to the notes, and press the Leasey Key followed by full-stop or period.
3. The text is now added to the notes.
4. You can repeat this process as many times as necessary in order to add more notes. Each time you work through the above procedure, the text is added separated by a new line.

To access your notes, move into the primary application you wish to use. For example, if you are writing a report based upon the notes, you may like to open Microsoft Word.

Now, either press the Leasey key followed by letter B, or ALT+Control+Windows+Forward Slash.

The notes are available. If you have not accessed the notes previously, you will be on the first line.

If you had accessed the notes before, you will be placed on the line where you left off reading. If you are using a Braille display, you should find that the line you were last reading on the display is the one which should now be in focus.

You can use the panning keys on your Braille display, or the arrow keys on your keyboard, in order to move through the notes. Should you wish to return to your primary application, press Escape.

Two further points to note. You know them already but we are spelling them out.

To resume reading your notes, either press the Leasey Key followed by letter B, or ALT+Control+Windows+Forward Slash.

To clear the notes buffer, press the Leasey Key then Shift+B.

Mapping Drives to Folders.

Introduction.

If you are fond of typing a folder path into the Windows Run, Open or Save As dialog boxes, you could find yourself entering something which is quite lengthy. If the path to a folder location is reasonably difficult to get to, and you use it regularly, it would be good if you could save yourself some time in order to save items there more quickly. A feature available in Leasey allows you to map folders to drive letters.

Your Windows computer already has specific drive letters assigned. Almost certainly one of these will be drive letter C, containing your operating system and program files. But you might have drive D which takes you to a secondary drive you may have installed. This means that if you want to save a file to a folder on the drive, you can type "D Colon Backslash Folder Name Backslash File Name". But if you want to save a file in a folder several sub-folders deep, such as "D Colon Backslash Dropbox Hartgen Consultancy Backslash Jim Jones Backslash Documents", it can take a while to type that into an appropriate Edit Field. Wouldn't it be better if we could assign a vacant drive letter to that folder or a similar one, so that all we have to do is type the drive letter colon backslash, then the document name?

How It Works.

Let us assume you have a folder on a drive called Leasey. We are going to assign drive letter L to it.

1. Using File Explorer, browse to the folder you wish to assign to the drive letter. In our example, that is "Leasey". Don't press Enter to open up the folder.
2. Press the Leasey Key then Windows+M.
3. You are asked for the name you would like to assign to this mapped drive. This is for your reference only. It is only used in the event you wish to remove the newly mapped drive in the future so you are aware of which one you are removing. In this case, we will type the word "Leasey" and press Enter.
4. You are now given the location of the folder to which the drive letter will be assigned. This is in an Edit Field, so you can change this if Leasey has detected an incorrect path. It must look something like "D Colon Backslash Leasey". It should not be "Backslash Backslash Leasey" as occurs with some network sources.
5. If you are satisfied with the location, press Enter to move to the next screen.
6. Finally, you are asked for a drive letter. Type it without a trailling colon character, such as, "L".
7. Press Enter. If the drive has already been assigned, Leasey will advise you of this and you will need to repeat the process. Otherwise, you will be advised that the process is complete.
8. The drive is instantly mapped. You can always try it by pressing Windows+R to move to the Windows Run dialog box, type "L Colon", and press Enter. You should now be in the folder you assigned to the drive letter.

Important Notes.

When the computer starts, the drive must immediately be accessible for the mapping to take place.

On some machines, JAWS may give some extraneous speech output for a second or two while the mapping of the drive takes place.

If you have assigned a Dropbox folder to a drive letter, and you wish to access items on the Context Menu, such as to copy a Dropbox link, you will find these are not available in such a situation. Should you wish to do this, you would need to browse to the Dropbox folder using the older method.

The convenience of mapping drives in this way however far outweigh these slight disadvantages.

Deleting a Mapped Drive.

Should you wish to remove one of the mapped drives from being used, from anywhere press the Leasey Key then Windows+D. to repeat, you do not need to be in File Explorer to do this.

You will be presented with a list of your mapped drive names. Use Down Arrow to find the one you wish to delete and press Enter.

You are asked if you are sure you wish to remove the mapped drive association? Press Enter, since the "Yes" Button is in focus. The association is then removed. Note that this does not in any way remove the original folder from your computer. All we are doing is removing the association between the drive letter previously assigned and the folder.

Mastodon Address Book.

Introduction.

Mastodon is a social network which has become popular in recent months. One of its attractions is that you can express yourself more fully, as some of the server providers allow you to send messages comprising thousands of characters. after all, if you have to condense a message into a small number of characters, this can lead to misunderstanding and frustration. But one problem can occur, and this relates to how to remember the different addresses of the people you would like to write to. Meet the Mastodon Address Book which can help.

How It Works.

If you want to mention someone on Mastodon, you use the at sign followed by the address. This is a little like an Email address in structure. So if you wanted to write to our company, you would type an at sign followed by hartgenconsult at tweesecake.social.

Now, that is a fairly simple address, but some of them can be far more complex than that. what you really want to do is to type a person's name, even in abbreviated form, so you can get on with writing the message.

This is what the mastodon address book allows you to do. You can use it in any text edit area, so in this context, that means a special client designed for the visually impaired to serve this purpose, a web site, etc.

To set up each entry, we need to get the address of the user on the clipboard. The procedure for how you do this will vary according to the environment in which you are working. For example, you might obtain it from the profile of the user. Certainly if you are using a Mastodon client such as Tweesecake or TWBlue, which are freely available, then it is easy enough to do. If you know the address already, you could type it out in a Notepad document.

When the address has been selected and copied to the Clipboard:

1. Press the Leasey Key then Control+K.
2. When prompted, type a name for the entry. The end result of this is that you are going to type this entry, so you want something which is quick and easy. The name is not going to be shared with anyone else. It is only important to you. So if you were typing to Laura Smith, you could type the abbreviation LS. Provided you know what those letters represent, that is acceptable. The word "Laura" could be used if you are sure you are only ever going to send a message to one person with that name.
3. Press Enter.

To reproduce an entry, within a Mastodon message composition field, type an At sign followed by the name you gave the Mastodon address in the previous steps, such as, @LS. Then, without typing a space, press the Leasey Key followed by the letter K. You will hear that the name has been inserted. If you then read the current line, you should hear the full address after the At sign.

There could be situations where you cannot remember the names or abbreviations you have stored. If that is so, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+K. A list of all your entries will appear.

From this point you have some choices:

1. You can examine the list with the Up or Down Arrow keys, just to remind yourself of those you have, and press Escape to close.
2. You can press Enter on one of these entries, and the full address is inserted into your current location.
3. You can focus on any entry and press the Leasey Key followed by Delete, so as to remove the entry.

The Leasey Start Menu.

Introduction.

The Leasey Start Menu serves two purposes. It allows you to access computing applications you may wish to frequently launch. But it also allows you to open common utilities in Windows it may be more difficult to get access to. One could assume that such a feature is designed for computer beginners. However, we already know that experienced users of JAWS are benefiting from it.

How It Works.

In order to bring into view the Leasey Start Menu, you press the Leasey Key then Windows+S. Leasey ships with a number of links to tools and utilities you may want on the special Leasey start menu, although as can be seen later, you can remove these if you wish.

Once launched, it is simply a case of using first letter navigation or the Up and Down Arrow keys to move to the item you want, then press Enter. The associated program or utility will be launched.

As previously explained, we have provided a number of suggested items you may wish to use. This include links to word processors, web browsers and so on. Below all of these, you will find a collection of links to tools, such as to move into your Windows System Volume settings, the area of Windows where you can uninstall programs, the Task Manager, Shut Down the Computer, and more.

The items are not arranged in alphabetical order. This is by design. It could be that you would like to rearrange the order of the items, or remove those you know you are never going to need. As will be seen in the next section, you can do these things yourself and they will be displayed in the order of your choosing.

At the bottom of the Leasey Start Menu, you will find two special items: Configure the Leasey Start Menu and Restore Leasey Start Menu to the defaults.

Choosing the "Restore" option will do just that. It will reinstate all the shortcuts we provided you with originally. You will be asked first if you are sure you would like to restore to the defaults? If this is what you want, press Enter as the "Yes" Button is focused.

We will now turn our attention to the "Configure" option.

Configuring the Leasey Start Menu.

Pressing Enter on this item takes you into a simple text file, known as an INI file. This contains, in order, all the items the Leasey Start Menu gives to you. Configuring this file is not for the novice computer user, although some guidance appears below. If you corrupt the file in some way, you can always restore it back to the way it was by activating the last item on the Leasey Start Menu.

The structure of the file looks like this:

First you have the name given to the program or utility, then an equals sign, followed by the executable which launches it. Here are some examples:

File Explorer=Explorer.exe

notepad=Notepad.exe

In the case of Notepad, the file which launches this is called Notepad.exe. If you are familiar with the Windows "Run" Dialog Box, you will know you can type "Notepad.exe" into it, press Enter, and Notepad will launch. The procedure to configure this is exactly the same.

You can do a number of things here if you wish to add further items:

You can add a new entry to the file anywhere you like. For example, if you would like the Wordpad word processor in the menu, which we have not included, you can type:

Wordpad=Wordpad.ex

Then save the file with Control+S.

To be a little more adventurous, if you really wanted to, there is nothing stopping you adding the path to a document or other kind of file. For example, if you regularly wish to access a document called My Template.docx, and it is located in D Colon Backslash Documents, you can add an entry as follows:

My Template=d:\documents\My Template.docx

Adding an Application to the Leasey Start Menu Automatically.

A tool is built into Leasey which will attempt to add an entry to the Leasey Start Menu automatically. Each new entry is added to the very bottom of the file so it will be easy to find. You will want to check the newly added entry in a moment.

1. Open up the application you wish to add, such as Wordpad.
2. Press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+A for "Add".
3. The entry is automatically added.

Now, go back to the Leasey Start Menu with the Leasey Key then Windows+S, and take a look at the last application entry, just above the Configure and Restore to Default options. You should find the name of your application there.

It could well be that Leasey has misinterpreted the name. This particularly occurs with some Twitter clients or similar, which are prepared using a commonly used programming platform. If this is so, you will want to go to the option to configure the Leasey Start Menu, and edit the text associated with the application name, so it conforms to something which is more suitable.

When configuring the Leasey Start Menu configuration file, you can:

1. Remove any entry which does not appeal to you. Just delete the relevant line associated with the application.
2. Change the application name to something which is more memorable. For example, with the entry relating to Microsoft Outlook, you might choose to change the name from "Outlook" to "Email" instead. This would be especially helpful if you are assisting computer beginners.