Teaching the Use of a Screen Reader with a Refreshable Braille Display

Instructions using NVDA

Lesson 1: Getting Ready

You have made the decision to teach the learner how to use NVDA. While I have called this lesson 1, it would perhaps be better called Lesson 0, because this is when you, the QTVI, need to get ready. You need to ensure that whatever screen reader you are teaching is installed on your own device. It is impossible to teach these lessons if you haven't tried something yourself first of all.

If you are using NVDA you will likely need to get your IT Department to download NVDA onto your device for you. My top tip is to make sure that you are sitting with the IT technician when they do this. During the installation process there are boxes that need to be checked (or unchecked) that will make your job easier going forward. For example:

NVDA should be installed on the computer, not as a portable copy.

Even if NVDA is being installed on a laptop, keep the keyboard layout as desktop – this will save you issues in the short term.

Ensure "Use the caps lock key as an NVDA modifier key" is checked - very important!

There is also an opportunity at this point to decide if you want NVDA to start automatically on start up. If NVDA is installed on your own laptop I would suggest that you ensure that starting NVDA during sign on is not checked, as most times you will be reaching for the mute button or switching it off immediately. If NVDA is downloaded onto a learner's machine then it should be configured to start from start up.

More information on these settings can be found in the NVDA User Guide in particular sections 2.1 and 2.2.

Watch the video below on how to switch NVDA on and off.

Key Commands

Switch NVDA on: Control, Alt + n

Switch NVDA off: Caps lock + q

Learning Intentions

Lesson 2: Exploring the NVDA Menu

Part 1

In part 1 of this lesson, we are going to explore the NVDA menu. This is important both for you as a teacher learning NVDA and when working with a learner. If you are working with a very young learner, you may want to make some of the changes on the learner's machine with them e.g. selecting the voice, and other settings you may change for them, such as the level of punctuation and way punctuation is spoken. Once learners become familiar with the keystrokes used to move through menus they can explore NVDA's menu independently. For many learners the content of this lesson will be much more meaningful later, once they become familiar with navigating menus and webpages.

If you wish to have a Scottish voice as your NVDA voice, then you can download these from CALL Scotland.

In the videos below I explain how to move through the menus using keystrokes but as a teacher you can use the mouse on your device. The purpose of this lesson is not to learn how to move through a menu using keystrokes, but rather about changing the settings to make NVDA appropriate for the age and ability of your learner.

Learning Intentions

Key Commands

Open NVDA Menu: Caps lock + n

Part 2

In part 2 I show you how to change the way that NVDA announces some commonly used punctuation. For example, full stops are announced as "period" and exclamation marks are announced as "bang". If you, and your learner are happy with this then you don't have to change it, however if you would prefer a full stop to be called just that, then watch the video below. In the video I use keystrokes to make the changes, but teachers can use a mouse, particularly if you are new to NVDA.

Learning Intentions


© Elizabeth McCann, 2025

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