>Henter-Joyce Announces Plans to Provide Adobesupport in Jaws for Windows 
>Screen Reader
>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000--Leading assistive 
>technology software developer Henter-Joyce, a division of Freedom 
>Scientific, announces its efforts to offer accessibility to Adobe 
>Acrobat(R) Portable Document Format (PDF) files using their JAWS(R) for 
>Windows(R) (JFW) Screen Reader Software.
>Henter-Joyce and Adobe are working together to make Adobe PDF files easily 
>accessible to blind and low vision computer users. This new functionality 
>is planned to be available in conjunction with the next release of the 
>Adobe Acrobat Reader(R) software.
>The new standard in today's corporate environment is to present data in a 
>visually appealing fashion, and as more blind and low vision managers and 
>executives emerge, the products to create them need to be accessible. 
>Additionally, many IRS forms, catalogs, and products in the private, 
>business, and government sectors are only available in PDF format. These 
>also need to be accessible to the millions of visually impaired computer 
>users.
>The Acrobat PDF project is a direct response to the needs of persons with 
>visual impairments. Currently, Adobe PDF files are 'unreadable graphics' 
>to screen-reading software. The JFW development team is working with Adobe 
>to make these graphics accessible without special plug-in requirements by 
>enabling JFW to gather the information behind it and translate it into 
>speech. The goal is to provide the same user experience regardless of the 
>underlying structure of the information.
>"Henter-Joyce will extend its virtual cursor technology to provide the 
>same level and ease of access to Adobe PDF documents as it now does for 
>documents written in HTML. We want it to look and feel like HTML to the 
>JFW user," stated Glen Gordon, chief technology officer, Henter-Joyce.
>"Adobe is strongly committed to working with assistive technology leaders 
>such as Henter-Joyce to make the breadth of web content available in Adobe 
>PDF more accessible. With Adobe PDF support in the JFW Screen-Reader, the 
>visually impaired individual will have a much easier and transparent 
>solution for accessing these documents," stated Rick Brown, accessibility 
>software product manager, ePaper Solutions Group, Adobe Systems Inc.
>Henter-Joyce will be at the upcoming FOSE Government Document Management 
>Conference & Expo in the Section 508 area, in Washington, DC, April 18-20.
>Henter-Joyce has led the assistive technology field since 1987 by 
>developing screen reading software that not only allows access to popular 
>Windows based software applications, but also contains scripts that 
>enhance the user's experience through an extensive array of board 
>shortcuts and function keys.
>JFW is currently working worldwide in homes, offices, call centers, 
>government agencies, and educational facilities of all levels. Recent 
>developments have expanded the enhanced support provided by JFW to include 
>contact management software, extensive Internet navigation, and 
>presentation graphics software. About Henter-Joyce, a division of Freedom 
>Scientific: Henter-Joyce provides screen reading and screen magnification 
>software products that are compatible with most of today's applications 
>running on the Windows 95, 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 Professional 
>platforms. Henter-Joyce leads by example, with software developed by blind 
>and visually impaired people, for blind and visually impaired people. Our 
>founder and the majority of our development, telesales, technical support, 
>and testing personnel, are either blind or visually impaired, accounting 
>for over 40 percent of our Staff. The mission of Freedom Scientific is to 
>change the world for people with sensory and learning disabilities by 
>creating innovative, technology based products and solutions.
>For more information about Henter-Joyce and their screen reader and screen 
>magnification software, tutorials and training, please go to their Web 
>site at www.hj.com, or call 800/336-5658. --30--sr/sd* ts/sd CONTACT: 
>Henter-Joyce Inc.
>Laura Stephan, 800/336-5658 ext. 1044
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