How to Get Involved with NV Access and Support Its Mission

Updated

You can support NV Access in four practical ways: download and use the free NVDA screen reader, buy training or certification products, join the community through social media and email lists, and spread the word about why free screen readers matter. The organization's own site frames the mission simply: every blind and vision-impaired person deserves the right to freely and easily access a computer.

Start by Using NVDA

The most direct form of support is adoption. NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is a free, high-quality screen reader that NV Access has developed over more than 15 years. According to the site, it has already enabled 250,000+ people to gain freedom, education, and employment.

The problem NVDA addresses is cost. Many screen readers cost thousands of dollars — often more than the computer itself — which the site says holds millions of people back from affording a computer at all. NVDA removes that barrier.

To get started:

  1. Go to nvaccess.org and choose Download the NVDA Screen Reader.
  2. Install it on a Windows computer.
  3. Use the Support section for help if you get stuck.

If you are sighted, downloading NVDA and trying it with your eyes closed is one of the fastest ways to understand what your blind and vision-impaired colleagues actually experience.

Buy Training and Certification Products

NV Access sells paid materials that fund the mission while helping users and professionals build skills. Current products listed on the site:

Product Price (AUD) Notes
Basic Training for NVDA (eBook) $32.00 Entry-level training material
NVDA Expert Certification $100.00 Certification exam
NVDA Productivity Bundle $199.00 (was $225.00) Discounted bundle

These are listed prices in Australian dollars. Buying them is a direct way to support development while getting something useful in return — particularly for teachers, assistive technology trainers, and employers onboarding blind staff.

Join the Community

NV Access maintains an active presence across multiple platforms. Following, sharing, and participating all raise the profile of free accessibility software.

  • Social media: Follow @NVAccess on Mastodon, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and BlueSky.
  • Community platforms: Find NV Access on RBlind and Discord.
  • Email: Join the Official NVDA User email list, or connect with NVDA Communities around the world.

For users, the email list and Discord are the practical places to ask questions and get peer support. For supporters, sharing posts is low-effort and directly extends reach.

Understand What You Are Supporting

The NV Access manifesto, quoted from the site, states the principles behind the work:

  • Access to technology no matter your language, location, or financial situation
  • Quality over growth, access over profit
  • Software by the blind, for the blind
  • Ensuring innovation and preventing stagnation through competition
  • Uncompromising quality
  • Software serving minorities, not just the majority consumer

The scale of the need is significant: the site cites 285 million blind and vision-impaired people worldwide. Technology is described as the key that opens doors, but computers do not work out of the box without a screen reader to translate visual information verbally.

Other Ways to Help

Beyond downloading, buying, and joining, the site points to two further routes:

  • Accessibility consultation services — organizations can engage NV Access for accessibility expertise.
  • Partnerships and support — the "We're trusted and supported by" section indicates organizational backing is part of how the mission is sustained.

If you represent a company, the consultation route is the most substantive way to contribute while improving your own products.

A User's Perspective

The site includes a testimonial from Reina Brown in the United States, who says NVDA changed her life by removing the need to spend large sums on third-party software. She notes she can buy any new computer she wants and use it at the same cost as a sighted person. That framing — equal cost of participation — is the clearest statement of what the mission delivers in practice.

Which Route Fits You

  • Individual user: Download NVDA, then join the email list or Discord for support.
  • Trainer or employer: Buy the Basic Training eBook or the Productivity Bundle.
  • Professional seeking credentials: Take the NVDA Expert Certification.
  • Organization: Explore accessibility consultation services.
  • Anyone with five minutes: Follow and share @NVAccess on your preferred platform.

The common thread is that every route either extends access to someone who needs it or funds the work that makes that access free.