Speed of Speech Recognition versus Keyboarding as Computer Input Devices for the Severely Disabled

Abstract

Speech recognition systems promise to facilitate access to computer for users with disability. This study examined the usefulness of the Texas Instruments Speech Recognition System in completing word processing tasks under the experimental conditions of 1) keyboard input only, 2) speech recognition only, and 3) a combination of keyboard input and speech recognition. Five subjects with some degree of upper-body disability were tested; the results indicate that performance was 1) greatest under the keyboard only condition, 2) lowest under the speech only condition, and 3) somewhat lower under the combined condition than under the keyboard only condition. Based on the findings, suggestions for further research were made.