Introduction
Rhode Island College offers the option for students and employees to install Freedom Scientific software tools Jaws, ZoomText, and Fusion onto a personally owned computer. These applications provide additional accessibility options for Windows computers for blind and low vision users.
Requirements
Jaws, ZoomText, and Fusion have the following requirements for home/personal use:
- A computer with the latest versions Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows 11 installed.
- A Rhode Island College e-mail address, which will be used to validate license eligibility.
Jaws, ZoomText, and Fusion are not available for Apple macOS, iOS, iPad OS, Google Android, or Google Chromebook platforms.
Current requirements are available at this link: https://support.freedomscientific.com/support
Registration Instructions
Please go to the following web site and enter your RIC e-mail address to start the installation process:
https://portal.freedomscientific.com/SponsoredSoftware
After submitting your RIC e-mail address, please start the the registration process by selecting Continue to Registration.
You will be requested to provide additional information and create an account. Please use a different password than your RIC M365/SSO account for this account, which is a security best practice when creating accounts linked to your e-mail address. Name, e-mail address, and password are the only required fields for successful registration. Once the form is completed select Register.
After successfully registration results in a confirmation e-mail being sent to your RIC e-mail address to confirm your account. After successful confirmation, login to the Freedom Scientific software portal with your RIC e-mail account and recently created password. You will be brought to the My Products page. Select the software you want to add to your account and install on your computer. Only one product can be added to your account. If you wish to use both Jaws and ZoomText, we recommend you select the Fusion software package, which includes both.
After adding the product to your account, you will see the product you registered for, the serial number, and the expiration date.
Installation Instructions
Downloads for Jaws, ZoomText, and Fusion can be found here:
https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads
In the example below we have selected JAWS, and download the latest JAWS installer. The process will be similar for Fusion and ZoomText.
Once you download the application installer, it will be located in the Downloads folder of your computer. Select the installer file that was downloaded and begin the installation.
After installation is completed, use the serial number listed on the My Products page to activate the software license on your computer.
Additional Resources & Support
The Freedom Scientific Training Center offers tutorials on how to use the their accessibility software in more detail:
https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/
Technical Support requests can be made directly to Freedom Scientific support team on this page:
https://support.freedomscientific.com/support
The Center for Disability Access is a resource for more general information on how Jaws, ZoomText, and Fusion can be used by students and faculty for academic purposes:
https://our.ric.edu/department-directory/center-disability-access