Accessibility in software is sometimes treated as a compliance checkbox, something organizations verify exists and then move past. For IDD agencies, and particularly for those serving blind and visually impaired individuals or employing staff with visual impairments, software accessibility is an operational necessity that directly affects who can use your system, how well they can use it, and whether your agency is genuinely inclusive in its internal practices.
JAWS compatibility is one of the most important accessibility standards for software used in professional environments. Understanding what it means, why it matters for IDD agencies specifically, and how to evaluate it during vendor selection gives your agency a meaningful lens for software procurement decisions.
What JAWS Is and Why It Matters
JAWS, which stands for Job Access With Speech, is a screen reader developed by Freedom Scientific for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. It provides speech and Braille output for computer applications on Windows, allowing blind and visually impaired users to navigate the interface, read content, and interact with software through keyboard commands and audio feedback. Minnesota Department of Human Services
A 2023 to 2024 screen reader user survey by WebAIM found JAWS to be the most popular desktop screen reader worldwide for primary usage, at 40.5 percent, making it the most commonly used assistive technology in professional Windows environments. When a software vendor says their platform is JAWS compatible, they mean it has been tested and functions correctly with JAWS screen reading, allowing blind and visually impaired users to navigate the full interface using keyboard commands and audio output rather than requiring mouse interaction or visual screen reading. Minnesota Department of Human Services
For IDD agencies, JAWS compatibility matters in several specific contexts:
Staff with visual impairments: DSPs, case managers, billing coordinators, and administrators with visual impairments need to use the same operational software as sighted colleagues. A system that is not JAWS compatible effectively excludes these staff members from full participation in your organization’s operational tools, which creates both equity issues and legal exposure under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Organizations serving blind and visually impaired clients: Agencies that serve individuals with visual impairments, including organizations specializing in blindness services or those serving clients with combined IDD and visual impairment, may need their software to support accessible client-facing interactions or be usable by staff who are themselves visually impaired.
Self-directed service participants: In states with self-directed Medicaid waiver programs, participants or their representatives may use agency systems to manage service records. Accessible software ensures that participants with visual impairments can participate fully in self-direction.
VPAT Certification and What It Means
A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, known as a VPAT, is a document that software vendors use to describe how their product conforms to accessibility standards, primarily the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. A completed VPAT provides detailed information about which accessibility features are supported, which have exceptions, and which are not supported.
VPAT certification is not a government-issued credential. It is a vendor-produced disclosure document. The meaningful question is not whether a vendor has a VPAT but whether their accessibility claims in the VPAT have been independently validated. Vendors who test their software with actual JAWS users and document the results are making more credible accessibility claims than those who self-certify without user testing.
Vertex Systems is VPAT certified and JAWS compatible, meaning the platform has been assessed against accessibility standards and functions correctly with JAWS screen reading technology. For agencies evaluating IDD software with accessibility requirements, this is a meaningful differentiator from vendors who have not addressed accessibility systematically.
What JAWS Compatibility Requires from Software
For software to function correctly with JAWS, it must be built using standard HTML and ARIA markup that screen readers can interpret, provide keyboard navigation for all functions that are available via mouse, label all form fields and interactive elements so JAWS can identify and describe them accurately, and manage focus correctly so keyboard navigation moves through the interface in a logical, predictable sequence.
Many software platforms that work well for sighted users have significant JAWS compatibility failures because they were built without accessibility in mind. Custom dropdown menus, complex data tables, modal dialogs, and interactive charts are particularly common sources of JAWS compatibility problems when they are not built to accessibility standards.
For IDD billing software specifically, the workflows that billing coordinators use most frequently, claim submission, authorization review, denial management, remittance reconciliation, need to be fully keyboard-navigable and correctly labeled for a JAWS user to perform their job effectively.
Evaluating Accessibility in a Software Demo
When you are evaluating IDD software and accessibility matters for your organization, do not rely on a vendor’s verbal assurance that the platform is accessible. Ask for the VPAT and review it. Ask whether the accessibility testing was conducted with actual JAWS users or only with automated tools. Ask to see the platform demonstrated using JAWS rather than a standard mouse-and-keyboard walkthrough.
Better yet, if your organization has staff with visual impairments, ask them to participate in the evaluation. A ten-minute hands-on test with a JAWS user will reveal accessibility issues that a vendor-conducted demo never will.
For agencies serving blind and visually impaired populations, Vertex’s accessible design and JAWS compatibility reflect a commitment to building software that works for the full range of users at IDD and disability service organizations. Connect with the Vertex team to discuss accessibility requirements and request a JAWS-compatible demonstration.
