Yes, Your Computer Can Speak!
By Mundl, Jen; Redepenning, Sue; Closing the Gap, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 1, 20, 23Publication Date: June/July 2008
Article discusses voice output technology to aid students with learning disabilities. Voice output technology is defined as hardware and software that read aloud text on a computer screen. Free software programs described include ReadPlease, which allows the user to select text in any document and then copy it to the ReadPlease console; and Accessbar, an add-on for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, which provides voice output to the user when surfing the Internet. Voice output software interfaces discussed include CoolSpeech, which also enables changing a text file to MP3; Read & Write Gold, whose features include word prediction, thesaurus, talking dictionary and calculator, and scanner; WordQ, which includes word prediction; ClaroRead, which works for e-mail, Internet, and word processing; Key to Access, which is installed on a portable USB MP3 Player and connected to any computer via the USB Port; and ZoomText, which provides screen magnification as well as voice output. Voice output programs with optical character recognition (OCR) enable the scanning of printed text that can be spoken aloud through the program controls. Programs discussed are Kurzweil 3000; WYNN Wizard, which combines reading, writing, studying, and Internet features with OCR; and the less expensive OCR solution Scan and Read. Voice output hardware described are Reading Pen, a pen-like device that scans over printed material and reads it out loud; and the Franklin Language Master, a talking dictionary with a built-in thesaurus and translator.
Assistive Products Discussed: WYNN WIZARD & WYNN READER
SCAN AND READ PRO
KURZWEIL 3000 FOR MACINTOSH
READPLEASE PLUS
READINGPEN2
WORDQ WRITING AID SOFTWARE
QUICKTIONARY READING PEN
KURZWEIL 3000 FOR WINDOWS
FRANKLIN SPEAKING LANGUAGE MASTER SPECIAL EDITION (MODEL LM-6000SEV)
SPEAKING LANGUAGE MASTER (MODEL LM-6000)
SPEAKING LANGUAGE MASTER (MODELS LM-4200/4000)
COOLSPEECH
ZOOMTEXT MAGNIFIER / SCREEN READER
KEY TO ACCESS
KEY TO ACCESS VPOD
CLAROREAD STANDARD EDITION
CLAROREAD PLUS FOR MAC
CLAROREAD PLUS
CLAROREAD PREMIUM
READ & WRITE GOLD, READ & WRITE GOLD FOR MAC, & READ & WRITE GOLD MOBILE
Published by: Closing the Gap, Inc. (Website:http://www.closingthegap.com)
