Screen Readers: JAWS, Narrator, and NVDA

First-time keyboard guide

Use this short routine before following the Screen Readers: JAWS, Narrator, and NVDA procedures. It explains exactly how the keyboard directions in this manual work.

Press a single key

1. Find the named key without pressing it if possible.
2. Press and release the key one time. Do not hold it unless the step specifically says to hold it.
3. Stop and listen to the full screen-reader announcement before pressing another key.

Press a keyboard combination

1. When a command contains a plus sign, such as Ctrl+S, hold down the first key.
2. While continuing to hold the first key, press and release the final key once.
3. Release the first key. The plus sign is not a key and should not be pressed.
4. Listen for the expected result described in the procedure. If nothing changes, verify that the correct application or webpage has focus and try the command once more.

Press a sequence of keys

1. When keys are separated by commas or the word “then,” press and release them in order instead of holding them together.
2. After each key, listen for a menu, tab, control, or new screen before continuing.
3. If the announcement does not match the step, press Escape once to close the current menu or dialog and restart that procedure.

Know which navigation key to try

• Tab and Shift+Tab: move forward and backward among buttons, links, fields, and other controls.
• Arrow keys: move inside menus, lists, groups of choices, text, and many screen-reader reading views.
• Enter: opens the selected item or activates the focused command.
• Space: activates many buttons and checks or clears checkboxes. In a text field, Space types a space.
• Escape: cancels or closes the current menu, list, or dialog without intentionally accepting a change.

Verify before moving on

1. Listen for the window, page, or application name so you know where focus is.
2. Perform only one numbered step.
3. Compare what the screen reader announces with the “What should happen” information in the procedure.
4. If the result is wrong, stop. Use the procedure’s recovery directions, Escape to cancel, or Ctrl+Z to undo when that command is supported.
5. Continue only after you can identify the result. Save completed work with Ctrl+S whenever the application supports saving.

Choose the screen reader available to you

Use one primary screen reader at a time. Running several simultaneously can produce overlapping speech and conflicting commands. An instructor may demonstrate a second product after the student can safely start, stop, and recover the primary choice.

What stays the same

Windows and application commands such as Tab, Shift+Tab, Arrow keys, Enter, Spacebar, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Alt+Tab, and Windows+L usually stay the same. Screen-reader commands differ when you request information, change reading modes, open element lists, adjust speech, or use product settings.

Equivalent concepts with different names

• Screen-reader key: JAWS key, Narrator key, or NVDA key.
• Web-reading mode: JAWS Virtual Cursor, Narrator Scan Mode, or NVDA Browse Mode.
• Typing in forms: JAWS Forms Mode, Narrator with Scan Mode off, or NVDA Focus Mode.
• Command discovery: JAWS Keyboard Help, Narrator Input Learning, or NVDA Input Help.

First complete session with your chosen screen reader

Follow only the procedure for the screen reader you selected. Each procedure performs the same checks so you can compare products without mixing their commands.

JAWS: start, identify focus, read, and stop

Before you begin: Confirm that JAWS is installed and licensed on the practice computer.

1. Press the Windows key, type JAWS, use Down Arrow if several versions appear, and press Enter on the intended version.
2. Wait for the JAWS startup announcement. If another screen reader is already speaking, stop one of them before continuing.
3. Press Insert+T. JAWS should announce the title of the active window.
4. Press Insert+Tab. JAWS should describe the control that currently has keyboard focus.
5. Press Insert+1 to turn Keyboard Help on. Press Tab, H, and Insert+T one at a time and listen to their descriptions; the keys should not perform their normal actions while help is on.
6. Press Insert+1 again to turn Keyboard Help off.
7. Press Windows+R, type notepad, and press Enter. Confirm “Notepad” with Insert+T.
8. Type one sentence. Use Left Arrow to read by character and Ctrl+Left Arrow to move by word.
9. Press Ctrl+Home, then Insert+Down Arrow to read continuously. Press Ctrl to stop speech.
10. Press Ctrl+S, choose a disposable practice filename and location, and save the note.
11. Close Notepad with Alt+F4. Open the JAWS window or system-tray menu and choose Exit JAWS; confirm only if the correct exit dialog is announced.

What should happen: JAWS identifies the window and focus, describes keys in Keyboard Help, reads the practice sentence, and exits without affecting the saved note.

If that does not happen: Press Escape to close an unexpected menu, use Alt+Tab to return to the intended window, and verify that Caps Lock or Insert is configured as the JAWS key before repeating a JAWS command.

Narrator: start, learn keys, scan, and stop

1. Press Windows+Ctrl+Enter. Wait for Narrator to announce that it has started.
2. Remember that the Narrator key is Caps Lock or Insert by default. This procedure writes it as “Narrator key.”
3. Press Narrator key+1 to turn Input Learning on.
4. Press Tab, H, and Narrator key+T one at a time and listen to their descriptions.
5. Press Narrator key+1 again to turn Input Learning off.
6. Press Windows+R, type notepad, and press Enter.
7. Type one sentence. Use Left Arrow and Right Arrow to review characters in the editable text.
8. Press Ctrl+Home, then Narrator key+Down Arrow to begin reading. Press Ctrl to stop speech.
9. Open a public webpage and press Narrator key+Spacebar to confirm Scan Mode. Use H to move by heading and Tab to move through interactive controls.
10. If letters type instead of navigating, stop typing, press Narrator key+Spacebar once, and listen for the Scan Mode state before continuing.
11. Press Windows+Ctrl+Enter and confirm that Narrator stops.

What should happen: Narrator describes practice keys, reads editable text, moves through webpage structure in Scan Mode, and stops with its Windows shortcut.

If that does not happen: Check whether the Narrator key is Caps Lock or Insert, make sure Input Learning has been turned off, and identify whether Scan Mode is on before using single-letter webpage commands.

NVDA: start, use Input Help, browse, and stop

1. Press the Windows key, type NVDA, and press Enter. Wait for the startup sound or spoken version information.
2. Remember that the NVDA key is Insert or Caps Lock according to the installed keyboard settings.
3. Press NVDA+1 to turn Input Help on.
4. Press Tab, H, and NVDA+T one at a time. NVDA should identify each command without carrying it out.
5. Press NVDA+1 again to turn Input Help off.
6. Press Windows+R, type notepad, and press Enter. Press NVDA+T to confirm the window title.
7. Type one sentence, use Left Arrow to review characters, and use Ctrl+Left Arrow to move by word.
8. Press Ctrl+Home, then NVDA+Down Arrow to read continuously. Press Ctrl to stop speech.
9. Open a public webpage. Listen for Browse Mode, then use H for headings, K for links, and F for form fields.
10. When entering a form field, listen for Focus Mode before typing. Press Escape to return to Browse Mode when finished.
11. Press NVDA+Q, review the exit dialog, and press Enter on Exit only after it is announced.

What should happen: NVDA identifies commands in Input Help, reads text, uses Browse and Focus modes appropriately, and exits through its confirmation dialog.

If that does not happen: Confirm which key is configured as NVDA, turn Input Help off before resuming work, and press NVDA+Spacebar only when you need to manually change Browse or Focus Mode.

Verify the session before advancing

1. Name the one screen reader you used.
2. State its screen-reader modifier key.
3. Demonstrate keyboard help and exit it.
4. Identify the active window and focused control.
5. Read a sentence continuously and stop speech.
6. Explain the product’s webpage reading mode and typing mode.
7. Stop only that screen reader without closing unrelated work.

Ten-lesson learning path

1. Lesson 1: Choose, Start, and Stop a Screen Reader — Choose JAWS, Narrator, or NVDA and start and stop it safely.
2. Lesson 2: Keyboard Help, Speech Control, and Basic Information — Use keyboard help and control speech without losing focus.
3. Lesson 3: Read by Character, Word, Line, Paragraph, and Continuously — Read and review text at several levels with the chosen screen reader.
4. Lesson 4: Navigate Windows, Dialogs, and Controls — Move reliably through Windows applications and identify focus.
5. Lesson 5: Browse Webpages by Headings, Links, Lists, and Landmarks — Navigate structured webpages efficiently with the selected screen reader.
6. Lesson 6: Complete Forms and Manage Input Modes — Enter fictional information in web forms while controlling reading and typing modes.
7. Lesson 7: Navigate Tables, Lists, and Structured Information — Read relationships in tables and lists without losing row or column context.
8. Lesson 8: Read, Edit, and Review Workplace Documents — Use shared editing commands and screen-reader feedback in Word or another document editor.
9. Lesson 9: Help, Settings, Updates, Braille, and JAWS AI — Find trustworthy help, make reversible settings changes, and understand product-specific advanced features.
10. Lesson 10: Final Screen-Reader Workplace Project — Complete a realistic Windows, web, form, document, and troubleshooting workflow with the chosen screen reader.

Official references

• Freedom Scientific: navigating web pages with JAWS
• Freedom Scientific: JAWS reading commands
• Microsoft: complete guide to Narrator
• Microsoft: Narrator keyboard commands
• NV Access: current NVDA user guide
• NV Access: current NVDA commands quick reference

Basic and advanced step-by-step procedures

These procedures make the manual usable on its own. The separate lessons provide assignments and progress tracking when you want a course experience.