NV Access

Windows users install the free, open-source NVDA screen reader to navigate apps that ship without semantic HTML.

ENABLE Model location

• Post-launch Compensations → Use Assistive Technologies

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is one of several assistive technologies, which are tools and devices that people with disabilities use to interact with digital and physical environments. These include screen readers, magnifiers, switch devices, Braille displays, and speech recognition software.

Why it matters

NV Access, through its NVDA screen reader, serves as a post-launch compensation, representing a burden placed on users when early-stage care is missing. Assistive technologies like NVDA should enhance user autonomy, but they often become a necessary patch for inaccessible environments. The need for users to rely on such tools arises because many digital systems are designed with a narrow view of the "average user," allowing accessibility barriers to persist.

When inclusive requirements are not set, content isn't authored accessibly, or compatibility with assistive technologies isn't tested, the burden falls directly on the end-user. Users are then forced to "bring their own tools" just to participate, even if those tools may not function optimally in a hostile or neglectful digital environment.

Real-world example

Maria navigates her university's learning portal using NVDA. The site was built without proper semantic HTML, meaning many buttons are unlabeled, and form fields are not announced correctly by the screen reader. Despite these challenges, she dedicates hours to finding ways to access the information she needs, utilizing keyboard shortcuts and screen reader workarounds. In this scenario, NVDA is the only reason she can access her coursework at all, even though she shouldn't have to put in this extra effort. This demonstrates how assistive technology becomes a forced compensation when accessibility is neglected upstream.

What care sounds like

• "We've built keyboard navigation into every interactive element".
• "We designed this form to be navigable by screen reader users".
• "We must develop our product in a way that screen readers can understand".
• "All interactive elements must be reachable and operable by keyboard".
• "We tested the signup form with a screen reader before shipping it".
• "We included blind and motor-impaired testers in our usability test".

What neglect sounds like

• "It looks fine, so we assumed it works".
• "Screen readers will figure it out, right?".
• "The screen reader can't read it? Maybe they just need a newer one".

What compensation sounds like

• "I use a screen reader, but this site has unlabeled buttons everywhere".
• "I never know which website will be usable today".
• "I had to install a screen reader just to apply for this job".