Nothing changes a team's perception more than hearing its own site read by a screen reader. NVDA is free, runs on Windows, and in 20 minutes gives a realistic idea of what a blind user experiences on your store. Here's a guided walkthrough for sighted developers — no prior skill required.

Installation

  1. 01Download NVDA for free from nvaccess.org
  2. 02Install it (Windows only — on Mac, use VoiceOver, already built in)
  3. 03Launch it: you hear the synthetic voice start reading

// A tip before you start

Close your eyes, or turn off the screen, for part of the test. As long as you can see the page, your brain compensates for what NVDA doesn't say. It's blind that the real blockers appear.

The 6 essential shortcuts

  • →Insert + Space: start / stop continuous reading
  • →Tab: move to the next interactive element
  • →H: jump to the next heading (h1-h6)
  • →K: jump to the next link
  • →F: jump to the next form field
  • →Insert + F7: show the list of landmarks, headings and links

The typical walkthrough on your site

  1. 01Homepage: does NVDA read the site name and tagline? Are the promo images described or silent?
  2. 02Product list: F to reach the search, K to browse the products — is the name + price announcement clear?
  3. 03Product page: Tab to "Add to cart". Is the action announced? Is the add to cart confirmed aloud?
  4. 04Checkout: fill it in using only the keyboard and your ears. Are the labels read? Are errors announced in real time?

What you'll probably discover

  • →Promo images announced by their file name, or not at all
  • →A cart button announced "button" without saying what
  • →A silent add-to-cart: nothing confirms it worked
  • →Checkout fields without a label, read as "edit" with no context

✓ The 20-minute test is worth a wake-up call

Doing this walkthrough once radically changes the team's perception: accessibility stops being a checkbox and becomes a concrete experience. It's the highest-ROI investment for internalising the subject — but it complements the audit, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently asked questions

Does NVDA replace a full audit?

No. A manual test on a few pages reveals the most glaring blockers and trains the team, but it doesn't cover the whole site or every criterion. It's the ideal human complement to an automated audit, not a substitute.

And on Mac or mobile?

On Mac, VoiceOver is built in (Cmd+F5). On iOS too; on Android, it's TalkBack. Testing at least one desktop screen reader and one mobile one gives good coverage of real use.

How many pages to test?

One example of each key template is enough for the learning walkthrough: home, list, product, cart, checkout. It's the purchase journey that matters most.

Complement your NVDA test with an automated audit of the whole site:

→ Run an audit