Education ∪ Math ∪ Technology

Using Microsoft’s speech recognition: helping my stepfather manage Parkinson’s

This is a new document that I’m typing using only Microsoft speech recognition. The cool thing about dictation is it allows people who may not have the ability to type documents to still be able to write. From start to finish, this document has been created using dictation.

My stepfather has Parkinson’s disease. He has been struggling with the disease for a couple years now and the conditions of the getting steadily worse. His mind is as clear as ever, but his body is struggling and he has constant tremors. He wants to be able to write, he has three different books he would like to finish, but he is concerned that the disease will prevent some from being able to share his ideas.

I suggested Dragon Dictation as an option for him, and he likes the idea of being able to dictate his writing. The cost of Dragon Dictation doesn’t seem too much, but I think he’ll be happy with my discovery that Microsoft speech recognition is actually pretty good. He can get started with his dictation right away.