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CRITICAL THOUGHTS
Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) and the Proliferation of Global

Knowledge through Computer Access

Kaveinthran
Pulanthran

5 years ago, whenever a blind person revolutionising computer access for the blind
wanted to use a computer, they would need regardless of race and geographical location.
1to purchase a full-featured screen reader
which comes in the form of compact discs (CDs) As in any technological revolution, pessimism
or digital versatile discs (DVDs) which can cost up was the basis that propelled them forward. Many
to MYR 6,000. Even then, there was no easy and criticisms arose which argued that the quality of
free solution for the blind to have a screen reader NVDA would never be on par with the commercial
at their disposal. The screen reader market is screen reader and that a free solution would not
governed by western ideologies and technologies be able to stand the test of time. Nevertheless,
which cater for their own native languages. NVDA successfully overcame all uncertainties and
is currently available in 60 languages, benefitting
This means that children of a learning age from blind people across the world.
rural India or Morocco would have no opportunity
to read books in their local language. It is a great
relief that the cost, portability and localisation
issues mentioned above are slowly fading away,
thanks to the emerging mainstream free assistive
technology solutions accorded by large Information
Technology companies. However, before all of
these developments took place, there were two
blind visionaries from Australia that pioneered the
screen reader technology for the blind.

Michael Curran and Jamie Teh are the lead
developers and founders of Nonvisual Desktop
Access (NVDA), a free and open source portable
screen reader that interprets information using
synthetic speech and/or Braille. They started the
project with the understanding that blind persons
who are mostly unemployed or underemployed
face frustration when they need to incur thousands
of dollars just to use a computer. However, these
costs are intelligible and non-existent for those
with sight.
Realising the power of open source and free
solution that may democratize ideas and lead to
multitude of opportunities, they devised codes Michael Curran and Jamie Teh, the lead developers and
to enable NVDA to verbalise texts on screen. In founders of Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) (Image
source: https://www.nvaccess.org/about-nv-access/)
2006, the first free screen reader was introduced,

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