Welcome and wishing you continued success with speech recognition.
jackmin
What program are you using ?
Glad it's going we'll for you.
I was in middle of Masters degree when I was Dx still have to complete 20,000 word thesis.if I want to graduate
I thought about the voice 2 txt software
Problem is some days my voice is croaker than my fingers are stiff.
:-)
I have been using Dragon Dictate for many years now. It is so much better than it used to be. I don't know how it compares, because I have never used any other. But I can certainly vouch for it working and being a learning programme, so it too would 'get used' to your accent.
The only thing to watch out for, is that although everything is spelled correctly, it does sometimes mishear (especially if I start mumbling!). Editing VERY carefully and thoroughly is vitally important.
I think there is a bit of a myth though about this type of software, that you just get it and chat. It definitely performs far better i.e. more accurately, if you set it up carefully and go through the training programmes etc. and use it a lot.
Good luck with your course.
Radar
It is great for those days when my hands don't work too well. (I did my degree work using it)
Caroline
I used Dragon amongst other applications which did the job HOWEVER may I suggest before spending money on such software, the best initial purchase is a headset with a decent quality microphone ? It's that old chestnut...GIGO....Garbage In Garbage Out.
Next, your PC has a ready to use built in dictation / voice recognition application. With continued usage the application learns from you.
I am quite impressed with the Windows7 version....Control PanelAll Control Panel ItemsSpeech Recognition then the menu items include such options as "Train your computer to better understand you"
Any questions ? I'll answer if I can.
Regards
As others have said the computer learns how you speak and its accuracy rises as you use it more.
Two further suggestions :-
The software works better if you dictate complete phrases at a time rather than individual words. This is because the context is used to decide which spelling of words that sound similar to use (e.g. there/their/they're)
You can learn new techniques really effectively if you get the chance to watch/listen to another speech recognition user.
EF
I have to visit nurseries / schools and complete a hand written contact record which is agreed and signed by me and the nursery manager.
As I can't write they have decided to give this a try. I can complete the paperwork by voice recognition and the nursery can sign it on the I-pad with a special pen. !!!!.
They are also assigning me a specialist IT chappie to help me use it and iron out any glitches. I can't wait!!!!
Caroline.
It’s great to hear that speech recognition is making such a positive difference for you. One thing that stood out from your post is that the biggest benefit isn’t necessarily typing speed—it’s reducing the frustration of unintended key presses and making the computer feel accessible again. That’s an important distinction that people who haven’t experienced motor difficulties often overlook.
I’ve noticed that many long-term speech recognition users report a similar experience: the software may make occasional mistakes, but the overall gain in comfort and productivity far outweighs the need for minor corrections. Accents can be a challenge initially, but modern speech-recognition systems tend to improve as they adapt to a user’s vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking patterns.
What gives your experience credibility is that you’re already seeing practical benefits in day-to-day use. Dictating an entire forum post without relying on the keyboard is a meaningful real-world test, not just a technical demonstration. In many accessibility communities, users describe speech recognition as a tool that helps them continue working, writing, and communicating independently when traditional input methods become more difficult.
My own observation from reading user experiences over the years is that success often depends on patience during the early learning period. A good microphone, clear speech, and regular use can make a remarkable difference. While no speech-recognition system is perfect, for many people it becomes less about replacing the keyboard entirely and more about giving them another reliable way to interact with their computer.