Hello My Fellow Windows Washing Apple-Seeds,

This post is for those scientifically-minded blind and low vision computerers who prefer a little Windex in their Apple Cider.  (Smile)  That is to say, for those visually impaired JAWS users who wish to run Microsoft Windows as a virtual machine on a Macintosh system.

The following is an overview of the setup I now enjoy:

I HAVE 
1.
A MacBook Pro 13-inch running the latest version of the Mac operating system with VoiceOver, Apple’s software screen reading solution for the blind and low vision, enabled. 

2.
A copy of the latest Desktop version of VM Ware’s Fusion.

3.
A licensed copy of Windows 7.

4.
A copy of Freedom Scientific’s JAWS, a windows based software screen reading solution for the blind and low vision.

5.
A copy of Sharp Keys, a keyboard mapping solution.

6.
A standard USB Microsoft keyboard.

GENERAL SETUP
1.
Install and register VM Ware’s Fusion on the Mac.

2.
From within the VM Ware Fusion application, create a Windows 7 virtual machine. 

3.
Install JAWS in the virtual Windows 7 machine.

KEYBOARD CONFLICTS
While sighted users can easily begin using a virtual machine, almost immediately, those of us requiring the use of a screen reader must resolve some keyboard conflicts in order to use both screen readers, in their respective operating systems, successfully.

Several very important keys, necessary to use both JAWS and Windows 7 efficiently include the INSERT, CONTROL, CAPSLOCK, and APPLICATION keys, none of which, from the JAWS screen reader’s perspective, exist on the MacBook Pro keyboard. 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION
1.
Attach a standard USB Microsoft keyboard to the Mac.

2.
From the Windows 7 Desktop, launch Sharp Keys.

3.
Using both the USB attached keyboard and the Mac keyboard to enter parameters, map the USB keyboard INSERT key to the GRAV key on the Mac.

2.
Map one of the USB keyboard CONTROL keys to a Function key on the Mac.

3.
Map one of the USB keyboard APPLICATION keys to the CONTROL key on the Mac.

4.
Save the changes and restart Windows 7.

5.
Detach the USB keyboard from the Mac.

6.
From within the JAWS User Interface, select Laptop Keyboard Layout, if applicable. 

7.
From within the Configuration Manager, assign the JAWS KEY to the INSERT key.

8.
From within the JAWS keyboard Manager, create new keyboard assignments for both the Left and Right Mouse clicks.  I suggest that you use the CONTROL key as a modifier. 

That’s all there is to it.

Good Luck and Enjoy,

Mark