I'd second the speech recognition built into Windows 7. I'm fully sighted and although not used it for programming, I find it extremely accurate - you will very quickly find yourself opening applications, finding stuff, dictating, saving documents etc without touching the keyboard. Needs a little training to setup though - you may need sighted help for this part. Would be interested to hear experiences of the setup part from screenreader users. On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 8:50 PM, Michael A. Ray <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > David and Terry, > > I have just looked at the Wikipaedia page for this subject and discovered > there is a quite advanced speech recognition engine built in to Windows 7. > I have just run through the setup and training, reading the text prompts > into my boom mic. > > I haven't attempted to actually use it yet and I must say that for the first > time I have begun to ask myself some searching questions... > > I am a software writer to the very core. This lady is a software developer > and is losing the use of her hands. As I type this email at about 45 words > a minute, I am asking whether I would swap my hands for the return of my > vision. And I think the answer has to be no. > > I am going to try to write the good old 'Hello World!' application in C > without using the keyboard and mouse. Of course I can't see either, which > this lady can, but I guess it can be done. > > Mike > > > > On 03/01/2013 20:43, David W Wood wrote: >> >> Thanks for updating my knowledge! >> >> I last tried it about 3 or so years ago, obviously things have come on a >> load more since then! >> >> >> ATB >> >> David W Wood >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> [mailto:access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] >> On Behalf Of Terry Clasper >> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 8:36 PM >> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Speech Recognition Software Recommendations >> >> David. >> Sorry absolutely not the case anymore. >> For sure you can train it, but with Dragon 11.5 and even earlier you >> absolutely do not need to sit and train it if you don't want to. >> Often these days people start off by not doing the training and with a >> basic >> voice profile, then after a while they will either do training or use some >> of the other tools provided in the software, like presenting documents for >> analysis etc. >> There are many ways these days to get the software very quickly to do what >> you want without copious amounts of time sitting in front of the computer >> talking to it! >> >> >> Terry Clasper. >> E-Mail, terry.clasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx >> Twitter: @terryclasper >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> [mailto:access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] >> On Behalf Of David W Wood >> Sent: 03 January 2013 20:32 >> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Speech Recognition Software Recommendations >> >> Mike >> >> It still needs training, and the more you do at the early stages, the more >> accurate the transposition. >> >> >> ATB >> >> David W Wood >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> [mailto:access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] >> On Behalf Of Michael A. Ray >> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 8:06 PM >> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Speech Recognition Software Recommendations >> >> Terry, >> >> Very helpful indeed. Is the product now known as 'Dragon Dictate'? I >> think it was called 'Dragon Naturally Speaking' before. >> >> The only experience I have of this is from about fifteen years ago when >> the software needed a lot of training to recognise a voice. >> >> This lady is not visually impaired but her needs as a software developer >> are probably a little different from somebody just writing plain >> English. e.g. she needs to be able to say 'left curly brace' and have >> '{' appear instead of the words. >> >> I will have a look on Amazon to see how much this software costs. >> >> I presume this is the kind of thing that ATW might pay for if she asks >> her employer to investigate. >> >> Mike >> >> >> On 03/01/2013 19:52, Terry Clasper wrote: >>> >>> HI Michael. >>> Yes, by far the leader in computer based speech recognition is Dragon and >>> for sure over the past few years its come on in leaps and bounds. >>> The current version from a recognition perspective gives very high levels >> >> of >>> >>> accuracy literally without any voice training. What I mean by that is the >>> days of having to sit and read text to the computer are now long gon! >>> Depending on whether your friend is visually impaired or not, you may >>> need >>> to look at the screen reader accessibility sie of things, and that in >>> turn >>> may mean you need to consider the higher priced professional dragon >> >> product, >>> >>> however if not then for sure you can get a Dragon product very reasonably >>> priced that will effectively assist in text computer input. >>> Hope that is of some help? >>> >>> Terry Clasper. >>> E-Mail, terry.clasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> Twitter: @terryclasper >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> >> [mailto:access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] >>> >>> On Behalf Of Michael A. Ray >>> Sent: 03 January 2013 19:47 >>> To: Access-UK >>> Subject: [access-uk] Speech Recognition Software Recommendations >>> >>> Hello list, >>> I know a lady who is a programmer. She is suffering with a condition >>> which is going to make typing more and more difficult. >>> >>> I have suggested to her that she might like to investigate options as >>> far as speech recognition software goes. >>> >>> Does anybody on the list have any experience of this and have anything >>> to say about it? >>> >>> The only name I have in my head is 'Dragon'. >>> >>> Mike >>> >> > > -- > Michael A. Ray > > Analyst/Programmer > Witley, Surrey, South-east UK > > Ham Radio Callsign: G4XBF, licenced since 1982 > > Use the NVDA screen-reader, not Scientific, just Freedom: > http://nvda-project.org/ > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** unsubscribe > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > ** immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > ** or send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq