Speak to Write project was federally funded from September 1997-2001
by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitative Research
(NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education. This project was a collaboration
between Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), and the Communication
Enhancement Center at Children's Hospital, Boston. The purpose was to
explore the use of speech recognition software (or voice recognition)
as a support for writing for secondary students with disabilities.
The project focused on secondary students (middle and high school)
who experienced significant difficulty with writing due to physical
and/or learning disabilities. Researchers gathered information on the
technology itself, selected the software they felt was best at the time
and worked with trainers and students. As the project progressed, researchers
gathered information on how well the software addressed the student's
needs, the training requirements of students, the training requirements,
and home and school environmental factors that impacted the use of the
software.
Over the course of the project, researchers explored, developed, piloted,
and published a set of products to support the use of speech recognition
software with students with disabilities. This information is housed
or available through this Web site. These products include:
- Tools for educators and parents to help them understand and address
the demands of speech recognition for secondary students.
- Revised training protocols and materials that are tailored to the
needs of students with disabilities.
- Tools for educators and parents that help them integrate speech
recognition technology into meaningful instructional activities across
the curriculum.
- A training manual for trainers working with students with disabilities
and DragonDictate® software that includes the materials described
above. (DragonDictate® software not included.)
- An active listserv called Speak to Write (spk2wrt) that continues
to act as a venue of support and information on the topic for people
ranging from the novice parent to the seasoned professional.
Project Staff
Patricia Corley
Co-Project Director
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02158-1060
Phone: 617.969.7100 x2449
About Patricia Corley
Robert Follansbee
Co-Project Director
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02158-1060
Phone: 617.969.7100 x2716
About Robert Follansbee
Jennifer Minotti
Technology Associate, Webmaster
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02158-1060
Phone: 617.969.7100 x2485
About Jennifer Minotti
Lucy Lorin
Research Assistant
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02158-1060
Phone: 617.969.7100 x2111
About Lucy Lorin
Corporate Sponsorship
We would like to thank AM
Technologies and Dragon Systems
for their participation with this project.
Contact Information
As of 11/06/01, the only
active part of the Speak to Write Project is the spk2wrt listserv. Any
questions or comments related to the listserv should be sent to the
spk2wrt listserv.
