NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a screen reader that provides essential assistive technology to meet the individual accommodation needs of both students and employees across campus. In addition to ensuring equitable access to course materials, workplace tools, and institutional systems for vision-impaired individuals, NVDA equips faculty and staff with a vital tool for digital accessibility testing to audit websites, documents, and online learning content.
Available to:
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Students
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Faculty
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Staff
Where to get it:
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On ODU-managed Windows computers, download the software from the Using Company Portal (Word Doc).
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On personal computers, available for free download.
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Ready and installed in Classroom and Lab Computers on Main Campus.
Platform requirements:
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Operating System: Windows 10, 11 (32-bit and 64-bit).
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Mac users should consider using VoiceOver (VoiceOver User Guide (Apple Support)).
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Memory (RAM): 512 MB minimum
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Storage Space: 90 MB minimum
Key Use Cases for ODU
Digital Accessibility Auditing & Testing (Faculty & Staff)
NVDA serves as a primary, industry-standard tool for ODU content creators, web developers, instructional designers, and faculty to test digital materials for accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA standards):
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Canvas LMS Auditing: Ensure online course pages, modules, discussion boards, and quizzes are fully navigable using screen readers.
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Document & Content Testing: Audit PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and digital syllabi before publishing to guarantee proper reading order, heading structure, and image alt text.
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Web & Software Evaluation: Audit departmental web pages, internal portals, and prospective third-party software tools for keyboard-only navigation and screen-reader compatibility prior to institutional procurement.
Campus Accommodations & Inclusive Learning (Students & Employees)
NVDA delivers screen-reading functionality that converts on-screen text into spoken speech or Braille output:
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Academic Equal Access: Provides students with independent access to textbooks, research databases, library resources, and online coursework.
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Workplace Productivity: Equips ODU employees with access to university administrative tools, HR systems, email platforms, and productivity suites.
How to Use NVDA for Digital Accessibility Testing
Faculty and staff conducting accessibility reviews on course content or university web pages can perform basic checks using these steps:
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Launch NVDA: Open NVDA on your Windows system (Ctrl + Alt + N).
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Navigate without a Mouse: Put your mouse aside and use the Tab, Shift + Tab, and Arrow keys to navigate the document or website.
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Verify Heading Structure: Press H to skip through headings sequentially to verify logical document hierarchy.
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Check Image Alt Text: Navigate to images to confirm NVDA reads concise, descriptive text instead of file names or "unlabeled image."
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Form & Button Verification: Tab through forms or interactive elements in Canvas or web pages to ensure all fields announce clear labels and visual focus indicators.
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Exit NVDA: Press Insert + Q (or NVDA Modifier Key + Q) and select Exit.
More Information & Resources
- User Guides: NV Access Official User Guide
- Testing Cheat Sheet: WebAIM NVDA Keyboard Shortcuts
- Learn NVDA: A Free Screen Reader for Windows (American Foundation for the Blind)
- Office of Educational Accessibility (ODU)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ODU)