PRACTICAL GUIDE
Screen-reader checks
Check reading order, control announcements, and task feedback with a focused desktop screen-reader workflow.
START WITH ONE TASK
Set up a repeatable screen-reader check.
Choose a small task, such as finding delivery information and opening its enquiry form. This guide uses NVDA on Windows for a desktop-web example; commands differ in other screen readers.
Record the browser, operating system, screen-reader version, and relevant settings. Use a practice environment and sample data for actions that could submit information.
Learn how to stop the screen reader before beginning. In NVDA, the NVDA modifier is normally Insert or Caps Lock, depending on configuration.
Before you begin
- Open the task’s starting page and launch NVDA.
- Use Ctrl to stop speech when needed.
- Use NVDA + Q to open the exit dialog when finished.
- Keep the task goal and expected outcome beside your test notes.
READING AND INTERACTION
Check both the content and the controls.
Reading order and keyboard focus are different checks. Ordinary paragraphs are read through screen-reader navigation; they do not need to be Tab stops.
In NVDA browse mode, use Down Arrow to read through the page, H for the next heading, and Shift + H for the previous heading. Tab and Shift + Tab move between focusable controls.
NVDA may enter focus mode when you reach a text field. Use NVDA + Space to switch between browse and focus modes when needed. A navigation key may otherwise type into the field.
Follow the task
- Read the heading structure. Does it describe the page and its sections?
- Read the content in sequence. Do instructions appear before they are needed?
- Reach the enquiry controls. Listen for a useful name, role, and state.
- Enter sample data and trigger an error. Check whether you can find and understand the message.
- Correct the entry and check the resulting feedback.
MAKE THE EVIDENCE USEFUL
Describe what was missing from the task.
Example: the delivery form visually marks an empty email field, but the screen-reader journey gives no usable way to find or understand the error. Record the actual announcement, the steps taken, and what prevented completion. Do not report a defect merely because the speech differs from your preferred phrasing.
Retest the same task after a change. Screen-reader checks complement keyboard, visual, and other evaluation methods; one successful combination does not establish overall accessibility. Include experienced screen-reader users when evaluating real usability.
Official guidance
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