Speech Resources

  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Apple® Accessibility Features Vision built into all Macintosh computers provides adjustable keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, CloseView screen magnification software, Easy Access system software (StickyKeys, SlowKeys, MouseKeys), electronic documentation, key-repeat disable, text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition (PlainTalk), sticky mouse, and visual alert cues. The VoiceOver spoken English interface for Mac OS X is a fully integrated, built-in screen reader technology providing access to the Macintosh through speech, audible cues, and keyboard navigation.
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
  • Center for Speech and Language Disorders is a non-profit organization with offices in Lombard and Chicago. Our mission is to help children with communication disorders reach their full potential through family centered services. CSLD's service delivery is set apart from its counterparts because each client benefits from an individualized relationship with their therapist. We recognize that one type of treatment does not fit all children, or all disorders. Each therapy plan is created based on the personal needs of the child and all therapeutic methods are research based and thus decisive and sound.
  • Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Windows platform only)
  • Dragon for Mac Professional fact sheet Uses the Legendary Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition engine, works with other applications you have on your Mac. Offers Dragon for Mac, MacSpeech Scribe, and Dragon for Mac Medical
  • Job Access With Speech (JAWS) Headquarters screen reading software from Freedom Scientific  Updated
  • Mayer-Johnson Hand Held Voice®, a dynamic screen voice recorder from Ability Research
  • Microsoft® Accessibility Resource Guides for People with Disabilities Guides: Get information and tips for using accessibility tools and features in Microsoft products to meet specific needs: Vision, Hearing, Speech, Mobility, Learning  Updated
  • Speech Technology: News, an article in Speech Technology (06/05) Vol. 10, No. 3, P. 10; by Nancy Jamison "Speech technologies are being mainstreamed often to the exclusion of users of assistive technology (AT), which include the dexterity, sight, hearing, cognitive, and speech impaired—and this is ironic, given that handicapped users frequently drive technology development. Market drivers for speech technologies include the government, which has set up legislation designed to make the provision of accessible products or services both a requirement as well as an incentive for companies, and the development of accessible mainstream products. Mainstream vendors must play a key role in boosting product accessibility, partly through the incorporation of speech technologies into product design. AT types for people with certain impairments may not be suitable for people with other disabilities: Speech technologies for sight-impaired individuals are useful as tools for conveying information, while the hearing-impaired often use them for command and control. Examples of speech technologies well suited to the vision-disabled include text-to-speech, voice-activated dialing, and note taker products that incorporate Braille. People suffering from hearing loss can take advantage of interactive communication solutions that use software to convert speech to text and video sign language in real time. Dexterity or mobility-challenged people often use automated speech recognition (ASR) to command and control both keyboard and software functions; ASR eliminates the need to use the keyboard or mouse by enabling users to supply data to business and productivity applications and dictate text into others. People with cognitive, language, or speech impairments can use technologies that convert spoken input into graphical images and are helpful for people undergoing speech therapy."
  • Telephone Access for People with Speech Disabilities
  • TTS: Synthesis of audible speech from text How does it work?  Updated
  • AT&T Labs' Natural Voices® Text-to-Speech Demo
  • ActiVocal voice-activated dialers and light bulb sockets
  • Voice Activated Telephone Dialer  Updated

Speech

Speech accessibility and communication aids enable people who are unable to talk, or to talk clearly. These users may have acquired brain damage, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual impairment, or strokes. Many speech recognition systems are unable to recognize the speech of these users because they are based on average speakers. Because of the inconsistency of most impaired speech, speaker dependent systems do not have a high rate of accuracy. Speech recognition should not be the only form of input. In addition, some users with impaired speech may have additional motor skills accessibility problems because of impaired dexterity.

Speech accessibility includes difficulties with language and meaning, and difficulty producing intelligible speech. Language and meaning difficulties can also be related to Cognitive impairment. See the tags list below for related resources.

Reference Books and Resources

There are several excellent books related to speech. See the suggested reading list for general information and detailed reference books for your library.

Speech Resources

Learning and Speaking

Find more resources using the Areas of Focus Speech category search.

Recent and Relevant

Advances in Converting Text to Speech

  • Apple® Accessibility Features Vision built into all Macintosh computers provides adjustable keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, CloseView screen magnification software, Easy Access system software (StickyKeys, SlowKeys, MouseKeys), electronic documentation, key-repeat disable, text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition (PlainTalk), sticky mouse, and visual alert cues. The VoiceOver spoken English interface for Mac OS X is a fully integrated, built-in screen reader technology providing access to the Macintosh through speech, audible cues, and keyboard navigation.
  • NaturalReader a powerful Text To Speech reader: Listen to PDF files, webpages, e-books, e-textbooks, office documents, and printed books.