Re: Request for Assistance Finding FLOSS Speech Recognition Software

[Mario Fux <a11y-ml unormal org>]

Am Dienstag 26 Juni 2012, 05.59:27 schrieb meg ford:
> Hi,

Good morning Meg

> I am writing on behalf of my brother, Joseph. Joe was born with severe
> spastic-athetoid cerebral palsy. Joe grew up at home with the rest of my
> seven siblings and myself in the severe poverty in inner city in Chicago.
> Because my family has always believed in the tenet of least restrictive
> environment, Joe attended mainstream schools and eventually graduated with
> a Bachelor's degree from Harvard University. He is currently completing his
> PhD in Political Science at the University of Chicago.
> 
> It has taken a lot of very hard work on Joe's part to get where he is
> today. Because Joe is not physically able to write, it will not be possible
> for him to seek employment after he finishes his PhD. Over the years Joe
> has participated in various studies in an effort to find speech recognition
> software that can adjust to his significant fluctuations in muscle tone.
> Here is the reason I am writing, in Joe's own words:
> 
> "I have dysarthria -- it matters that I have spastic - athetoid cerebral
> palsy. The researcher in Boston said that this is ideal because the
> researcher needs persons with spasticity for muscle tone and with athetosis
> for intelligence level. I tried the different versions of Dragon. I tried
> one of them for an extended period of time -- they didn't work at all. In
> Boston I participated in a study of speech but they didn't actually try to
> design a program. The head of the study wanted to try to find someone at
> MIT but that did not work out. Then I participated in a study at University
> of Illinois Champaign in which they were actively trying to design
> individualized software for people with dysarthria. The software didn't
> work and then I think they moved on to other things. I might be able to get
> my speech samples from at least the U of I and / or to figure out how to
> give new samples. I know that U of I had some strange video component to
> their grant / research -- I think they videotaped me, but I don't remember
> for certain. All these people stressed that any software would have to be
> designed for me particularly -- for any person with dysarthria,
> individually, actually -- at least for now."
> 
> Joe is wondering if anyone knows of a FLOSS project that is producing
> software that could be adapted for his needs, or of research that is being
> done in this area. We would appreciate any and all information in this
> regard.

http://www.Simon-Listens.org could be of interest for you (direct english link 
[1])

From the website:
simon
... is an open-source speech recognition program and replaces the mouse and 
keyboard.
... is designed to be very flexible and allows customization for any 
application where speech recognition is needed.
... is a potential European project of "e-inclusion" because of the language-
independent programming.
... is in development for physically disabled people to give them the 
possibility to chat, to write e-mails, to surf the internet, to do internet-
banking and much more.

This summer (end of September) we plan to do an Accessibility meeting in 
Randa/Switzerland with people from both Gnome and KDE.

Just ask for any further information.

> Thanks very much for your time and patience.
> Sincerely,
> Meg Ford

Best regards
Mario

[1] http://simon-listens.org/index.php?id=122&L=1