Basic Training for NVDA

Release Date: 13 April 2016

This free sample is an extract from the full "Basic Training for NVDA" module and includes the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Introduction and Chapter 11: Review Cursor

If you find this sample useful, you are encouraged to purchase the full version from NV Access

The Basic Training for NVDA eBook is the first module in the official set of training materials for learning to use the free NVDA screen reader.

The purchase price of the product supports the work of NV Access and our ability to provide the NVDA screen reading software free of charge.

Copyright notice

Copyright © 2016 by NV Access Limited.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of NV Access Limited.

Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

First publication: April 2016

ISBN (of full book): 978-0-9945838-0-2

NV Access

Microsoft, Word, WordPad and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

"Basic Training for NVDA" is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, nor has it been authorised, sponsored or otherwise approved by, Microsoft Corporation.

1 Introduction

This "Basic Training for NVDA" module covers the essentials of using Windows with NVDA. It is designed as the first in a series of modules covering various aspects of using NVDA and Windows.

1.1 What is NVDA?

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free "screen reader" which reads the text on the screen in a computerised voice. You can control what information is read aloud and also convert the text into braille if a "braille display" is connected to the PC.

1.2 Goals

This module consists of the following sections:

Goals are presented at the beginning of each section with related review activities at the end of each section.

1.3 Prerequisites

It is expected that you are comfortable typing and locating keys on your computer's keyboard.

It is assumed that you will either have NVDA (and a braille display if required) already installed or will obtain assistance with installation and initial setup. Please refer to the "NVDA Setup Guide" section at the end of this material for how to download and install NVDA if needed.

You will need to have access to a computer which meets the following minimum requirements:

11 NVDA Review Cursor Basics

The aim of this section is to explore the NVDA review cursor. The review cursor allows you to read backward or forward through a document without moving the focus or the caret. You can also find out spelling and formatting information.

Goals for this section:

11.1 Using the Review Cursor

So far, when we have moved around a document in WordPad or a web page in Internet Explorer, we have moved the caret or focus as we moved. Using a mode called the "Review cursor", it is possible to read ahead or back through a document without moving the focus. This can be useful if you want to check a calculation, an address or the spelling of a word for instance.

First, let's practice moving by line and word. There are several ways of doing this:

With NVDA in desktop layout:

With NVDA in laptop layout:

If you are using a braille display, by default the display will be "tethered" to the focus. As you move the review cursor, although NVDA will read where the review cursor is, the output from the braille display will not change. This can be used to read the line with focus in braille and the review cursor in audio. You can toggle whether the braille display is tethered to the focus (the default) or to the review cursor by pressing NVDA+control+t.

Let's practice using the review cursor now:

Activity: The review cursor

  1. Open WordPad and type the following lines:

    To dear, Mr Kent,
    Offence was not meant!
    We spelt your name badly,
    Now we all feel sadly!
    Forgive us please now Mr Brown!

  2. Let's use the review cursor to check the names in our poem. Press num pad 7 (laptop: NVDA+up arrow) to move back to the first line.
  3. Press num pad 8 (laptop: NVDA+shift+.) to read the line the review cursor is on (it should be the first line). If using a braille display, read the output and note that it has not changed from the last line of the document.
  4. PRESS NVDA+up arrow (laptop: NVDA+l) to read the current line (where the caret is). Using the review cursor, we are able to read both the first and last lines easily and compare the names to see that indeed, the gentleman's name has been written incorrectly again.
  5. Press num pad 8 (NVDA+shift+.) to read the line the review cursor is on again. Note that it is still on the first line.
  6. Press home to move to the start of the current line. Stop and think about where the caret will be, and where the review cursor will be.
  7. Press NVDA+up arrow (laptop: NVDA+l) and note that the caret is still on the last line.
  8. Press num pad 8 to read the line the review cursor is on. Note that the review cursor has moved back to the last line now. Because we moved the caret, the review cursor automatically moved back to the caret.
  9. Save your document as "names" in the folder with your name you created previously. Leave WordPad open as we will come back to it next activity.

11.2 Review Cursor Navigation

Last activity, we moved and read whole lines with the review cursor. Let's now look at some of the other movement commands we can use to control the review cursor. Again this differs between desktop and laptop layout.

Desktop layout:

So far we know we can use num pad 7 to move the review cursor to the previous line, num pad 8 to read the current line the review cursor is on and num pad 9 to move the review cursor to the next line.

To read by word is num pad 4 for the previous word, num pad 5 for the current word and num pad 6 for the next word.

To read by character is num pad 1 for the previous character, num pad 2 for the current character and num pad 3 for the next character.

You can also use:

A good way to remember the review cursor commands is to think of them as being in a grid of three by three on the number pad, with top to bottom being line, word and character and left to right being previous, current and next.

With num pad 8 to read the current line and num pad 5 to read the current word, if you press the key twice quickly, it will spell the current line or word.

Laptop layout:

So far we know we can use NVDA+up arrow to move the review cursor to the previous line, NVDA+shift+. to read the current line the review cursor is on and NVDA+down arrow to move the review cursor to the next line.

To read by word is NVDA+control+left arrow for the previous word, NVDA+control+. for the current word and NVDA+control+right arrow for the next word.

To read by character is NVDA+left arrow for the previous character, NVDA+. for the current character and NVDA+right arrow for the next character.

You can also use:

A good way to remember the review cursor navigation commands is that they are similar to the commands for moving the caret with the addition of the NVDA modifier key.

With NVDA+shift+. to read the current line and NVDA+control+. to read the current word, if you press the key twice quickly, it will spell the current line or word.

Finally, in either mode you can press NVDA+f to report text formatting. We've used this before, but it is worth noting that this command actually reports formatting information at the review cursor rather than the caret.

Remember the review cursor stays with the caret position until you move it manually. You can toggle whether the review cursor stays with the caret or moves independently of the caret by pressing NVDA+6.

Let's practice moving the review cursor now:

Activity: Review cursor navigation

  1. Make sure that WordPad is still open with the "names" document we saved last activity.
  2. Press control+end to ensure the caret is at the end of the document.
  3. Press shift+num pad 7 (laptop: NVDA+control+home) to move to the top line.
  4. Press num pad plus (laptop: NVDA+shift+a) to read the document with the review cursor.
  5. Move the review cursor back to the top line again, then use num pad 6 (laptop: NVDA+control+right arrow) to move by one word at a time until the review cursor is on the word "Kent".
  6. Press num pad 5 (laptop: NVDA+control+.) twice quickly to spell the name.
  7. If using a braille display, press NVDA+control+t. NVDA will read "braille tethered to review" and the braille output will change to the text in the first line (where the review cursor is). Press NVDA+control+t and the braille output will tether to focus again.
  8. Press NVDA+f to read the text formatting information.
  9. Leave WordPad open as we will use it once again next activity.

11.3 Copying Text with the Review Cursor

As well as moving the review cursor to read a different part of a web page or document to where the focus is, you can also copy text from the review cursor. In both desktop and laptop layout, use NVDA+f9 to mark the start of the text to copy and NVDA+f10 to finish and copy the text.

Note that when copying in this mode, the selection includes the character to the right of the review cursor (the character read out when moving by character or the first character of the next word or line when moving by word or line).

Activity: Copying text with the review cursor

  1. Make sure that WordPad is open with the "names" document we have been using.
  2. Use the regular navigation and editing keys to delete the word "Brown" (Press control+end to move to the end of the text, control+left arrow until NVDA reads the word "Brown" then control+delete to delete the word).
  3. Use the review cursor movement commands to move the review cursor to the start of the word "Kent". (Press shift+num pad 7 (laptop: NVDA+control+home) to move to the top, then num pad 6 (laptop: NVDA+control+right arrow) to move word by word until you are on the word "Kent".
  4. Press NVDA+f9 to start marking (when moving the review cursor by word, the review cursor is at the start of the current word, the same as moving the regular caret).
  5. Press num pad 6 (laptop: NVDA+control+right arrow) to move right by one word then num pad 1 (laptop: NVDA+left arrow) to move back one character (remember copying from the review cursor takes an extra character at the right end than regular copying).
  6. Press NVDA+f10 to finish marking and copy the text.
  7. Press control+v to paste the text. Note that we didn't need to move as text is pasted where the caret is.
  8. Use the document reading keys to read the document and confirm that both instances of the name are now the same.
  9. Close WordPad without saving.

11.4 Review Cursor Review

This section, we have covered using the Review cursor. There are quite a lot of keystrokes in this section, more than we could cover in the activities, so you may want to come back and review this section again. Some of the key concepts included:

Activity: Review cursor review

  1. Open WordPad and type the following lines of text:

    Some of my favourite animals:
    Two cats, Meg and Mog,
    four birds and a dog.
    Plus a sheep is a total of:

  2. Move the review cursor to the top line.
  3. Read through the text using the review cursor to work out how many animals there are.
  4. Write the answer. Because we used the review cursor to read back through the information, we didn't need to move the caret from its original position at the end of the text.
  5. Move the review cursor to just after the word "Some" on the first line and mark to start copying text.
  6. Move the review cursor to select the text " of my favourite animals" (avoid selecting the colon ":").
  7. Press the keystroke to copy the text to the clipboard, then press Paste (Remember because we are selecting with the review cursor, we don't need to move to paste as we left the caret right where we want to paste).
  8. Read through the document. The last line should now read "Plus a sheep is a total of: 8 of my favourite animals".
  9. Close WordPad without saving.

This is the end of the free sample. The full book may be purchased from NV Access