RE: Request for Assistance Finding FLOSS Speech Recognition Software

[meg ford <meg387 gmail com>]

Hi,

I am writing on behalf of my brother, Joseph. Joe was born with severe spastic-athetoid cerebral palsy. Joe grew up at home with the rest of my seven siblings and myself in the severe poverty in inner city in Chicago. Because my family has always believed in the tenet of least restrictive environment, Joe attended mainstream schools and eventually graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Harvard University. He is currently completing his PhD in Political Science at the University of Chicago. 

It has taken a lot of very hard work on Joe's part to get where he is today. Because Joe is not physically able to write, it will not be possible for him to seek employment after he finishes his PhD. Over the years Joe has participated in various studies in an effort to find speech recognition software that can adjust to his significant fluctuations in muscle tone. Here is the reason I am writing, in Joe's own words:

"I have dysarthria -- it matters that I have spastic - athetoid cerebral palsy. The researcher in Boston said that this is ideal because the researcher needs persons with spasticity for muscle tone and with athetosis for intelligence level. I tried the different versions of Dragon. I tried one of them for an extended period of time -- they didn't work at all. In Boston I participated in a study of speech but they didn't actually try to design a program. The head of the study wanted to try to find someone at MIT but that did not work out. Then I participated in a study at University of Illinois Champaign in which they were actively trying to design individualized software for people with dysarthria. The software didn't work and then I think they moved on to other things. I might be able to get my speech samples from at least the U of I and / or to figure out how to give new samples. I know that U of I had some strange video component to their grant / research -- I think they videotaped me, but I don't remember for certain. All these people stressed that any software would have to be designed for me particularly -- for any person with dysarthria, individually, actually -- at least for now." 

Joe is wondering if anyone knows of a FLOSS project that is producing software that could be adapted for his needs, or of research that is being done in this area. We would appreciate any and all information in this regard.

Thanks very much for your time and patience.
Sincerely,
Meg Ford