Text-to-Speech Assistive Technology- Katie Nowlin

By: Katie Nowlin

Article

• Morin, A. (May 5 2014) Text-to-Speech Software: What It Is and How It Works [Fact sheet]. Retrieved  February 20, 2016, from Understood.org website: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/ assistive-technology/assistive-technologies-basics/text-to-speech-software-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

• Summary:

This article explains what text-to-speech (TTS) software is and what it is used for.  The article explains why an individual might need assistive technology and what is available to suit their needs. There are several programs that read text from the screen. The article goes further on to say that these programs have computer voices or human voices recorded to read the text that is on the screen. Each program serves the same purpose, which is, to read text off the screen for the user who has trouble speaking or reading. Although serving the same purpose, each software tool has its own unique quality. Examples of this are screen readers, common in smartphones are designed to read files and text messages while text readers are more compatible for web pages or written files. This is an example of how one text- to -speech software is good for those with vision impairments (screen readers) while other is better for those who have trouble speaking (text readers). There was a section on a pen that records what it writes down which is still used today. After going through what is available, the article goes further to explain how this technology is used to impact the users life in a positive manner. The ending of the article stressed that if your child is struggling with speech or vision to talk about an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan in order to get them the assistive technology that could change how they learn for the better.

• Assess:

The author of this article is a parent advocate and former teacher. I think that that makes her at a good level of understanding of the technologies available to students and the impact they have on education. She also has some experience with working with those who are special needs.She is not however, an expert on the equipment available (or the article does not state she is). I do think this article was very rich in information that was easy to read and comprehend. Written on May 5, 2014, this article is not new information, but I believe it is fairly current. There have been even more discoveries and technologies since this article which makes this article useful yet not current with the newest technologies available. Some things to consider are what advances have been made to improve what is available to students with special needs. I was considering through the whole article some things that have been I traduced to education since that article has been published and some software programs created to make learning interactive and fun.

Website

•  AT&T. (2015). Free Text-to-Speech. Retrieved February 21, 2016, from NaturalReader website:http://www.naturalreaders.com/index.html

• Summary

This is a website that offers free text-to-Speech to its users. You can type directly into the text box or upload a file for the website to read. The site can read text in different languages and in different voices. It has been used by those in special education and those who have trouble reading large quantities at a time.

• Assess:

This site is fairly new but really useful. Last semester I took EDCT 254-Individuals with Exceptionalities and I had communication disorders for a lesson I had to plan. I found this amazing site while planning the lesson and I think this is a really cool tool and it is easily accessible (as it is free).

Video

• Mostly Free Assistive Technology. (2015, July 24). OSX text to speech [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQw6fNoihsU

• Summary:

This video is an informational video on how to access and use software on a mac computer to read text to speech.  Step -by -step the narrator walks the viewer through accessing and utilizing the text to speech tool. First go to the apple icon and go to system preferences. From there select the dictation and speech icon. Select the text to speech and make sure the box with Speak selected text is chosen. A key press goes with the text to speech. You select the text and then press the key combination that is given (or that you chose). In this video, the original key press was command+ control + T and he changed it to command+ control+ S . There is a variety of voices to choose from and the speed of the reading can be played with as well. You select the text you would like read and type the key combination and the program will read the text you selected out loud. To stop it you just type in the key combination and it will stop just as it started.

• Assess:

This was taken by someone who owns a Mac and has plenty of experience on how to operate a Mac computer. It was recorded fairly recently (July 24,2015) which is pretty recent. After learning that this existed I got onto a mac computer to see if this was really something standard for Macs and it is. I think the technology is very convenient, especially for those with communication disorders. A big downside I have found is that it is limiting in that it only for Mac computers. I also found the voices to be muffling and a little hard to understand. 

Reflection

This project has taught me a lot about what is available for assistance with text-to-speech. I had no idea that macs had OSX which is extremely useful and convenient. I also did not know that smartphone came with screen readers to assist in text-to=speech which is awesome.

I think the most important thing I learned from this project is that text-to-speech assistive technology is not just for those who have trouble communicating, it can be used to assist in those who cannot read for long periods of times and it can be used for those who are visually impaired.  I learned that this technology availability is not necessarily defined by what special need an individual has but how that need is met. It has been inspiring to me to read and learn about the assistive technology that has been improving education for all those in need.

I believe that this technology is vital to the classroom for anyone who might need it. I think that it is a great way to help those who cannot communicate at the same rate as those around them. For example, this technology can help students write down exactly what they want to say and then have it read off to the class. This gives them time to think about what they want to say and then have it read to the class, providing them input in class. It is a great way to increase class participation. In my opinion this is the technology of the future that can impact education in a positive way forever.