NV Access is pleased to announce the release of NVDA version 2024.4, the latest update of the free screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Users are encouraged to upgrade to benefit from various new features and enhancements that improve accessibility, especially in Microsoft Office, braille support, and document formatting.
Key Highlights
Microsoft Office Enhancements
NVDA 2024.4 has introduced new capabilities in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint:
- Reading Comments in Word and Excel: Users can now double-press the "comment" gesture in Word or Excel to open a browsable dialog, making it easier to review comments and notes efficiently.
- Selecting Text in PowerPoint: The "review cursor selection" command now allows you to select text within PowerPoint presentations, improving navigation and control over slide content.
These improvements offer more streamlined access to document details and editing functions, especially useful in collaborative settings.
Enhanced Braille Support
NVDA 2024.4 brings numerous improvements for braille users:
- Independent Font Attribute Reporting: Users can now configure NVDA to announce font attributes (such as bold, italic, underline) independently in speech and braille.
- Configurable Text Formatting in Braille: A new feature allows users to customize how text formatting is shown in braille, including an option to indicate the start of paragraphs.
- Cursor Routing in PowerPoint: Cursor routing is now available in PowerPoint, and the reliability of cursor routing across applications has been significantly improved.
- Multi-Line Braille Display via HID Braille: When using a multi-line braille display, NVDA now takes advantage of all lines, providing a more comprehensive reading experience.
Braille users will find these features especially valuable for reading and editing complex documents with better responsiveness and configurability.
General Accessibility Improvements
- New Timeout Setting for Multi-Press Gestures: NVDA now includes a configurable timeout for multi-press gestures, such as the "report time/date" command. This enhancement allows users to adjust the response timing for these commands to suit their preference.
- Character Announcement on Braille Cursor Routing: NVDA can now announce the character at the cursor location when performing a braille cursor routing action, giving braille users additional context as they navigate text.
Other Updates
Language and Braille Table Updates:
- The minimum required version of Poedit (the translation editor for NVDA) is now 3.5.
- eSpeak NG has been updated to support the Faroese and Xextan languages.
- LibLouis has been updated, adding braille tables for Thai and Greek, including single-cell accented characters, enhancing support for international braille users.
Bug Fixes:
- Several issues have been addressed, including improved mouse tracking in Firefox and enhanced stability of on-demand speech mode. Additionally, NVDA is now more stable after restarting during an automatic Bluetooth braille scan, reducing the risk of crashes.
Post-Update Recommendation
After any software update, it’s advisable to restart your computer to ensure that all new changes take effect properly. A quick reboot can prevent issues like software instability or unusual behavior that might occur when files in use are updated.
Download NVDA 2024.4
For a detailed list of changes and improvements, refer to the official documentation on the NV Access website:
NVDA 2024.4 offers extensive improvements across Office, braille, and customization options. These updates continue to make NVDA a versatile and accessible screen reader for visually impaired users, enabling a more efficient and user-friendly experience on Windows.
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