Nationality American Name Ted Henter | Role Computer programmer Education University of Florida | |
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Ted Henter is an American computer programmer and businessman known for having invented the JAWS screen reader for the blind. He studied engineering, but learned computer programming and started his own business after becoming blind in a car accident in 1978, which put an end to a promising career as an international motorcycle racer.
In 1987, he teamed up with businessman Bill Joyce, who together founded Henter-Joyce in St. Petersburg, Florida. Henter was president and led the operation and provided technology direction while Joyce acted as a silent partner. Henter-Joyce produced JAWS, a screen reader for personal computers using MS-DOS, and later Microsoft Windows.
After becoming blinded, Henter rediscovered waterskiing, and started competing in waterskiing events. He won six times out of seven competitions in the United States and twice in international competition. He retired in 1991 after winning the overall Gold medal in the United States and World Championship for Disabled Skiers.
Henter-Joyce merged with Arkenstone and Blazie Engineering in 2000 to form Freedom Scientific. Henter currently remains on the board of directors of Freedom Scientific, and in 2002 he founded Henter Math, to produce software that helps the "pencil-impaired" with mathematics.