2001 Conference Proceedings

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NON-STANDARD SOUNDS + Speech Recognition
= Communication and Computer Accessibility

Nancilu McClellan, President
Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc.
P.O. Box 121984
Arlington, TX 76012
817-261-1658
fax 817-543-1103
http://www.mathtalk.com 
E-mail:  mathtalk@onramp.net

Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc. (MVC) continues to be the leader in speech recognition products and training for the physically/visually challenged.

Sound Commands™ provides opportunity for persons who make non-standard sounds to communicate and have computer assess.

This presentation will demonstrate the communication and computer accessibility opportunities heretofore not available to persons who make non-standard sounds. Time permitting, some information will be shown on voiced mathematics programs: MathTalk™ /Scientific Notebook™ 3.5 , MathPad™ By Voice™ and MathBrailleTalk™ .

Sound Commands™ - (SC)

For the past six years, Ms. McClellan has been programming and training speech recognition. It evident that persons who make non-standard sounds and have physical disabilities are unable to communicate thoughts and operate the computer.

Sound Commands was developed to enable those persons to express thoughts, ideas, and needs, as well as to provide accessibility to the computer. This software program also provides the user the opportunity to communicate with typed text entries and text-to-speech readback executed by Sound Commands! Beta testing has proven overwhelmingly that this program works! As well, users are quite enthusiastic about their opportunities.

The basic requirements are:

  1. Enough volume for utterances.
  2. Moderate consistency in utterances.
  3. Person working with user to evaluate user’s sounds.
  4. Assigning sounds and combination of sounds to selected commands.
  5. System requirements: PC, DragonDictate, 32 RAM.

The Sound Command™ demonstration will show:

  1. Evaluation of user.
  2. Selecting user’s sounds.
  3. Selection of commands with which to begin.
  4. Customization of user’s chosen sounds assigned to selected commands.
  5. Use of DragonDictate™ to voice commands.
  6. Special communication with typed text entries and text-to-speech readback executed by Sound Commands™ .
  7. Special tips in evaluation and usage.

This one of a kind program never ceases to overwhelm audiences as it opens the door of opportunity to persons never before able to vocally communicate or operate the computer. The user is able to select from a list of commands that provide the opportunity to:

Operate the mouse
Assess/Open Desktop Icons
Open Files
Highlight Text
Copy/Paste
Text-To-Speech Readback
Operate Windows Calculator
Type Text Entries With Text-To-Speech Readback

It is our belief, which has been substantiated by viewing audiences, that the user will be quite encouraged to create more "sounds" because of the opportunity that this program provides!

IF TIME PERMITS, THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS WILL BE MENTIONED:

MathTalk™For The Visually Impaired™ - (MT/VI)

In 1999, Dr. Henry L. Gray, Charles F. Frensley Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, Southern Methodist University and MVC , began research on a voiced program using Scientific Notebook ™ that would allow visually impaired students to independently study mathematics.

The MT/VI demonstration will show:

  1. the use of DragonDictate™ ( Yes, it will be available for a long time) to voice commands
  2. the use of Jaws™ to read text and to read within DragonDictate dialog boxes
  3. the use of MAVIS’ Nemeth Braille Converterã to covert the voiced mathematics into Braille
  4. the optional use of the Duxbury Braille Translator™ to convert voiced mathematics into Braille
  5. with Jaws™ on, reading the translated Braille on a refreshable Braille display

MT/VI is the only mathematics program permitting a visually impaired person to independently study math!

MathTalk™ For Physical Disabilities™ - MT/LD

This program is our MathTalk™ /Scientific Notebook™ 3.5 with the "echo" and "read back" features of MT/VI.

The student voices the mathematics; there is an "echo" of the math as it is placed on the screen; and the math appears on the screen as a selected item.

If the student wants to hear all of the screen entries, just say "read line", and the voiced math is read back.

MT/VI is the only mathematics program permitting a visually impaired person to independently study math!

MathTalk™ For Physical Disabilities™ - MT/LD

This program is our MathTalk™ /Scientific Notebook™ 3.5 with the "echo" and "read back" features of MT/VI.

The student voices the mathematics; there is an "echo" of the math as it is placed on the screen; and the math appears on the screen as a selected item.

If the student wants to hear all of the screen entries, just say "read line", and the voiced math is read back.

MathTalk™ Into Braille - (MT/B)

MathTalk™ Scientific Notebook™ 3.5 combined with the new Duxbury Braille Translator™ (DBT). Voiced mathematics and text in Scientific Notebook™ can be saved and opened in the DBT for translation into Braille and embossed. This will save thousands of keystrokes and mouse movements for student and teachers. Also will work with the MT/NSP version.

MathTalk™ /Naturally Speaking™ - MT/NS

MathTalk™ /Scientific Notebook™ 3.5 combined with Naturally Speaking™ Professional.

The perfect combination of voiced mathematics and text dictation.

(C), (TM), (R) - Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc, Duxbury Systems, Inc, Microsoft, L&H/Dragon Systems, Inc., Design Science, Inc., MacKichan Software, Inc.

(c) - Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc, 2000, All Rights Reserved

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