Using PAC Mate with a Braille display offers tactile access to your PAC Mate. This multi-sensory approach adds an essential dimension to your computer experience as you are able to navigate and read Braille with your display. Currently PAC Mate supports the PAC Mate Portable Braille Display and the Freedom Scientific Focus Series Display.
To mute the synthesizer on the PAC Mate QX, press JAWS Key+S, M. This setting is retained when you turn off the PAC Mate.
The PAC Mate Portable Braille display is detachable and USB-driven, allowing you to:
At this point, you may want to configure the Braille Settings dialog in PAC Mate.
Display settings are quickly accessed with hotkeys and navigation is provided via Whiz Wheels, cursor routing buttons and left and right advance.
The PAC Mate Braille display uses fourteen hotkeys to access various Braille display options. The fourteen hotkeys are in the top row of buttons and consist of seven buttons on either side of the center mark. To help you locate and distinguish each hotkey there are markers on the display's surface furthest away from you. The buttons to the left of center are numbered from left to right as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and the buttons to the right of center are numbered as 8, 9, 10, 11,12, 13, and 14. The remaining buttons to the left and right of the hotkeys are the advance buttons.
The PAC Mate Braille Display uses one and two layer command sequences to set Braille display options. You must toggle into the second layer with hotkey 12 before and each time you execute a second layer command. While you are working with the display, you can turn on keyboard help (JAWS Key+F1, K) and review the function of each hotkey.
The hotkeys are described in the table below.
|
Hotkey
|
First Layer Command | Second Layer Command |
|
1
|
Turn On Braille Auto Advance Mode (Press any cursor routing button to turn off) |
2
|
3
|
Route Braille Cursor to PC Cursor |
|
4
|
Active Follows Braille |
5
|
Braille Follows Active | Toggle Compressed Spacing (8 - Unlimited Pixels per Space) |
|
6
|
Show Top of Active Window or Beginning of Structured Line |
Route JAWS Cursor to PC Cursor |
7
|
SHIFT TAB |
|
8
|
TAB |
9
|
Show Bottom of Active Window or End of Structured Line | Toggle 6 / 8 Cell Braille |
|
10
|
Grade 2 (Contracted Braille) | Toggle Line, Structured, and Speech Box Modes |
11
|
Translate Word (Expand grade 2 symbol to edit word) |
|
12
|
Toggle between Layers 1 and 2 | Display Braille Layer Help |
|
13
|
Decrease Auto Advance Rate | |
|
14
|
Increase Auto Advance Rate |
The Braille display Whiz Wheels are used to quickly move through files, dialogs and menus. In addition, each wheel can be set independently for added functionality.
In text files, the Whiz Wheels are used to move by line, sentence, or paragraph. Pressing down on either Whiz Wheel toggles it between line, sentence, and paragraph or panning mode. Rolling the Whiz Wheel towards you moves you downward, while rolling the Whiz Wheel away from you moves you upward. With panning mode, rolling the Whiz Wheel one "click" towards you pans right one-display length, while rolling the Whiz Wheel one "click" away from you pans left one-display length.
In menus, roll a Whiz Wheel toward you to move down through the menu or roll it away from you to move up through the menu. Press down on the Whiz Wheel to select a menu item.
In dialogs, rolling the wheel towards you moves you forward through the controls, while rolling the wheel away from you moves you backwards through the controls. Depending on the control, the Whiz Wheels function differently when pressed.
The display has cursor routing buttons, which is the row of buttons immediately above each Braille cell. Press a cursor routing button to move the cursor to that point or select a link in a web page or e-mail message. To help you locate and route your cursor there are markers at every fifth cell along the display surface nearest you.
The left and right advance allow you to move through your files one display length at a time. To advance left, press any of the buttons to the left of the hotkey area. To advance right, press any of the buttons to the right of the hotkey area.
The PAC Mate interfaces with the Focus display through the Focus Braille Display Options dialog. This dialog, in addition to the Braille Settings dialog, lets you configure PAC Mate.
Focus Braille displays have eight Braille keys, a SPACEBAR, LEFT and RIGHT SHIFT keys, two advance bars, two programmable function buttons, and cursor routing keys. In addition, it features Whiz Wheels that allow for quick navigation in files, menus, and lists.
The Focus Braille display also has commands that are separated into convenience commands, Braille commands, Windows commands and JAWS commands.
These commands are the most common functions and are performed right from the Braille display. The tables below list the convenience commands available with Focus connected to PAC Mate
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Positions |
|
Start Menu |
ST Sign |
DOTS 3-4 |
|
Keyboard Help |
TH Sign |
DOTS 1-4-5-6 |
|
ENTER |
DOT 8 |
DOT 8 |
|
BACKSPACE |
DOT 7 |
DOT 7 |
|
ESC |
Z |
DOTS 1-3-5-6 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Positions |
|
TAB |
DOTS 4-5 |
DOTS 4-5 |
|
SHIFT+TAB |
B |
DOTS 1-2 |
|
PAGE UP |
K |
DOTS 1-3 |
|
PAGE DOWN |
DOTS 4-6 |
DOTS 4-6 |
|
HOME |
DOT 2 |
DOT 2 |
|
END |
DOT 5 |
DOT 5 |
|
Top Of File |
L |
DOTS 1-2-3 |
|
Bottom of File |
DOTS 4-5-6 |
DOTS 4-5-6 |
|
Next Document Window (CTRL+TAB) |
W |
DOTS 2-4-5-6 |
|
Braille Next Line |
DOT 4 |
DOT 4 |
|
Braille Prior Line |
A |
DOT 1 |
|
Move Left on Current Line |
DOT 3 |
DOT 3 |
|
Move Right on Current Line |
Capital Sign |
DOT 6 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Positions |
|
PC Cursor |
P |
DOTS 1-2-3-4 |
|
JAWS Cursor |
J |
DOTS 2-4-5 |
|
Route Braille to Active Cursor |
R |
DOTS 1-2-3-5 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Positions |
|
Tether Braille to Active |
T |
DOTS 2-3-4-5 |
|
Braille Follows Active |
F |
DOTS 1-2-4 |
|
Toggle Line, Structured, Speech Box Mode |
M |
DOTS 1-3-4 |
These commands change the settings used to format, translate, or present information on your display. Press SPACEBAR first, hold it down, and then press the other key or keys that are part of the command. The table below lists the Braille commands available with Focus and the PAC Mate
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Positions |
|
Braille Top of Window |
L CHORD |
DOTS 1-2-3 CHORD |
|
Braille Bottom of Window |
DOTS 4-5-6 CHORD |
DOTS 4-5-6 CHORD |
|
Adjust Braille Options |
B CHORD |
DOTS 1-2 CHORD |
|
Grade 2 Expand Current Word |
T CHORD |
DOTS 2-3-4-5 CHORD |
|
Grade 2 Translation |
G CHORD |
DOTS 1-2-4-5 CHORD |
|
Toggle Marking |
M CHORD |
DOTS 1-3-4 CHORD |
|
Toggle 8 Pixels per Space |
P CHORD |
DOTS 1-2-3-4 CHORD |
|
Toggle 8/6 Dot Braille |
8 CHORD |
DOTS 2-3-6 CHORD |
|
Color Marking Assign |
C CHORD |
DOTS 1-4 CHORD |
|
Change Cursor Shape |
SH Sign CHORD |
DOTS 1-4-6 CHORD |
|
Restrict Braille Cursor |
R CHORD |
DOTS 1-2-3-5 CHORD |
All Windows commands use the LEFT SHIFT key as part of the command.
The tables below list all the Windows commands available with Focus and the PAC Mate
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Patterns |
|
ALT+TAB |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-5 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-5 |
|
Paste from Clipboard |
LEFT SHIFT+V |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-3-6 |
|
Copy to Clipboard |
LEFT SHIFT+C |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-4 |
|
Cut to Clipboard |
LEFT SHIFT+X |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-3-4-6 |
|
Undo |
LEFT SHIFT+Z |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-3-5-6 |
|
Delete |
LEFT SHIFT+D |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-4-5 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Patterns |
|
Select Next Character |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 6 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 6 |
|
Select Prior Character |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 3 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 3 |
|
Select Next Line |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 4 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 4 |
|
Select Prior Line |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 1 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 1 |
|
Select to End of Line |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 5 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 5 |
|
Select from Start of Line |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 2 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOT 2 |
|
Select from Top |
LEFT SHIFT+L |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-3 |
|
Select to Bottom |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-5-6 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-5-6 |
|
Select Next Screen |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-6 |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 4-6 |
|
Select Prior Screen |
LEFT SHIFT+K |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-3 |
|
Select All |
LEFT SHIFT+FOR Sign |
LEFT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-3-4-5-6 |
To select with the cursor routing keys, press and hold down LEFT SHIFT, then press the cursor routing key above the text where you wish to begin the selection. Release both keys. Move to where you wish to end the selection, and press LEFT SHIFT plus the cursor routing key at that location. Use any navigation commands to move from the begin point to the end point of the text you are selecting, even the Whiz Wheels, but if the window containing the text scrolls, this affects what information is selected.
All JAWS commands use the RIGHT SHIFT key as part of the command.
The tables below list all the JAWS commands available with Focus and the PAC Mate.
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Patterns |
|
Screen Sensitive Help |
RIGHT SHIFT+1 |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOT 2 |
|
List System Tray Icons |
RIGHT SHIFT+K |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-3 |
|
Refresh Screen |
RIGHT SHIFT+Z |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-3-5-6 |
|
Say Font |
RIGHT SHIFT+F |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-4 |
|
Window Keys Help |
RIGHT SHIFT+W |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 2-4-5-6 |
|
Read Current Window |
RIGHT SHIFT+B |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2 |
|
Default Button in Dialog |
RIGHT SHIFT+E |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-5 |
|
Shut Down JAWS |
RIGHT SHIFT+4 |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 2-5-6 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Patterns |
|
Route JAWS to Pc |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 3-6 |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 3-6 |
|
Route PC to JAWS |
RIGHT SHIFT+ING Sign |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 3-4-6 |
|
Description |
Braille Sign |
Braille Dot Patterns |
|
Graphics Labeler |
RIGHT SHIFT+G |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-4-5 |
|
JAWSFind |
RIGHT SHIFT+F CHORD |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 1-2-4 CHORD |
|
JAWSFind Next |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 2-5 |
RIGHT SHIFT+DOTS 2-5 |
The Focus Whiz wheels are used to quickly move through files, dialogs, lists, and menus. In a file, move by line, sentence, or paragraph. In a dialog, move between the available controls, and even interact with them. In a menu, move up and down through the menu items.
The Focus advance bars are used to move forward or back through a file or while in line mode. Press the Left Advance bar to move left on a line or back through a document. Press the Right Advance bar to move right on a line or forward through a document.
The Focus displays provide cursor routing keys above each Braille cell. Press a cursor routing key to move the cursor to that point, or to select a link in a web page or e-mail message. In line mode, press a cursor routing key to open a menu or select menu items.
Press the RIGHT General Display Button with a cursor routing key to simulate a right mouse click at that location.