NVDA Accessibility Extension

Open Source Screen reader extension.

Github repository

Inspiration

While learning about accessibility in tech, I realized that many screen readers don’t clearly announce indentations or code formatting. Since indentation is crucial for understanding code especially in languages like Python I wanted to create something that could help.

What it does

The NVDA Accessibility Extension improves how code is read out loud. It clearly announces:

• Indentation levels
• Missing or incorrect indentations
• Important coding structures

This makes it easier for blind developers to write, review, and debug code with more confidence.

How it is built

The extension is written in Python and connects directly to the NVDA screen reader’s environment. Me and my team researched how NVDA’s speech output works and wrote custom scripts that check and announce indentation patterns.

Challenges we ran into

Understanding NVDA’s internal architecture was tricky at first. It’s a big open-source project with lots of moving parts. Also, designing the extension in a way that felt helpful without being overwhelming for users took time and testing.

What I learned

I learned a lot about accessibility, Python development, and working with assistive technologies. I also grew a lot in terms of user-centered design really listening to feedback and making changes based on what users needed, not just what I thought was best.

Key Features

• Announces indentation levels
• Helps catch formatting mistakes
• Supports more accessible coding

Contributions

• Empowering blind programmers to code with more independence
• Promoting inclusive software development

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