In today’s episode of Feeling a Bit Keen, Shawn shares something deeply personal — a spoken-word tribute to a piece of technology that shaped the lives of countless blind and low-vision people.
For decades, JAWS for Windows wasn’t just software.
It was a companion.
A teacher.
A doorway into school, work, independence, and dignity.
Many of us grew up hearing that familiar voice guiding us through our first emails, our homework, our job applications, and the hidden corners of the online world that once felt unreachable. JAWS helped generations of blind kids grow into confident adults. It stood beside us when very little else did.
But today, the rising cost of the software has quietly pushed thousands of blind users toward free tools and makeshift alternatives. The divide between need and affordability is growing… and the community is feeling it.
This episode is a gentle farewell — not out of anger, but out of gratitude, memory, and hope.
A reminder that accessibility should lift people up, not price them out.
A call for compassion, fairness, and a future where independence is not determined by income.
Chris reads “Farewell, Dear JAWS” with honesty and heart, supported by a soft, reflective music bed created for this moment. It’s a message to the software we depended on… and to the people shaping the future of assistive tech.
Whether you’re blind, sighted, a developer, an advocate, or simply someone who cares about accessibility, this is an episode worth hearing.
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