Be My Eyes — AI and Volunteer-Powered Visual Assistance
Denmark
Be My Eyes, founded in Copenhagen in 2015, connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers and, since 2023, AI …
Good practice
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NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access): Free Open-Source Screen Reader for Blind and Low-Vision Computer Users
Australia · Brisbane · See the Australia profile
Free, open-source Windows screen reader from Australian non-profit NV Access. WebAIM's independent 2024 survey of 1,539 users found NVDA the most commonly used screen reader worldwide (65.6%), with a 97.6% satisfaction rate - ahead of paid alternatives.
65.6%
Screen reader usage share among respondents (Dec 2023-Jan 2024)
37.7%
Named as primary screen reader (Dec 2023-Jan 2024)
97.6%
User satisfaction (very/somewhat satisfied) (Dec 2023-Jan 2024)
Details
- Maturity
- Established
- Promoter
- NV Access
- Period
- 2006-present
- Keywords
- assistive technology, accessibility, blindness, low vision, screen reader, open source
Context
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a free, open-source Windows screen reader begun by Michael Curran in 2006 and developed since 2007 by Australian non-profit NV Access, removing the cost barrier of commercial screen readers that can cost hundreds of dollars per licence.
Results
The independent WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 found NVDA the most commonly used screen reader worldwide at 65.6% of respondents (ahead of JAWS at 60.5% and VoiceOver at 43.9%), with 37.7% naming it their primary screen reader, and the highest user satisfaction of major screen readers at 97.6%.
Conclusions
As a small non-profit, NV Access depends on grants and donations (e.g. a Nippon Foundation grant) rather than licence revenue, creating less predictable funding than commercial competitors — a sustainability risk the survey data does not capture.
Implementation
Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.
Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.
- C-NAPSE web research — accessed 2026-07-15
- NV Access — accessed 2026-07-15
- WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 Results — accessed 2026-07-15
- Wikipedia: NonVisual Desktop Access — accessed 2026-07-15
Attachments
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