Open source projects run the gamut from super-useful problem solvers to just-plain-fun apps. March’s Project of the Month — NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) — falls into a class of its own. NVDA is a screen reader for Windows that allows visually impaired people to easily access the internet.
Australian software developer Michael Curran, “always believed that he should not have to pay an extra cost to access the Windows Operating System than his sighted peers. However, he also believed that it was not the job of the state or charities alone to fund the needs of blind people.”
Inspired by existing Linux-based screen reading clients, Curran set out to create a screen reader specifically for Windows and released its first code in April, 2006. Curran’s friend James Teh joined the project, followed by a slew of other volunteers interested in testing, translating, and using the app.
Curran says he’s quite proud of what his project has accomplished in the last few years. “We are proud to have gotten this far, from NVDA’s humble beginnings as a small, voluntary pet project with vast dreams to the well-known and usable Screen Reader that it is now. We are proud that our work has earned both the project and ourselves considerable respect in the accessibility industry. We are of course most proud that we are able to offer a free solution to those who could not have otherwise afforded it.”
Head over to NVDA’s Project of the Month page to learn more about this valuable screen reader, including how Yahoo! uses it to better serve its blind community members.