Skip to main content
JAWS Scripts For Skype: 4.x | 3.5 through 3.8 | 3.1 and 3.2 | 3.0
Other Downloads: JAWS Emoticon and Flag Dictionary
Help and documentation: Script Installation Instructions | Frequently Asked Questions | SkypeEnglish Mailing List
Go to: Sarah's Skype page | Hrvoje Katić's page (for the SkypeWatch installer) | Skype.com

JAWS Scripts For Skype 3.0

Revision 403

This is an update for Skype 3.x users. It is experimental because it has only been tested on Skype 3.2 using JAWS 8.0. Updates include

• Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab should now say the Skype tab page name. This has often been requested.
• The triple SayLine info for a Contact list entry should now be right in Skype 3.x. Tested in Skype 3.2.
• The Applications key should now more consistently produce Context menus in various places.
• Fixed a few problems with link identification.
• Fixed ignore of MSAA in active call tab in newer Skype versions.
• Improved identification of the Mood Text box in some situations.
• Changed the class of chat windows from Edit to MultiLine Edit.
• Stopped reclassing call panels.
• Removed the one remaining custom highlight color from skype.jcf.
• Updated the identification of Skype systray popup notifications.
• Attempted unsuccessfully to make AutoAnswer work under Skype 3.x.
• Fixed line ending issues that could make code look strange in some editors.

Download: Revision 403 executable installer | Revision 403 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries

Revision 390

This is a minor update over revision 384 containing the following changes:

• It is now possible to go into Forms mode when using a web page containing a form from within Skype itself. This happens, for example, when you try to buy Skype credit by using the Help > Buy Skype Credit option, and also when you try to use Skype Prime, which can be accessed from Tools in Skype versions new enough to support this.
• The list in Manage Blocked Users and the fields in Edit Contact for SkypeOut contacts now speak and show in Braille correctly.
• Renaming a contact via Rename or F2 will no longer use the previous contact's name as the field name for the edit box.
• A new set of radio buttons in Skype 3.1's Options > Notifications page is now labeled.
• Double speech in some cases when JAWS detects highlighting but the scripts try to override it should no longer happen.
• JAWS should no longer read some of the hotkey list when the user arrows down to the Hotkeys page in Options.
• The scripts again compile under JAWS 4.51.

Download: Revision 390 executable installer | Revision 390 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries

Revision 384

This is a fairly major update over Revision 363. It should be stable but is considered beta just because changes have only been tested on a few systems so far.

Fixes and features:

• A huge number of fields throughout Skype now speak and show in Braille correctly. The screens for logging in and creating a new account appear to read well now.
• Some 400 lines of obsolete code from Skype.jss have been removed.
• Ctrl+numbers and Ctrl+T now duplicate Ctrl+Shift+numbers and Ctrl+Shift+T so the Skype Live tab users have a way to deal with tabs. Ctrl+Shift+numbers jump to place markers in a web page, and Skype Live is a web page. It may be time to drop Ctrl+Shift versions of these and just use Ctrl versions to avoid this conflict.
• Link fields in Options will now say "Link" instead of "Edit."
• A lot of radio buttons should now indicate their group names.
• Options fields measured in time will now say the time unit after the field. Example: "Show me as 'away' when I am inactive for, edit, 5, minutes."
• An active call screen will now be called a "Call panel," an active conference screen will be called a "Conference panel," and both, when focused by tab or other means, will also announce the top caller's name and the call duration without saying all the other stuff in the window as before.
• The Options page list is now named "Pages."
• The Options > Sound Devices track bars for adjusting input and output volume levels are now named appropriately, and arrows should work on them. These controls arrived in Skype 3.0.
• Using the JAWS LeftMouseButton or RightMouseButton commands when the PC cursor is active will now click the current control regardless of where the JAWS cursor / mouse pointer happens to be. This is to facilitate use of links that don't (yet) respond to Space and so must be clicked.
• Phone number fields in Edit My Profile are now given the type "phone number edit," abbreviated "phed" on Braille displays. You can type Alt+DownArrow in these fields to pull down a country code list, then pick a country code with which to prefix the field's phone number. However, I don't yet know how to save the selected country code in the phone number box. Pressing Tab, Shift+Tab, or Esc closes the list and returns to the dialog, though not necessarily into the field you just left; but at least for most of my tests, the phone number was not changed. Pressing Enter actually saves and closes the Profile page. I could use info on how this Alt+DownArrow thing is supposed to be used from the keyboard.
• SkypeCOMAPI.jss is now removed. This means users can also delete SkypeCOMAPI.jsb manually; it was never used.

Known Issues running under Skype 3.0:

• These scripts do not compile under JAWS 4.51. This was fixed and then accidentally broken again between public releases.
• Ctrl+Shift+I for technical call info does not work reliably.
• AutoActions (ctrl+shift+a) do not work reliably.
• Manage Other Programs' Access To Skype is not very easy to use (it should be easier in Skype 3.1 though).
• Radio buttons are sometimes numbered backward.
• Radio button sets in Options and maybe other places still do not show their group names in Braille.
• Braille shows the group names of Options > Notifications check boxes incorrectly.
• Braille does not show name or type for a lot of lists.
• The SayLine command will say "Edit" in some places where other commands will say (and show in Braille) custom types, like "Call panel" and "Conference panel." This is because the respective windows are internally reclassed as Edit controls so that the proper calls are made for Braille support, and the custom code for handling those windows is not applied to the SayLine command at this point. JAWSKey+Tab will say the custom type. There is no plan to fix this.
• When a Braille display is active, the PC Cursor command will be slow to respond in some places, such as in an active call tab. This does not happen if Braille is not active.
• One read-only edit field in the SMS dialog is still not labeled because I need to figure out what it's for.

Download: Revision 384 executable installer | Revision 384 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries

Revision 363

Revision 363 is considered stable but deserves a bit of testing. Features over revision 358:

• Users of JAWS 7.0 and older should now be able to hear items while arrowing through the file/folder list when sending a file through Skype.
• Profile fields should now be labeled correctly.

Known Issues:

• The method of labeling combo boxes may cause JAWS to seem a bit sluggish as you tab past one in the Edit My Profile dialog.
• Issues listed for revision 358 still apply.

Download: Revision 363 executable installer | Revision 363 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries

Revision 358

Revision 358 is a minor update from revision 348 and is considered a stable release in the absence of user complaint to the contrary. This revision should not be used with Skype 2.x. The differences since revision 348 are

• JAWSKey+H and Keyboard Help are more up to date, though probably not perfectly so.
• JAWS should now read the status of each conference connection as you arrow through the participant list of a conference, rather than just reading the participant's name. This required removal of a window reclassing from Skype.jcf that was helpful in Skype 2.x but in the way for Skype 3.0.
• There may be a slight change in how JAWS handles highlighting in Skype dialogs, because I removed a no-longer-accurate piece of logic from the SayHighlightedText function. So far, I have not seen this change anything though.
• JAWS should no longer read the wrong line sometimes in active conference tab participant lists and the Tools > Options page list as the user arrows through them.
• JAWSKey+Q now reports that these scripts are primarily intended for Skype 3.0.
• Keyboard Help mode now includes help for Alt+number and Alt+Accent commands.
• The Ctrl+Shift+W command now goes to the new Skype script site rather than to the old one.
• The script version number sent to the Skype script site is now the actual revision number rather than 500.

Known issues (these also apply to revision 348):

• A number of fields are still misnamed or not named by JAWS.
• JAWSKey+F8 still doesn't work.
• Ctrl+M works only after mood text has been edited once after the last Skype restart. It does not work on the first attempt, though it does turn on and off the on-screen Mood Text box. Enable View > Accessibility > Extended Keyboard Navigation, then use Tools > Edit My Mood Text to edit mood text for the first time. This is not considered a priority to fix since Skype itself now provides a means to do this.

Download: Revision 358 executable installer | Revision 358 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries

Revision 348

Revision 348 is a test release and considered a beta. It is intended for Skype 3.0 but also contains some work for Skype 3.1.

Download: Revision 348 executable installer | Revision 348 source and JAWS 7-9 binaries