Focus Mode and Browse Mode in NVDA? What is that?

If you are frustrated and start thinking why your Yahoo Mail, Gmail in standard view and Google drive is not Blind friendly, this writing may help you.

About 7 to 8 years ago, I was so frustrated with my Yahoo mail as the Yahoo Classic view were discontinued. The new Full feature to me is a nightmare as it is totally not accessible in comparison with the classic view that I have used to. In fact, I did some research on the shortcut key they have in the Full Feature, and attempted to use it. I ended up frustrated as none of those keys written there working. I gave up Yahoo mail and tried out Gmail as most of my Blind friend agreed to be more accessible, especially the basic html view, though it was not design for accessibility but for slow internet speed.

Long story short, I realized that it was not the mail provider, but myself who was not knowing that NVDA has something call focus mode to make these keys works.

For any NVDA user, you may realise that every time you are inserting a text on a search / edit box on the internet, there will be this “Ted” sound. The same goes to selecting items in a Combo box.  The common idea is that the sound meant to indicate that we are typing or not. But the truth is, we are switching between focus mode and browse mode. In short, if you are typing on an edit box, you are actually in focus mode, and while reading through an article on internet, you are using a browse mode.

The following is my simple understanding about browse mode and Focus mode in NVDA

·         Browse mode allows user to READ / browse through a webpage, word document and HTML files with some short cut keys. And these keys are usually element related, (element such as link, heading, graphics, table and more)

·         Browse mode allows you to jump from one element to another using a single letter navigation key, e.g. press k to the next link and press h jump to the next heading.

·         Focus mode enable you to focus on element and perform certain ACTION which include but not limited to executing instruction, typing, selecting items and more.

·         Focus mode allows you to type out the letters and use special keys that is featured in Gmail, Yahoo Mail, YouTube, Google Drive and more.

It is also important to note that NVDA will automatically switch its mode, e.g. NVDA go to focus mode (in the edit box) when we go to google search, depending on situation. However sometime, we can switch it manually by using NVDA Key + Space, especially we are intentionally using it to do certain thing. You will hear the similar “Ted” sound whenever you are entering an edit box, and you will hear “tum” sound, just like exiting an edit box, to change back to browse mode.

To see how useful is your focus mode, you can go to YouTube and play a video, and in focus mode (NVDA+space), press left or right arrow, press K or F. You will learn how cool it is to work with Focus Mode on YouTube. Remember, the focus mode can be activated in anywhere but not on an edit box or a combo box as it will mean that we are entering these elements. I wish you good luck to try out the focus mode!