aardrian / a11y-testing-vms

How to configure a VirtualBox Windows VM for testing accessibility

Test screen reader accessibility with IE on OS X

How to configure a VirtualBox Windows VM for testing accessibility on OS X

Host machine setup

VirtualBox

1. Download and run the VirtualBox installer.

Windows image

1. Download the latest version of Windows/IE from https://dev.windows.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/mac/.
2. Unarchive and open the VM image in VirtualBox.

Virtual machine setup

NVDA

1. Download and open the NVDA screen reader installer.
2. Change the default voice:

• Choose the NVDA item from the Notifications menu in the Windows taskbar and choose Preferences > Synthesizer > Microsoft Speech API

3. Change the modifier key to capslock (by default it's numpad insert and extended insert):

• Choose the NVDA item from the Notifications menu in the Windows taskbar and choose Preferences > Keyboard Settings
• Select "laptop" from the keyboard layout dropdown
• Check the box "Use CapsLock as an NVDA modifier key"

4. Review the user guide for instructions on navigation and start visiting content. (hint: capslock + down arrow will get the NVDA cursor focus moving about and announcing web content)

Protips

• wear headphones when using screen readers.
• shift key pauses speech in NVDA.
• Save a snapshot of the VM to revert to when the Windows license expires.