Title: What is Voice Recognition?
Course: Accommodations to Support Written Language

Voice recognition software, also known as speech recognition converts spoken words to text. Speech recognition software must be trained to a particular speaker to achieve the best translation results. Once trained, words and commands are spoken and the software converts the spoken words to text or processes and completes the operational commands (i.e. “open new document”; “go to web”; “save and close document”; etc.)

This input method is especially helpful to people who have difficulty using their hands, ranging from relatively simple injuries to significant disabilities that preclude using conventional computer input devices. Hands-free computing is useful to both able and disabled users often saving time and energy for both, however, the disabled person may find hands-free computing important in everyday life, using voice commands to operate not only the computer, but environmental control or other electronics (TV, lights, etc).

Speech recognition software typically requires the user to wear or have access to a microphone which feeds the users voice to the software. Practice and successful use of the tool will over time add to the accuracy of predicted words.