NVDA for new users: the ten things that matter first Official

NVDA is the free screen reader for Windows, and it is what most of our players use. If you are new to it, these ten points will carry you through the first week.

1. The NVDA key. By default it is Insert, or Caps Lock if you turn that on in the keyboard settings. Almost every NVDA command is this key plus something else.

2. NVDA plus N opens the NVDA menu. Preferences, tools, help and the exit command are all there.

3. Control silences speech at once. Shift pauses and resumes it. You will use this constantly.

4. NVDA plus T reads the window title, NVDA plus B reads the whole window from the top, and NVDA plus Tab reads the current focus again.

5. Browse mode and focus mode. In a browser, letters such as H, K, B and E jump to headings, links, buttons and edit fields. When you land in an edit field NVDA switches to focus mode automatically so that typing works; NVDA plus Space switches manually.

6. Speech rate and voice. NVDA plus Control plus the arrow keys change the synthesizer settings without opening a dialog. Most experienced users speed the voice up gradually over a few weeks.

7. The review cursor. Numpad 7, 8 and 9 read the previous, current and next line, 4, 5 and 6 do the same for words, and 1, 2 and 3 for characters. It lets you read text that has no keyboard focus.

8. Object navigation. NVDA plus numpad 4, 6, 8 and 2 move between objects on the screen; NVDA plus numpad Enter activates the current one. This is the way into things that have no shortcut.

9. Input help. NVDA plus 1 turns on input help: every key you press is described instead of executed. Press it again to leave. It is the safest way to learn a keyboard.

10. Add-ons. The NVDA add-on store, in the tools menu, has extensions for OCR, remote support, sound schemes and more. Install one at a time so that you know what changed.

Life in Nature speaks on its own through the screen reader, so the game does not need any special NVDA setting. If speech stops in the game, check that the game window still has focus.