How do I create a free account using JAWS?

Article Id: 1059
November 22, 2023

Registration for a Church account at FamilySearch is free for everyone. You only need to register once. After you register, your Church account works for all websites operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 
Perform the steps below to create your Church account:

  1. Open an internet browser. To go to the Search box, press the Windows Key, and then enter the first few letters of the browser name, such as in for Internet Explorer, go for Google Chrome, or mo for Mozilla Firefox. When the name for your browser displays, press Enter to open the browser. 
  2. Go to FamilySearch.org. You can press Control+L to move the focus to the address bar and enter https://familysearch.org, and then press Enter. You can also create a favorite for the FamilySearch site and use the favorite to access FamilySearch.org. 
  3. Move to Free Account using the virtual find command, or bring up the links list and press F until you hear free account. Press Enter on Free Account to activate this link. 
  4. Form fields appear where you can enter your account information. Press E to move to the first edit field. If JAWS does not go into Forms mode automatically, press Enter to activate Forms mode. 
  5. The first 5 fields include: First name, Last Name, Username, Password, and Confirm Password. You use User Name and Password to sign in to FamilySearch.org. The confirm password field is present to verify that the password is entered correctly. Press Tab to move through the fields and enter the requested information. 
  6. The next two fields are your email address or mobile phone. One of these fields is required. The registration confirmation goes to either your email address or mobile phone. Press Tab to move through these fields, and enter your email address or mobile phone number. 
  7. The next field is your profile . This is the name that displays to others when you add or modify information on Family Tree. Press Tab to move to this field, and enter your profile.
  8. You next come to a radio button for Male or Female. Move to the correct selection, and press Spacebar to select this button. 
  9. The next field is a combo box for the country you live in. For example, press U for the United States or C for Canada. You can also use the arrow keys to move through the available choices. They are in alphabetical order. 
  10. The next 3 fields are combo boxes for your birth date. Press Tab to move through these fields, and use the arrow keys to move to the correct selections. You can also enter the first letter of your choice to quickly move to it. 
  11. Next is a question to determine if you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Move to Yes or No, and press Spacebar to select the appropriate choice. If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you need to enter your 11-digit membership number. 
  12. The next field requires you to enter the characters from the image. You need sighted assistance to enter the characters from the image. If a sighted person is not available, call FamilySearch Support for assistance. In North America, call 1-866-406-1830. Outside North America, visit https://www.familysearch.org/en/fieldops/familysearch-support-contact-us for a toll-free number for your country. A support missionary can access your computer remotely using remote control software and read the characters to you. 
  13. The next field is a check box indicating you agree to the registration terms. Press Tab to move to this box, and press Spacebar to check the box. 
  14. The final field is the Create an Account button. Press Tab to move to this field, and then press Spacebar to create your account. 
  15. To complete your account registration, go to your email, and find the email message from FamilySearch. If you do not find it in your inbox, check for it in your junk mail or spam folder. 
  16. Open the email message, and follow the instructions to create your free account. Registration is complete when you press Enter on a link in the email message.

After you register, you can sign in at https://familysearch.org or go directly to Family Tree at https://familysearch.org/tree and access the information.
 
JAWS commands are below:
                          

  • E: Move to the next edit field.
  • Insert+F7: Bring up a dialog box with a list of all links present on the page.
  • Insert+Ctrl+F: Activate JAWS virtual find dialog.
  • Enter: Activate a link in focus.
  • Spacebar: Activate a button, or change the state of a check box or radio button in focus.
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