[etni] fw: Re: Hearing what is written on the computer screen

From: "Ask" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Etni" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:27:24 +0200
From: Dov Bloom <dovb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Hearing what is written on the computer screen


Margie asked for a computer program where one can type in a word, and 
simultaneously hear it said
Margie was referring to beginning readers, but I will suggest an option for 
reading-challenged students , LDers who get an accommodation of listening to 
cassettes or special LD Orals instead of reading texts.

I researched this subject a few years ago, and here is the fruits of my 
research from back then. I hope it still works.

Good Luck - Dov


One of the most interesting "Accessibility" options in Windows is found in 
the Microsoft-supplied windows XP only to a limited extent. It reads the 
text on the computer screen to you (for sight-impaired persons). You can 
hear what is written and don't have to read it. This is good for 
sight-impaired persons, or those who have difficulty reading for a variety 
of reasons (like many of our LD students).

This TTS option (Text To Speech) works in English, but you can also download 
other TTS engines, to read French, Spanish, etc. Additional good TTS engines 
that may read more nicely can be downloaded from private vendors.

Here is part of the Windows "Text-To-Speech" overview:

       Text-to-speech (TTS) is the ability of the operating system to play 
back printed text as spoken words.
       An internal driver, called a TTS engine, recognizes the text and 
using a synthesized voice chosen from
       several pre-generated voices, speaks the written text. A TTS engine 
is installed with the operating system.
       Additional engines are also available through third party 
manufacturers.
       They can also use different voices allowing for regional accents such 
as British English,
       or speak a different language altogether.

       The Text-to-Speech tab on Speech properties in Control Panel presents 
the options for each TTS engine.
       Each engine can have a different set of specific features.

So much for the overview!

If you ETNIers want to know how to do it, try the following  on your 
computer (you may need your school computer technician to add this option to 
school computers, but it should be OK for students at home) :

To turn on the standard TTS speaker and have it read to you:

Programs -> Accessories -> accessibility -> narrator
Now wherever you click it will start to read!!

To access various options if you have a TTS engine installed:
Start  -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Speech

The default on XP is "Microsoft Sam" as the computer's default voice, a 
pretty annoying voice but better than nothing. You can make him speak slower 
or faster, slower is better for Hebrew speakers, of course.

<http://www.msagentring.org/setup.htm>http://www.msagentring.org/setup.htm 
is site where you can get a few other voices: try Mary instead of Sam the 
default.

Common annoying problem: This Microsoft narrator program will read 
whatever!! words are on the screen, including the menu (file edit etc). 
Whenever you click, it has a tendency to start over from the beginning , 
reading the annoying menus which are on the top of the page again!
It will read all sorts of menus, adverts, and junk words on the top and 
sides of various internet pages that you don't want to hear, and not only 
the text you probably want to have read!



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[etni] fw: Re: Hearing what is written on the computer screen

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