Using Balabolka with NVDA to edit text
AppleVis [Unofficial]
February 22, 2026
Hi all,
We use Balabolka quite often to convert text to audio with JAWS. When doing the conversion, we often need to manually edit URLs or acronyms so they are pronounced correctly. We play the text, listen, stop, edit if needed, then play it again, and so on.
However, I’ve noticed that editing with NVDA is almost impossible without a Braille display. When moving the cursor in the main document field, NVDA says “blank” or “line feed,” and it does not properly announce characters or the current line of text. I tried navigating with the review cursor instead, but it is even worse. Selecting text is almost impossible.
Has anyone found a way to ensure NVDA behaves correctly when editing text in Balabolka? Copying text back and forth between Balabolka and Notepad is not really an option here, given the complexity of the documents. This situation prevents someone who does not have access to JAWS from completing their work and creates employment barriers.
Any suggestions to fix this issue? If not, are you aware of any other software that can convert text to audio that is compatible with NVDA, includes a pronunciation dictionary, and supports SAPI5 voices?
Thanks,
Discussion in the ATmosphere