Text-To-Speech (TTS) Software

[browneyes]

Due to my severe eye issues, I am struggling to make progress with my research (I'm a grad student). One thing that I've recently discovered is text-to-speech software (TTS). It reads digital text such as websites or emails out loud. One free service is provided by http://www.naturalreaders.com/index.htm. Has anyone found better services with more pleasing voices?

Adobe PDF reader also has a read out loud feature, located under the "View" toolbar.

[Stanza]

Hi - I've heard of natural readers, I don't know about other free products but that one I've heard recommended.

I've a friend who works in this field but I think the products are ones you have to pay for - but if you want me to ask, let me know?

[Stanza]

Hi - I asked my friend anyway in case anyone searches on this in the future as well, she recommends:

"Dragon Naturally Speaking"

but it's not free

[mary kenny badami]

browneyes:

I sent an e-mail about your question to an internet acquaintance with severe vision problems, who replied with the following information:

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I am registered with the California State Department of Rehabilitation, and I am working toward finding employment. (Not succeeding, but keeping at it). So the Department has provided me with several tools to make my search easier.

I have a PC and a laptop, both with MAGic TTS loaded. MAGic is a product of Freedom Scientific. I don't really know what the cost is because it was given to me. But it is a great program, allowing for various levels of magnification, color enhancement (I use white letters on black background), typing echo options (each letter, each word, or letters and words), and voice options. Although the voice is rather a monotone, there is some expression based on punctuation.

I also looked into Jaws, but I liked MAGic better.

The person whose posts you copied really needs to look into any assistance he can get from his state. If he is legally blind, he can qualify for several programs just as a totally blind person would.
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Hope this helps!

[mary kenny badami]

Consider requesting services under the ADA?

As an afterthought -- a possibility for browneyes and others whose reading vision is seriously impaired: If you're located in the USA and can prove that vision problems prevent you from participating in the normal activities of everyday life (such as reading, studying, and taking tests), you are legally covered in the workplace and at school by the ADA = Americans With Disabilities Act.

I know that it can be frustrating going through medical and legal bureaucracies to get certified as visually "disabled" (not to mention how difficult it may be to accept that term about your life situation). However, once you are defined as disabled, the law guarantees assistance for you -- such as software, DVDs and even real-life human reading aides.

I'm a retired university professor, and I can assure you from my side of the desk that our Department of Accommodative Services (your school/workplace may use different language) was extremely pro-active in advocacy for students with visual (and other) challenges. So long as the help was definable as a "reasonable accommodation" which would allow an otherwise qualified student to complete his or her work appropriately, it was offered free of charge.

p.s. Disclaimer, with emphasis: I'm neither a doc nor an attorney . . .

[browneyes]

Thanks for the suggestions and concern! While my dry eye problem is severe at the moment, I'm relatively early in my journey. Hopefully I will get better - but if not, I will begin looking into some of these better text-to-speech services.