Google Docs support for NVDA

This add-on enhances compatibility with Google Docs. This add-on works in browse mode by making QuickNav commands and cursor navigation commands work properly. For example, if you use Google Docs without this add-on, then pressing H will take you to the next heading, but only among the ones visible on the screen. This add-on fixes this behavior and H command will now take you to all headings in the document.

Setup

For this add-on to work properly, we need to disable default NVDA shortcut, enable screenreader mode and Braille mode. Step-by-step instruction:

• Make sure that your default NVDA shortcut is either unassigned or assigned to something else rather than Control+Alt+N. In order to do that, edit properties of your NVDA shortcut on the desktop. This requirement comes from Google Docs.
• Open any Google Doc.
• Press Control+Alt+Z until you hear "Screenreader support enabled".
• Press Control+Alt+H until you hear "Braille support enabled".
• Press NVDA+Space to enter browse mode if you are in forms mode.

Requirements

Supported browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

For now this add-on requires "en_us" keyboard locale to be installed on your computer. This is required because the add-on needs to resolve Google Docs keystrokes and it does so in "en_us" locale. It will crash if "en_us" locale is not found. Pull requests to fix this behavior are welcome.

Supported commands

Global commands:

• NVDA+Alt+G - toggle Google Docs accessibility (allows to temporarily disable functionality of this add-on)

QuickNav commands (their Shift+ counterparts are omitted for brevity):

• H - next heading
• 1..6 - next heading level 1 through 6
• K - next link
• L - next list
• I - next list item
• G - next graphic
• T - next table
• C - next comment; this command doesn't work reliably - please direct concerns to Google Docs accessibility team

Navigation commands:

• Arrows
• Control+Arrows
• Home, End
• Control+Home, Control+End PageUp, PageDown

Known issues

• This add-on requires en_us to be installed on the computer.
• This add-on converts NVDA commands into Google Docs gestures. Therefore their behavior cannot be adjusted.
  • For example, pressing H repeatedly would wrap to the beginning of the document. This is inconvenient for NVDA users, but this is the default in Google Docs and unfortunately cannot be changed.
• Selection commands, such as Shift+Arrows are not supported at this time. Please switch to focus mode for selection.