How Do I use the Convenient OCR feature in the JAWS screen reader?

Question

How Do I use the Convenient OCR feature in the JAWS screen reader?

 

Answer

Convenient OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a feature in JAWS that allows you to recognize and read text from images, inaccessible files, webpage controls, or screens.

Steps for using Convenient OCR

  1. Select the object to perform OCR.
  2. Choose one of the following options.
    • OCR a File: Use Insert + Spacebar, O, F to recognize text from a file that contains an image or an inaccessible document.
    • OCR the Current Control: Use Insert + Spacebar, O, C to recognize text from the current control, such as an image on a web page.
    • OCR the Current Window: Use Insert + Spacebar, O, W to recognize text from the current application window.
    • OCR the Screen: Use Insert + Spacebar, O, S to recognize text from the entire screen.
  3. Read the Recognized Text: Once the OCR process is complete, JAWS will display the recognized text in the Results Viewer, where you can read and navigate through it using standard reading commands.
  4. Press ESC to close the viewer.

Notes:

  • OCR is not 100% accurate, so there may be reading errors when reviewing the generated text.
  • OCR programs may have difficulty reading text under the following conditions:
  • Documents that contain columns or complex formatting
  • Text of certain colors.
  • Fonts smaller than 8 point in size
  • Text that uses cursive fonts

Common OCR error types include:

  • Character confusion: Mistaking similar looking characters like "l" and "I", "o" and "0", or "u" and "v" due to their visual similarity. 
  • Transposition errors: Swapping the order of letters within a word, like "teh" instead of "the". 
  • Missing or extra spaces: Incorrectly adding or removing spaces between words, leading to misinterpretations. 
  • Incorrect punctuation: Misreading or omitting punctuation marks like commas, periods, and apostrophes. 
  • Language specific challenges: Difficulty with special characters or accents found in different languages. 

 

For Additional Assistance

For more information, please contact the IT Accessibility Center at itaccessibilitycenter@missouri.edu or call (573) 884-2828.

Print Article