Automatic speech recognition for disabled people

It has been suggested that one of the most promising areas for the application of speech recognition is in helping handicapped people (Leggett and Williams, 1984). Within the last decade, many improvements have been made in the performance of automatic speech recognisers and current technology is discussed in relation to the needs of the disabled population. Recent research developments in the field of automatic speech recognition are reviewed, with particular reference to voice control of robotic arms and environmental control units. This includes a description of a Voice Activated Domestic Appliance System (VADAS), whose evaluation has just been completed. The general conclusion reached is that although speech recognition applications for disabled people are well within the capacity of available technology, it is primarily a lack of human factors work which is impeding developments in this field. Several human factors issues are identified; the most important of these being the need to increase the reliability of present speech recognisers, before they can confidently be incorporated into the lives of the disabled population.