When David
Pogue was diagnosed
in 1996 with wrist
synovitis -- a
painful, largely
untreatable
inflammation of the
lining of the wrist
joint -- his doctor
recommended he quit
writing and playing
the piano to relieve
the pain.
That wasn't
acceptable to the
patient. "I only do
two things in life,"
said Pogue, who
writes a weekly New
York Times column on
consumer technology
and pumps out
several books a year
-- on topics as
diverse as opera and
Macintosh computers.
"I write and I play
the piano."
Juliette Rizzo uses voice recognition software to do computer work despite arthritis. (Cathy Kapulka - The Washington Post)
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While Pogue
cut back on the
latter, he looked
for another writing
solution. He tried
dictating to a
stenographer. "It
was fine for laying
down the text," he
said, but polishing
his work proved a
nightmare for both
him and his
assistant.
Ultimately,
the
Connecticut-based
scribe found an
answer in what was
then only an
emerging technology:
computer software
that transforms
speech into
electronic text.
Pogue suffered
through several
generations of
primitive programs
that required him to
speak slowly and
haltingly into his
computer. But he
adapted, and the
technology improved.
Today, Pogue said,
voice recognition
software allows him
to turn out clean
and error-free copy
at nearly twice the
speed the typical
person types.
"It freaks
people out," said
Pogue, who has no
financial ties to
the software firms.
"No one knows that a
tool like this
exists. It's
absolutely
jaw-dropping."
To be fair,
Pogue's work as a
tech reporter gives
him an advantage
over many people in
terms of
adaptability. Still,
the coming of age of
voice recognition
products is good
news, particularly
for those worried
that an injury --
even a temporary
one, like a broken
arm or a sprained
wrist -- could cost
them their jobs by
keeping them from
their keyboards.
Should a
hand-related injury
or a motor-skills
problem cramp your
style, a new
generation of
moderately priced,
user-friendly
devices may get you
back to your
computer sooner than
you -- or your boss
-- thought possible.
Look, Ma, No
Hands
Since the mid-1980s,
high-tech devices
that "hear" what a
user says and turn
the spoken word into
electronic text have
held out promise to
amputees, upper-body
paraplegics and
others unable to
type or manipulate a
mouse, according to
Kristine Neuber, an
assistive technology
specialist and
director of George
Mason University's
Helen A. Kellar
Institute for Human
Disabilities in
Fairfax. The
institute provides
training and
technical assistance
to students with
disabilities and
their teachers. Like
Pogue, Neuber said
the early programs'
reputation for
intractability was
well-deserved.
Not only
did they require
users to speak at an
unnatural pace, they
also turned out
documents riddled
with errors -- for
instance, typing
"ice cream" when the
user said, "I
scream." By and
large, only people
with the most severe
disabilities -- and
few other options --
were willing to put
up with the
glitches, Neuber
says.
The
software also was
prohibitively
costly.
Today, much
of that has changed.
Voice recognition
software packages
priced at $10,000
and up a decade ago
can now be purchased
for less than $200.
And they no longer
require users to
speak as though a
listener were
jotting their words
in longhand.
While most
of the off-the-shelf
products were not
designed
specifically for
people with
disabilities, they
can be a boon to
anyone struggling to
use traditional
computer equipment,
according to Michael
Young, manager of
the
Computer/Electronic
Accommodations
Program, a free
Defense Department
service that matches
people with
specialized
equipment needs to
the appropriate
assistive
technology.
Juliette
Rizzo,
communications
director of the
Office of Special
Education and
Rehabilitation
Services at the U.S.
Department of
Education, agrees.
Five years ago, she
began using a voice
recognition program
that allows her to
continue working
when her arthritis
flares up and typing
becomes painful.
"People in
the office enjoy
watching me use it,"
she said. "They see
how easy it is and
wish they had it on
their computers."
Karen Jacobs, a
Boston-based
occupational
therapist and a
spokeswoman for the
American
Occupational Therapy
Association, said
the learning period
for speech
recognition software
is short enough that
it's become a
practical option
even for those with
short-term
impairments