NOTE: There are seven other articles in this series that may help you familiarize yourself with the Orbit and its capabilities:
Layout and Menu Structure of the Orbit Reader 20
File Structure of the Orbit Reader 20.
Reading and Working in Files on the Orbit Reader 20
Editing Basics on the Orbit Reader 20
Translating a File Created on the Orbit to Print
Using the Orbit Reader with a Chromebook
Using an Orbit Reader with an iOS Device
In this article, we will look at use of the Orbit Reader 20 when connected to a Windows PC. Please note that this article focuses on use of the Orbit with either JAWS or NVDA as a screen reader, not on using the screen reader itself. Commands and directions will be provided on use of the specific device with the latest version of Windows, JAWS, and NVDA.
As always, the Orbit Reader needs a screen reading program to work. If you do not have the screen reader turned on, there is no way for the device to “talk” to the Orbit Reader. This is true of all braille displays, not just the Orbit. Please see the resources section at the bottom of this article for further information and commands for each individual screen reader.
This series of steps will walk you through connecting your Orbit to your PC using the included Micro USB Cord.
Step One: Physically connect the Orbit to your PC using the included Micro USB cord
Step Two: Turn on your Orbit Reader by pressing the power key in the back of the unit and holding it for three seconds.
Step Three: Put the orbit in remote mode using space and dots two and seven
Before being able to use JAWS with your Orbit, you will need to download the driver and configure your screen reader.
As previously mentioned, JAWS cannot work with the Orbit unless the display driver is downloaded and installed.
Step One: Follow this link to download the driver and save the file in the location of your choice.
Step Two: Open the location where you saved the file. Activate the context menu by right clicking, using the application key on your keyboard (if present), or using Shift + F10. Scroll down to “extract” and either click on it or press enter when it is in focus.
Step Three: Follow the steps in the Extraction Wizard by continuing to click OK until you are finished. The extracted file folder will be in the same location you’d downloaded the original zipped file.
Step Four: Open the folder, then open the “installer” folder. You can then choose whether to install the 32 or 64 bit version of the driver.
Step Five: Follow the instructions in the Installation Wizard. You are now ready to proceed with setting up JAWS
In order for the Orbit to be used with a screen reader, it must be set up properly. Following are the steps to set JAWS up to work with the Orbit Reader. You may also click here to be directed to the exact time stamp in a YouTube video that demonstrates the process.
Step One: If JAWS is not running already, use the default shortcut key to enable it (note that it sometimes takes a few minutes to start).
Step Two: Bring JAWS into focus with an Insert + J. If it is not running from the system tray, use Alt + O to open the Options menu, then arrow down to Braille and press Enter.
Step Three: Press Tab until you are focused on the “Add Braille Display” button and press Enter.
Step Four: You will be placed in a list of checkboxes. Scroll down the list until you hear “Orbit Reader 20” and press the spacebar to check the box.
Step Five: Press Tab until you hear the “Next” button, and then press Enter
Step Six: Here you may select the braille display that will be active by default when starting JAWS. Use the combo box to select Orbit Reader or you may choose to select “No Display”. Either way, you will press the Tab key until the “Finish” button is in focus, and them press Enter to close the wizard.
Step Seven: You will be directed back to the previous dialogue box. Use Tab to navigate to the “OK” button to exit the dialogue box.
Note: You may need to restart JAWS at this time in order for the settings to take effect.
After you’ve connected the unit to your PC, downloaded and installed the driver, and configured JAWS to use the Orbit, you can begin to use the device in conjunction with your PC to read and enter text.
JAWS uses a series of “emulator commands”. That is, since the braille display does not have a Windows, Alt, or Control key and you cannot press a series of these keys at once like you would to perform a keyboard shortcut such as Control + P to print or Control + Shift + R to reply to all in an email, it needs to “emulate” a standard keyboard. It might help to think of JAWS as a behind the scenes brain or translator. It translates the key combinations entered on the Orbit into key combinations that Windows can understand.
Please note that you do NOT need to use these commands and you may choose to move your hands between the braille display and the keyboard when you need to press the Windows key or Alt + Tab between programs. However, this method tends to slow you down and decrease efficiency. Slowly learning and integrating use of these commands a few at a time is certainly worth considering and you may find that it was worth investing the time.
View the commands below or download the commands here.
Jaws Reading Commands |
|
Function |
Key(s) |
Move display to the left |
Left Arrow |
Move display to the right |
Right Arrow |
Move display up one line |
Up Arrow |
Move display down one line |
Down Arrow |
Pan left one braille window |
Left Advance Bar |
Pan right one braille window |
Right Advance Bar |
Top of active window |
Select + Dots 1 2 3 |
Bottom of active window |
Select + Dots 4 5 6 |
Route braille to active cursor |
Select + R |
Say current line |
Space + Dots 1 4 |
Say current word |
Space + Dots 2 5 |
Say current character |
Space + Dots 3 6 |
Jaws Navigation Commands |
|
Function |
Keys |
Previous document window |
Space + Dots 1 3 |
Next document window |
Space + Dots 4 6 |
Beginning of file |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 |
End of file |
Space + Dots 4 5 6 |
Page Up |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 5 |
Page Down |
Space + Dots 1 2 4 5 6 |
Home |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 |
End |
Space + Dots 1 4 5 6 |
Up Arrow |
Space + Dot 1 |
Down Arrow |
Space + Dot 4 |
Previous word |
Space + Dot 2 |
Next word |
Space + Dot 5 |
Previous character |
Space + Dot 3 |
Next character |
Space + Dot 6 |
Jaws Editing Commands |
|
Function |
Keys |
Backspace (acts as shift key when typing braille characters) |
Space + Dot 7 |
Enter |
Space + Dot 8 |
Tab |
Space + Dots 4 5 |
Shift + Tab |
Space + Dots 1 2 |
Delete current character |
Space + D |
Select all |
Space + Dots 1 8 |
Select to top of document |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 7 8 |
Select to bottom of document |
Space + Dots 4 5 6 7 8 |
Select previous page |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 |
Select next page |
Space + Dots 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 |
Select to beginning of line |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 7 8 |
Select to end of line |
Space + Dots 1 4 5 6 7 8 |
Select previous line |
Space + Dots 1 7 8 |
Select next line |
Space + Dots 4 7 8 |
Select previous word |
Space + Dots 2 7 8 |
Select next word |
Space + Dots 5 7 8 |
Select previous character |
Space + Dots 3 7 8 |
Select next character |
Space + Dots 6 7 8 |
Copy to clipboard |
Space + Dots 1 4 8 |
Cut to clipboard |
Space + Dots 1 3 4 6 8 |
Paste clipboard |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 6 8 |
Undo |
Space + Dots 1 3 5 6 8 |
Jaws Windows Commands |
|
Function |
Keys |
Start menu |
Space + Dots 1 3 4 7 8 |
Toggle menu bar |
Space + M |
Escape |
Space + Dots 1 3 5 6 |
Alt Tab |
Space + T |
Minimize all applications |
Space + Dots 1 4 5 7 8 |
Jaws General Commands |
|
Function |
Keys |
Toggle keyboard help |
Space + Dots 1 4 5 6 |
Toggle type keys mode |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
JAWS cursor |
Select + J |
PC cursor |
Select + P |
Route JAWS cursor to PC cursor |
Select + Dots 1 4 |
Say all to bottom |
Space + Dots 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Toggle grade 2 translation |
Space + G (Dots 1 2 4 5) |
Toggle grade 2 translation of current word |
Select + W (Dots 2 4 5 6) |
Display last flash message |
Select + F |
JAWS find |
Space + F |
JAWS find next |
Space + Dots 2 5 7 8 |
JAWS find previous |
Space + Dots 2 5 7 8 |
Toggle active cursor follows braille |
Select + Dot 1 |
Toggle braille follows active cursor |
Select + Dot 4 |
Cycle through braille modes |
Select + M |
Display six-dot braille |
Select + Dots 2 3 5 |
Display eight-dot braille |
Select + Dots 2 3 6 |
Toggle cursor shape |
Select + Dots 1 4 6 |
Restrict braille cursor |
Select + R |
Toggle characters and attributes |
Select + Dots 1 6 |
Braille color marking |
Select + Dots 1 4 |
Select attributes to be displayed |
Select + Dots 1 3 |
Set 8 characters per space |
Space + Dots 2 3 6 |
Set unlimited characters per space |
Space + Dots 1 3 6 |
Toggle 8/unlimited characters per space |
Select + Dots 1 3 4 6 |
Cycle table reading options |
Select + T |
Cycle table header options |
Select + H |
Graphics labeler |
Select + G |
Adjust JAWS options |
Select + Dots 1 2 3 6 |
JAWS window |
Space + J |
Announce time |
t + Dots 7 and 8 |
Show script file name |
Select + Dots 1 2 3 4 5 |
Run JAWS manager |
Space + 2 3 7 8 |
Jaws Special Key Commands |
|
Function |
Keys |
Ctrl + A – Ctrl + Z |
Dot 8 + any letter |
F1 – F10 |
Dot 7 + Computer Braille number 1 – 0 (0 = F10) |
Ctrl + F1 – Ctrl + F10 |
Dot 8 + Computer Braille number 1 – 0 |
As previously mentioned, we don’t need to download a driver to make NVDA work with the Orbit. In fact, NVDA should automatically recognize the Orbit as a braille display. In the event that it does not, here are the steps you will need to follow to manually configure it.
Step One: If NVDA is not running already, open the program. THE default key command is Alt + Control + N, but use whatever method with which you are most comfortable.
Step Two: Bring up the NVDA Menu by using Insert (or Caps Lock) + N. Press P to navigate to “Preferences”, then press S for “Settings”.
Step Three: You are now in the Settings dialogue and in a list of settings options. Either press B to navigate to the Braille Settings or arrow down to that point.
Step Four: Use the Tab key to navigate to the drop down to choose a braille display. Select “Baum/Humanware/APH/Orbit Displays” and press Enter.
Step Five: At this point, you may choose to change various other braille settings such as braille translation table for input and output, cursor blind rate, and other options. Keep pressing Tab until you are focused on the OK button.
As you can see from the table below, NVDA doesn’t have nearly the list of commands that JAWS does.
Function |
Key |
Move up one line |
Up arrow |
Move down one line |
Down arrow |
Move left one character |
Left arrow |
Move right one character |
Right arrow |
Enter |
Select |
That’s a loaded question because really, it depends on your needs.
If you want to use the braille display without the need to use a standard QWERTY keyboard often, you may want to either invest in a full functioning version of JAWS or use the 40 minute mode free demo available from the Freedom Scientific website.
However, if all you really want to be able to do is input text or read files on your PC in braile, you might do better with the much less complex NVDA.
Want more resources? Here is a list to get you started!
Click here for the Orbit Reader 20 User Guide
Using the Orbit Reader with JAWS (links to the JAWS section of the Orbit User Guide)
Link to the JAWS driver for the Orbit Reader (click on the link that says OR-20 JAWS Driver)
Using the Orbit with NVDA (links to the NVDA section of the Orbit User Guide):
https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/JAWS%20Orbit%20Braille%20Commands.docx
By Snowflake_tvi