In order to access computers, blind and vision impaired people need special screen reading software, but the cost of commercial products can be several thousand dollars on top of the cost of the computer itself. In a modern world where technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of everyday life, it is essential that blind and vision impaired people have access and are not left behind.

Access to technology facilitates participation in many areas of life, including education and employment. It is even more important for people who are blind than it is for most because it can help to greatly increase independence and quality of life. For example, reading the news and shopping can be done independently with the help of screen reading software. However, the high cost of commercial screen reading software is prohibitive for many people, thus denying them this important access.

NV Access is a global non-profit organisation, based in Australia, dedicated to the ideal that access to technology should not incur an extra cost for blind and vision impaired users. NV Access develops NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access), which is screen reading software for the Microsoft Windows Operating System that is completely free to users. It allows a blind or vision impaired person, no matter their location, language or economic status, to gain independence through access to computers. This award-winning software has been changing the lives of thousands of blind and vision impaired people who can now independently use computers to produce written content, read news, socialise, shop and bank online, and, most importantly, actively participate in education and employment. All of this would otherwise have been impossible due to the high cost of existing commercial software.

NVDA is not only changing the lives of blind and vision impaired people in Australia, but is used in at least 160 countries. In many of these countries, commercial alternatives are even more expensive than they are in Australia or simply not available at all.

"I am a twenty-three year old web developer, living in Iran. My country has been sanctioned for years, and this means that I cannot legally get any commercial screen readers. I use NVDA at home, at work, and in a flash drive; it’s with me wherever I go. I’m glad NV Access came up with the idea of such a screen reader, and I thank all the developers and contributors for making it such a great piece of software to use."
- Parham Doustdar, Iran

"When I came to know about an open source screen reader NVDA, my joy knew no bounds. I installed it in my father’s laptop and began my journey in the heaven of computers and internet. I knew nothing about computers before a year or so, but today my family members and friends often come to me to solve their computer queries. NVDA is my best teacher not only in the field of computer, but also literature and many more things. NVDA has been a complete destroyer of my problems; those of studies, gaining knowledge, entertainment and all essential tasks to be performed with the help of a computer. NVDA has made me what I longed to be."
- Dhiraj Konge, India

NV Access needs your help to continue this important work. Your tax-deductible donation, no matter how big or small, helps us to reach even more people with this life-changing software and ensure that it remains compatible with the world's rapidly changing technology.