NVDA Training Introduction

Welcome to the NVDA for Windows Training Page

This is the place to learn how to use your Windows device with the NVDA screen reader.

Materials and Set Up:

You will need a laptop or desktop running NVDA in its full capacity. (Note that NVDA is a FREE screen reader.)

If you wish to alter any preferences to NVDA prior to starting this course, the preferences menu can be reached by pressing either "Insert + n", or "Caps Lock + n".

In addition, if you are working on a laptop and wish to set your settings to reflect a laptop keyboard layout, you can access keyboard settings by pressing "Control + Insert + k". It is in these settings you can also select your NVDA modifier key (either Insert, extended Insert, or Caps Lock). Am I overwhelming you yet? Sorry about that. Don't mind me, we will get to everything in due time.

Prerequisite Skills

Familiarity and basic knowledge of the QWERTY keyboard layout

Starting NVDA

To turn on NVDA you can perform the following actions: Press the Windows key, located 2 keys to the Left of the Spacebar. Start typing "NVDA" into the search bar. Press enter. A quick series of piano notes will play indicating that NVDA has started.

Alternatively, you can press "Alt + Control + n" all at the same time to start NVDA.

Note: To quit NVDA, press the NVDA modifier key (either Insert or Caps Lock) + q, so both keys at the same time.

Caution: Once NVDA is on, refrain from using the mouse for navigation. Manipulation of the mouse will impact NVDA focus, and can impact the experience of the NVDA user.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for people with visual impairments, teachers of the visually impaired or other vision professionals, or parents or friends of people with visual impairments.

Course Objectives:

Objective 1: Understand the purpose of a screen reader.
Objective 2: Learn to use keyboard navigation to read text on the screen.
Objective 3: Learn to interact with, group, and search for various web elements including headings and links.
Objective 4: Learn to use keyboard navigation to create and edit text.
Objective 5: Learn how screen readers interact with images.
Objective 6: Learn to navigate tables.
Objective 7: Learn the difference between object navigation and browse mode, and case uses for both.

One Last Thing

Every time you navigate to a new page, if you move your arrow down once or twice, you will here NVDA say "Skip to Main Content." Press "Enter", and you will bypass all the menu gobbledygook and the NVDA focus will move to the meat of our lesson content. HAVE FUN!

OKAY! LET'S GO!!! :)

Available Lessons

The best place to start, is at the beginning. Press enter or click on the link to start Lesson 1.

Start NVDA Lesson 1: Intro to NVDA