Testing with screen readers: NVDA on Windows

Introducing NVDA

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is an open-source screen reader for Microsoft Windows, available to download free of charge. This makes it widely available and one of the most commonly used screen readers.

NVDA is actively developed. Download the latest version from https://www.nvaccess.org/download/.

During installation, turn off the option to start NVDA automatically after signing in. After installation, you can start it with Ctrl + Alt + N.

Setting up NVDA

When you first start NVDA, it displays a configuration window. Choose these settings:

• Use the default desktop keyboard layout, even when testing on a laptop without a numeric keypad. Numeric-keypad commands are for more advanced actions, and some commands in this article do not work with the laptop layout.
• Enable Caps Lock as an NVDA key. It works alongside the default Insert key and sits closer to the frequently used Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys.
  
  Whenever a shortcut below mentions NVDA, you can use either Caps Lock or Insert.
• Clear “Start NVDA after I sign in” and “Show this dialog when NVDA starts”.

For additional options, open Preferences > Settings from the NVDA menu.

• Under Speech, change the default voice.
  • Many people find the default voice unfamiliar. For a more natural voice, choose one of the Microsoft OneCore voices.
  • Set a comfortable speaking rate.
• Under Vision, enable highlighting to make NVDA’s focus position easier to see.
• Under Keyboard, you can turn off “Speak typed characters” and optionally enable “Speak typed words”.

Testing with NVDA

Reading with NVDA

NVDA has many keyboard commands. These are the most common commands for reading content and let you read most website information.

Navigating with NVDA

NVDA also has shortcuts for moving between different types of content, such as headings.

Single-letter navigation commands let you move quickly between common page elements:

Forms

When a form field receives focus, for example through the F shortcut, NVDA reads its label followed by the element type. If a group of fields, such as checkboxes, is inside a fieldset with a legend, NVDA announces the fieldset as a group and reads the legend when you navigate to a field in it.

Use these commands to interact with form fields:

Tables

Use T to move to the next table. Within a data table, hold Ctrl + Alt and use ↑ / ↓ / ← / → to move between cells.

If the table has correctly marked-up row and column headers, NVDA reads these automatically as you navigate.

General keyboard commands

These additional commands are useful when operating your computer without a mouse.