# NVDA Setup

Below is some set up that will make testing a little nicer for sighted and mouse-using testers.

**Note**: "NVDA" in all caps used in a key command refers to whatever is set as the "NVDA key." **Insert** is the default NVDA key.

## Disable Mouse Settings

1. Launch NVDA
2. Open the NVDA Menu **(NVDA+n)**
   * Activate the context menu for the NVDA icon in the system tray
3. Navigate to the Mouse Settings
   * Keyboard shortcut: NVDA+control+m
   * Go to Preferences > Mouse Settings
4. Uncheck each checkbox
5. Click OK

## Install [Focus Highlight](https://addons.nvda-project.org/addons/focusHighlight.en.html)

Note the following usage information (copy/pasted from the Focus Highlight plugin page):

* Green jagged line, to indicate the navigator object.
* Red thin rectangle, to indicate the focused object/control.
* Red thick rectangle, to indicate when navigator object and focused object are overlapping.
* Blue thick rectangle with thin slashes, to indicate NVDA is in focus mode, i.e. key types are passed to the control.

## Enable Speech Viewer

1. Launch NVDA
2. Open the NVDA Menu **(NVDA+n)**
   * Activate the context menu for the NVDA icon in the system tray
3. Go to Tools > Speech Viewer
4. (optional) check the "Show Speech Viewer on Startup" check box

## Disable Audio indication of Focus and Browse modes

1. Launch NVDA
2. Open the NVDA Menu **(NVDA+n)**
   * Activate the context menu for the NVDA icon in the system tray
3. Go to Preferences > Browse mode...
4. Disable **Audio indication of focus and browse modes**

By disabling this feature, you will enable more explicit notification when switching between modes both audibly as well as in the speech viewer.

## MacBooks and NVDA

There are several suggested methods for getting NVDA to work on MacBooks either using Remote Desktop Client to Windows or via Windows in a VM.

None of the methods seem very reliable and all of the methods require installation of additional software along with special configuration.

Once we feel comfortable that there is a simple and dependable method for making this happen, we will post instructions or a link to dependable instructions.

## About

Author(s): Luis Garcia

Last Updated: 2017