ToggleScreenReaders: switch between Jaws, NVDA and Narrator with a single keyboard shortcut

ToggleScreenReader is a resident program that allows you to switch between two screen readers by pressing Windows+Escape. This keyboard shortcut and the toggleable screen reader duo are configurable.

Supported screen readers are Jaws, NVDA and Narrator.

Setup

• Download ToggleScreenReaders.zip;
• Extract the ToggleScreenReaders.zip file to a non-write-protected folder, for example the root of one of your hard drives. Do not extract it to C:;
• You will get a TogglleScreenReaders folder, Open this folder;
• If you want to create an icon on the desktop, press enter on the file “Create desktop icon.vbs”.
  This will create a ToggleScreenReader icon on your desktop which can be invoked by the keyboard shortcut: AltGr+z;
• If you want ToggleScreenReaders to launch automatically when Windows starts, Press Enter on the “Create startup icon.vbs” file;
  To remove the icon from this folder later, press Enter on: Go to startup folder. This will open the Startup folder in File Explorer;

Configuration of the screen reader duo

By default, it will switch between Jaws 2024 and NVDA;

To modify these programs, for example replace Jaws2024 with Jaws 2022:

• Launch ToggleScreenReaders with AltGr+z if not already done;
• Then press Control+Windows+Escape to open the config.ini file in Notepad;
• Read the instructions above the values ​​to change;
• Modify the value of primary to obtain:
  primary=Jaws2022.ini
• Press Control+S to save the change then close Notepad;
• Note: It is necessary here to close Notepad so that ToggleScreenReaders is notified that it needs to restart;

Important restriction:

You cannot define two screen readers from the same family. Unauthorized examples:

• Primary=Jaws2024.ini and Secondary=Jaws2022.ini;
• Primary=NVDA.ini and Secondary=NVDAPortable.ini;

It is not yet possible for ToggleScreenReaders to know the path of the running process. For Jaws, the process name is always jfw.exe and for NVDA, nvda.exe. This is insufficient to make the distinction.

Note: a configuration dialog will be added later.

Configuring keyboard shortcuts

If the Windows+Escape toggle shortcut doesn’t work for you, you can change it as follows:

• Press Control+Windows+Escape to open config.ini in Notepad,
• In the text, Scroll down to [Hotkeys];
• Read the instructions, edit the shortcut, save the file then close Notepad;* You must close Notepad for ToggleScreenReaders to restart and reset;

Note: a help page gives you the list of usable key names;

Use

• Launch ToggleScreenReaders if it is not already done;
• Press Windows+Escape or the shortcut you have configured to switch to the other screen reader.

Add a new screen reader

For example, if you want to add Jaws 2025 to the supported screen readers, follow these steps:

• Open the ToggleScreenReaders folder in the location you chose when installing it;
• Enter the subfolder named Readers;
• Select the Jaws2024.ini file;
• Press Control+c to copy it then Control+v to paste a copy;
• Rename “Jaws2024 - Copy.ini” to “Jaws2025.ini”;
• Press Enter on Jaws2025.ini to open it in Notepad;
• In the StartCommand value, replace 2024 with 2025 to obtain:
  StartCommand=C:FilesScientific\2025.exe

Note: If Freedom Scientifics has changed this path template, replace it with the new path.

Default keyboard shortcuts

• Windows+Escape: switch to the other screen reader; Control+Windows+Escape: modify the INI file;