[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "what%20does%20the%20new%20UAI%20feature%20do%20in%20JAWS"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "<p>You\u2019re probably asking about the newer AI-powered features in <em>JAWS</em> (Job Access With Speech) by Freedom Scientific. The two headline features are <strong>FS Companion</strong> and <strong>Picture Smart AI</strong>, along with a more recent addition called <strong>Page Explorer</strong> in JAWS 2026. Here\u2019s a breakdown of what they do, how they work, and how you can use them.</p>\n<hr />\n<h2>What the New AI Features Do</h2>\n<h3>FS Companion</h3>\n<p>FS Companion is an AI assistant built into JAWS (as of JAWS 2025) that helps with:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Answering questions about how to use JAWS, Windows, and Microsoft applications like Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.  </li>\n<li>Telling you how to perform tasks step-by-step, find settings, or remember keystrokes.  </li>\n<li>Offering guidance on navigation, features, and JAWS\u2019 many commands, instead of having to search through manuals or training materials.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/jaws/fscompanion/?utm_source=openai\">freedomscientific.com</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<p>How to access FS Companion:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Inside JAWS: Press <strong>Insert + Spacebar</strong>, then <strong>F1</strong>.  </li>\n<li>Also available via <code>FSCompanion.ai</code> through a web browser.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/jaws/fscompanion/?utm_source=openai\">freedomscientific.com</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<h3>Picture Smart AI</h3>\n<p>This feature helps describe images and other non-text visual content using AI. Key points include:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can ask it to describe pictures, graphics, or other visual objects that JAWS can\u2019t read.  </li>\n<li>It provides multiple levels of description (from basic to detailed), letting you choose how much information you want.  </li>\n<li>Useful when encountering images in PDFs, applications, or anywhere visual content appears without accessible description.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://imagemd.org/2024/04/23/jaws-picture-smart-?utm_source=openai\">imagemd.org</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<p>There are specific keystrokes for Picture Smart AI:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>For example: <strong>Insert + Spacebar</strong>, then <strong>P</strong>, then <strong>Enter</strong> to get a description of whatever image is under focus.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://www.sklep.altix.pl/Content/Images/uploaded/nowo%C5%9Bci%20szczeg%C3%B3%C5%82owo%20opisuj%C4%85ce%20zmiany%20w%20poszczeg%C3%B3lnych%20aktualizacjach.pdf?utm_source=openai\">sklep.altix.pl</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<h3>Page Explorer (New in JAWS 2026)</h3>\n<p>Page Explorer is a tool built on FS Companion that gives you a summary and overview of any webpage. When you use it, you get:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>A layout summary of the page.  </li>\n<li>The main content extracted plainly.  </li>\n<li>The key navigation links.  </li>\n<li>Tips for getting around the page more efficiently.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://sensorysolutions.co.za/help-centre/introducing-page-explorer/?utm_source=openai\">sensorysolutions.co.za</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<p>To use it: press <strong>Insert + Shift + E</strong> in JAWS or Fusion 2026.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://sensorysolutions.co.za/help-centre/introducing-page-explorer/?utm_source=openai\">sensorysolutions.co.za</a>)</p>\n<hr />\n<h2>What\u2019s New &amp; What\u2019s Improved</h2>\n<p>Recent updates (e.g., JAWS 2025.2508.120) include:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>FS Companion now responds faster and gives clearer answers.  </li>\n<li>Picture Smart AI has been made default for generating image descriptions.  </li>\n<li>FS Companion now also handles Google Workspace applications\u2014Docs, Sheets, Gmail, etc.<br />\n(<a href=\"https://missruthhere.com/2025/09/07/for-jaws-users-september-2025-updates/?utm_source=openai\">missruthhere.com</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<h2>Why These Features Matter</h2>\n<p>These AI tools reduce friction for JAWS users in several ways:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learning and remembering</strong>: FS Companion helps with the heavy command set in JAWS by serving up help directly (via voice or text) instead of needing to search through documentation.  </li>\n<li><strong>Image access</strong>: Picture Smart AI helps reveal content that wasn\u2019t previously accessible\u2014like charts, images, shared screen content, etc.  </li>\n<li><strong>Quicker navigation</strong>: Page Explorer lets you get an overview so you decide where to go first rather than navigating blind through all elements.  </li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<p>If you like, I can pull up specific steps (with keystrokes) for your version of JAWS, or find out how well these features work in some real user feedback. Would you prefer I dig into that?</p>"
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "I%20mean%20native%20UIA%20support%20in%20browsers%20such%20as%20Google%20Chrome%20and%20Microsoft%20Edge"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "<p>Here\u2019s a detailed explanation of the native UIA (UI Automation) support in Chromium-based browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge\u2014and how this impacts JAWS users. This is a relatively recent change, so I confirmed the key details via up-to-date sources.  </p>\n<hr />\n<h2>What native UIA support means</h2>\n<p><strong>UIA</strong>, or <em>User Interface Automation</em>, is Microsoft's modern accessibility framework for Windows. Assistive technologies like JAWS, Narrator, and others use UIA to get information about UI elements\u2014like buttons, textboxes, headings, links, etc.\u2014so that they can announce them or allow interaction.</p>\n<p>Until recently, even though Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, etc.) provided accessibility data through older APIs like MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility) or IAccessible2, UIA-based tools had to rely on a translation layer (a &quot;proxy&quot; or emulation layer) to convert that data into something they could use. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n<p>Native UIA support means Chromium browsers now implement UIA directly, so that assistive tools can speak to the browser via UIA without that middleman. This is a big win for performance, reliability, and fidelity of how content is delivered to screen readers. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n<hr />\n<h2>What changed, when</h2>\n<ul>\n<li>As of <strong>Chrome 138</strong> (and corresponding builds of Edge, since both are Chromium-based), <strong>native UIA support is turned on by default</strong>. That means new and updated browsers no longer use MSAA emulation for UIA support\u2014it\u2019s built in. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</li>\n<li>Before that update, UIA-based tools like JAWS had to rely on that older translation/emulation of MSAA/IA2 data. This could lead to lag, missed or inaccurate element info, inconsistency across controls, or otherwise subpar user experiences. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<h2>How this affects JAWS</h2>\n<p>For JAWS users, this native UIA support in Chrome and Edge brings a number of improvements:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Better performance</strong><br />\nBecause there\u2019s no longer an intermediate emulation layer when using UIA, JAWS should respond more quickly. Scrolling, navigation, and reading of page elements can be snappier. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>More reliable accessibility info</strong><br />\nElements like buttons, headings, links, forms, live regions, and ARIA attributes should be communicated more accurately. The browser itself directly provides the accessibility tree via UIA. This reduces misreporting or missing elements. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Fewer bugs or edge-case errors</strong><br />\nSome issues stemmed from misinterpretation between UIA emulation and the browser\u2019s internal representation of content. With native support, many issues caused by mismatched or delayed translations are being resolved. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>More consistent behavior across browsers and environments</strong><br />\nBecause both Edge and Chrome now share this native UIA implementation, users should see more predictable accessibility support when switching between them under Windows. Differences in reading order, control naming, or focus movement should shrink. (<a href=\"https://developer.chrome.com/blog/windows-uia-support-update?utm_source=openai\">developer.chrome.com</a>)</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<hr />\n<h2>What to watch out for / transitional issues</h2>\n<p>Even with native UIA, there may be gotchas:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Legacy content or poorly marked-up pages</strong> may still cause problems (e.g. missing ARIA labels, incorrect heading structures). Native UIA doesn\u2019t fix markup issues.  </li>\n<li><strong>Older versions of Chrome/Edge</strong> (pre-138) won\u2019t have native UIA. Users need to make sure their browser(s) are updated.  </li>\n<li><strong>JAWS versions</strong> also need to be current to take full advantage of the improvements\u2014sometimes compatibility or transition patches are required.  </li>\n<li>Some custom scripts or workarounds used previously (to compensate for UIA emulation) might misbehave under the new system. </li>\n</ul>\n<hr />\n<p>If you like, I can check whether there are specific improvements or remaining issues reported by JAWS users since this change\u2014so you can know what to expect in practice.</p>"
    }
]