# nvaccess/nvda

NVDA, the free and open source Screen Reader for Microsoft Windows

Repository: https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nvda
Homepage: https://www.nvaccess.org/
Language: Python
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: accessibility, screen-reader, blind
Last push: 2026-08-26T10:21:35+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 90/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 72, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3949, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 106, "gap_med": 42, "n_releases_24m": 14}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2625, forks 819 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:05.279407+00:00)

## What it is
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, open source screen reader for Microsoft Windows that reads on-screen text aloud via synthetic speech or braille displays. Developed by NV Access, it enables blind and vision impaired users to fully operate Windows and third-party applications.

## Use cases
- read screen content aloud on windows
- free screen reader for blind users
- use a computer with a braille display
- access windows applications without sight
- portable screen reader on a usb stick
- screen reader in my own language
- alternative to expensive commercial screen readers

## When to choose
- you are blind or vision impaired and need free, full-featured Windows screen access
- you need a portable screen reader that runs from a USB stick on any PC
- you want a screen reader with broad language support and an active add-on ecosystem
- you need an open source, community-driven alternative to JAWS or commercial screen readers

## When to avoid
- you need a screen reader for macOS, Linux, or mobile platforms
- you require vendor-backed commercial support contracts and certification beyond NV Access's paid offerings
- you need a lightweight library to embed accessibility into your own app rather than a standalone desktop application

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: accessibility, speech-recognition, tts, gui, plugin-system, internationalization
- domain: accessibility, windows, desktop-applications, developer-tools
- platform: windows, python
- tags: screen-reader, text-to-speech, braille-display, blind-users, vision-impaired, open-source, portable-app, add-ons, desktop

## Member repositories
- nvaccess/nvda (main) score 90

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:05.279407+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:19:51.223207+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:05.279407+00:00, sha ea6b086ece35)
  - homepage: https://www.nvaccess.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T10:02:53.996276+00:00, sha e1ba6dde28ac)
  - site_page: https://www.nvaccess.org/about-nv-access (fetched 2026-08-29T10:02:54.005576+00:00, sha 9015926f8cbf)
  - site_page: https://www.nvaccess.org/about-nvda (fetched 2026-08-29T10:02:54.007792+00:00, sha 85625e1bb80c)
  - site_page: https://www.nvaccess.org/services (fetched 2026-08-29T10:02:54.009738+00:00, sha bc15d62685e2)
  - site_page: https://www.nvaccess.org/category/news/releases (fetched 2026-08-29T10:02:54.011483+00:00, sha 286a731f576f)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.