Java's Accessibility Bridge and JAWS

JAWS can interact with programs developed using the Sun Microsystem's Java programming language by making use of Java's Accessibility Bridge. The JAWS help provides instructions on how to download and install both the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and the Accessibility Bridge.

I attempted to follow these instructions with little success. Installing the JRE proved easy, but the Accessibility Bridge wasn't as cooperative. The installer would inform me that a Java Virtual Machine could not be found. Upon selecting the search drive option, the installer continually looped through my drive examining it multiple times until I eventually cancelled it. A call to Freedom Scientific technical support yielded that because the Accessibility Bridge was not developed by them, they would not support it, despite the fact they provided information on how to install it and that it is a necessary component to interact with Java.

E-mails to Sun Microsystem's technical support were equally as useless. I'm guessing the Accessibility Bridge's existance is less than widely known.

Upon Googling my problem, I found an archive post about the problem on a Java accessibility mailing list.

The Symptoms and the Solution

The current Java Accessibility Bridge release, 1.20, will not install in a Windows XP Service Pack 2 environment. If Windows XP Service Pack 2 is the operating system, Java's Accessibility Bridge 2.0 Beta 2 software is required.

The beta program's download and subsequent install went smoothly and as expected for me.

Below are the links to the mailing list post and Accessibility Bridge 2.0 Beta 2. Note that the mailing list posts suggests registration is required for download, but I found otherwise.

Websites

Java Access Bridge 2.0 Beta 2: java.sun.com/developer/earlyAccess/accessbridge/

JAVA ACCESS archives - June 2005 (#20): archives.java.sun.com/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0506&L=java-access&F=&S=&P=2330

Java Home Page: www.Java.com

Sun Microsystems: www.sun.com

Freedom Scientific: www.FreedomScientific.com

Author Contact

Please direct any questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions or corrections to the author at Jake@JBrownell.com

Disclaimer

All information including, but not limited to, Dictionaries, Scripts, Tips and Tricks are provided on an "AS IS" basis without any implied garrentee. User assumes all responsibility for management of his or her software and its associated components.

All trademarks, brands, product names, etc. mentioned belong to Freedom Scientific, Sun Microsystems, or their respective owners, no claim of ownership is made.

Last Updated August 6, 2005

JAWS Scripts, Tips and Tricks