This post explains why Windows screen readers behave the way they do, and how your code can influence that behaviour. To turn NVDA off or modify settings, click the NVDA icon in the system tray.Windows screen readers have multiple modes of interaction, and depending on the task being carried out they’ll automatically switch to the most appropriate mode.To speed up or slow down NVDA reading speed, click the NVDA icon in your Windows notification area and choose Preferences > Settings > Speech.

To toggle mouse tracking on/off, use Ins + M. You may want to turn this off because you will be using your mouse to scroll the screen view during testing.

When you start NVDA it will start with mouse tracking enabled, this means that if you move your mouse it will interrupt what is being read and move the focus to your mouse.

NVDA is designed for use in Firefox and may not work well with other browsers.

Once running, all settings, help, commands, and functions are available by clicking the NVDA icon in the system tray. Remember, if you want NVDA to stop talking, just hit your CTRL key! The following table lists the relevant checkpoints, a recommended testing technique with the corresponding NVDA keystrokes, and video clips illustrating NVDA output for each command. The WCAG 2.x A and AA Manual Evaluation form used by Syracuse University staff for testing web sites and web applications includes a number of checkpoints that are best tested using a screen reader.

For in-depth instruction on using NVDA please refer to the training materials on the NV Access Get Help page.

It is not intended to be a comprehensive introduction to the NVDA screen reader. This guide is intended for Syracuse University staff who would like to use NVDA as part of a WCAG 2.x assessment of a web site or web application.

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