Windows - Software - Install JAWS 2022 (X64)

What the JAWS 2022 deployment Worklet does

This Automox Worklet™ deploys JAWS 2022 (Job Access With Speech), the Freedom Scientific screen reader, to 64-bit Windows endpoints. JAWS reads on-screen text aloud and drives refreshable braille displays so visually impaired users can navigate Windows, Microsoft Office, browsers, and line-of-business applications. The Worklet wraps the vendor installer in an idempotent evaluation and remediation flow so a single Automox policy can roll JAWS out to every accessibility seat in your fleet.

Before touching the installer, the Worklet checks the endpoint architecture. ARM and ARM64 systems are not supported by JAWS 2022 and the Worklet exits without remediation on those hosts, so you can safely scope the policy to a mixed-architecture group. On x64 systems, the Worklet inspects both the 64-bit registry uninstall path (HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall) and the 32-bit WOW6432Node path (HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall) for an existing JAWS 2022 DisplayName entry.

When the endpoint is missing JAWS 2022, the remediation script pulls JAWS_2022.exe from the Automox API cache, executes the installer with the /Type Silent argument for an unattended setup, and removes the installer file on completion. Subsequent policy runs detect the registry entry and exit cleanly, so the Worklet doubles as a passive compliance check after the initial rollout.

Why automate JAWS rollouts to every accessibility seat

Screen reader access is a required accommodation for employees who rely on JAWS to use a Windows endpoint. The Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the European Accessibility Act all require organizations to provide accommodations promptly. Manual JAWS installation across remote and hybrid endpoints extends that timeline and leaves fleet visibility gaps that a spreadsheet inventory cannot close.

Scope this Worklet against the endpoint group that requires JAWS and every new accommodation request resolves on the next agent check-in. Audit queries about JAWS coverage can be answered from Automox activity logs rather than a manual asset survey.

How the JAWS 2022 deployment works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet queries Win32_ComputerSystem via Get-CimInstance and reads SystemType to confirm the architecture is x64. ARM and ARM64 endpoints exit immediately as not applicable. On supported hosts, the script enumerates HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall through the 64-bit registry view and HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall, matching DisplayName against "JAWS 2022". A match marks the endpoint compliant and ends the run; no match flags the endpoint for remediation.

2. Remediation phase: The remediation script downloads JAWS_2022.exe from the Automox API file cache (api.automox.com/api/cache) to the script working directory, then runs the installer with the /Type Silent argument so no UI surfaces on the user's session. The Try/Catch block removes the installer file with Remove-Item on both the success and failure paths to keep the endpoint clean. The Worklet exits 0 after a successful download and install, and exits 1 with a Write-Output diagnostic if the download or installer call throws an exception.

JAWS 2022 deployment requirements

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 on a 64-bit x64 endpoint; ARM and ARM64 endpoints are skipped automatically

• Automox agent running as SYSTEM, which already provides the administrative rights the JAWS installer requires

• Outbound HTTPS reachability from the endpoint to api.automox.com so the agent can pull JAWS_2022.exe from the Automox cache

• Roughly 1.5 GB of free disk space on the system drive for the installer payload and the JAWS 2022 program files under C:\Program Files\Freedom Scientific\JAWS\2022

• Valid JAWS 2022 license entitlement; without an Internet license or ILM activation, JAWS runs in 40-minute demo mode and prompts the user to license on each launch

• A maintenance window scoped to accessibility seats; JAWS announces installer progress audibly on any endpoint already running an older screen reader session

Expected state after JAWS 2022 deployment

After a successful run, JAWS 2022 appears in Settings → Apps → Installed apps and in Control Panel → Programs and Features. The registry shows a DisplayName of "JAWS 2022" under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall with a corresponding Publisher of "Freedom Scientific" and an InstallLocation pointing at C:\Program Files\Freedom Scientific\JAWS\2022. The Start menu surfaces JAWS 2022 under the Freedom Scientific group, and the FSReader documentation viewer installs alongside it.

Validate the rollout with three checks. Run Get-ItemProperty on the registry uninstall paths above and filter for DisplayName -like '*JAWS 2022*' to confirm the registration. Confirm the JAWS service (Freedom Scientific JAWS Service) shows Running under Get-Service. Have the end user launch JAWS from the Start menu or with the Insert+J shortcut to verify speech output and braille display connectivity. Subsequent Worklet runs report the endpoint as compliant without reinstalling, and any administrator who removes JAWS from Programs and Features will trigger an automatic re-deployment on the next evaluation.

For audit evidence, export the Automox activity log entry for the policy run alongside the registry uninstall key contents. That pair documents both the action Automox took and the resulting endpoint state, which is what Section 508 and ADA accommodation reviews typically request when verifying that assistive technology was provisioned within the stated service-level window.