NVDA allows blind and vision impaired people to access and interact with the Windows operating system and many third party applications.

NVDA is a free and open source screen reader, it can be download on the NV access website

Once installed if you have created a shortcut on your desktop, you can use ctrl + alt + n to launch NVDA. The Welcome dialogue will appear, I use the CapsLock key as the NVDA modifier key as I’m on a laptop, by default the insert key is set as the NVDA modifier key.

Basic Keyboard Shortcuts

NVDA key: insert or CapsLock depending on your settings

  • ctrl + alt + N: Launches NVDA.
  • NVDA key + Q: Stop NVDA
  • ctrl: Stop reading
  • NVDA key + Down arrow: Start reading all
  • Down arrow: Read next line
  • Up arrow: Read the previous line
  • Left arrow or Right arrow: Spell word
  • Tab: Read and focus next focusable element (Buttons, links, etc.)
    • Shift + Tab: Previous one
  • NVDA key + F7: Open element list dialog, allows to navigate through links, headings, form fields, buttons, landmarks
  • H: Go to the the following heading
    • Shift + H: Previous one
  • 1 to 6: Go to the next heading level [1 to 6]
    • Shift + 1 to 6: Previous one
  • D go to next landmark (Main, Section etc)
    • Shift + D: Previous one
  • F - Get to next form element
    • Shift + D: Previous one
  • NVDA key + Space bar: Toggle form mode

Resources