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V.3.0 The iCommunicator Training Manual

1. How could you Look it over What about it Here are some more Very well thank you Please do As I said before How could you do that First things first It s raining cats and dogs Only one at a time What would you do Listen carefully Where are we going Where is your book You need to do this Do you feel 111 127 iCommunicator System User Training 61 What did you say 62 You ve got to be kidding 63 Do you think so 64 Things are looking better 65 Not at this time 66 Have you seen this 67 Where are you going 68 Do you know the answer 69 Is that my pen 70 Do you have any more 71 I feel great today 72 Is it raining outside 73 I like this one too 74 How could that happen 75 What did she say 76 Let s not go there 77 Time for discussion 78 It s time for your test 79 It must be 80 Do you expect me to believe that 81 I don t understand 82 Give it to me 83 Did he miss the bus 84 Please take this to the office 85 Now that s a surprise 86 Use your quiet voice 87 Get a tardy slip 88 Here s your pass 89 Take this to the media center 90 You did very well 91 Did you clean out your desk 92 Turn in your homework 93 Remember that 94 Do you have a question 95 Good afternoon class 96 Class dismissed 97 Roll call 98 What a pleasant surprise 99 The assignment 1s due next week 10
2. Sa Check your answers using the Answer Key in the Appendix 112 Module 4 Vocabulary Building Archiving and Restoring Speech Voice Recognition Files There may be times when it is necessary to backup a speaker s speech voice S V file e a speaker completes S V recognition training on one computer and needs to transfer the S V file to another computer e to remove a speaker s S V file from a computer and save it for future use A speaker s S V file is typically 30 to 40 MB but may be more than 80 MB This file size limits storage to Zip Drives Local Area Network LAN LS 120 SuperDisk Drives or CD R W Drives Follow the procedures below to archive and restore a speaker s S V recognition file Review each procedure before initiating the process Location Each speaker who establishes a speech voice recognition file within the program has his or her own named folder inside the User s folder Speech voice recognition files for 1Communicator Version 3 0 are located in C Program Files Dragon NaturallySpeaking Users Speaker S V file name Archive Procedure Use Windows Explorer to copy S V files to the appropriate external device destination such as a Zip Drive LAN Superdisk Drive or CD R W 1 From the Windows Start button select Programs Accessories Windows Explorer 2 To back up all S V files on the computer system navigate to the User folder My Computer C Drive Program Files Dr
3. FM system An FM system operates on a radio frequency to provide a listener with a clear acoustic signal that 1s uninterrupted by ambient noise The system consists of a receiver and a transmitter This type of assistive listening device may be used instead of or in conjunction with a hearing aid and may be coupled with the iCommunicator function keys Specialty keys labeled with an F which perform specific tasks when pressed frequency A specific unique wavelength by which a signal is broadcast and received A radio station s signal 1s broadcast on a specific frequency icon A small graphical representation of an element in a graphical user interface Clicking an icon performs some kind of action e g clicking a magnifying glass icon to resize a window memory Also referred to as RAM Random Access Memory The computer s workspace physically a collection of computer chips usually located within integrated circuit chips Memory determines the size and number of programs that can be open at the same time as well as the amount of data that can be processed menu A list of available commands in an application window microphone status bar A graphical area of the Control Window that indicates when the program is monitoring sound input from the microphone RAM See Memory receiver Glossary A device that receives the signal broadcast by the transmitter To work properly both the transmitter and receiv
4. Pitch and Rate Use these features to manipulate the pitch and rate speed of the computer generated voice Demonstration 1 Move the sliders to change the pitch and rate 2 Click Test to hear the pitch and rate variations Edit Quick Say Keys Edit Quick Say Keys Show Shift Function Key Hello my name is Communicator M y telephone number is 864 7389 have a question The answer to the question is the polio vaccine M y phone number is 123 456 7890 Save Exit 41 iCommunicator System User Training This feature lets end users edit the Quick Say phrases and statements and assign messages to function keys The ICommunicator program can store up to 22 Quick Say messages two text boxes are reserved for system use Enable the second set of twelve text boxes by clicking inside the Show Shift Function Key box Enter up to 256 characters including spaces in each text box The computer delivers these comments questions and ideas when you press the appropriate Quick Say function key This end user feature is also very useful for medical appointments interviews or other instances where the end user wishes to prepare responses or important information in advance and not be concerned about spending time during an interchange to type the messages Demonstration 1 From the Control window s Options menu select Edit Quick Say Keys 2 Edit the text in the F12 Quick Say text box 3 Choose S
5. System Check Check all system components connections and functions Create New Speaker Options gt Speech Recognition gt Create New Speaker Create New User Calibrate Your Microphone Initial Voice Training Talking to Your Computer Run General Training 1 Select a Reading 2 Accuracy Check If the Accuracy Check is not 90 or better after reading 2 it will be necessary to complete a third reading and Accuracy Check Vocabulary Builder Options gt Speech Recognition gt Vocabulary Builder gt Vocabulary Builder Analyze documents saved as Examples manuscripts electronic forms of textbooks text files scanned text other personal technical documents a Analyze b Train c Save Speech Files Options gt Speech Recognition gt Save Speech Files Analyze word lists as Examples technical vocabulary content vocabulary class documents a Analyze b Train c Save Speech Files Options gt Speech Recognition gt Save Speech Files Vocabulary Editor Options gt Speech Recognition gt Vocabulary Builder gt Vocabulary Editor lists acronyms other unique vocabulary Enter Add Examples same as word lists but by individual entry Train Save Speech Files Options gt Speech Recognition gt Save Speech Files 2 To enhance your translation accuracy remember to make judicious use of the mute control to avoid transmitting 1 Read speak sets of 10 familiar unwanted verbiage phrases sentences i save sho
6. Children With Minimal Sensorineural Hearing Loss Prevalence Educational Performance and Functional Status Ear and Hearing 19 339 354 Better Hearing Institute 2001 Website www betterhearing org demograp htm Butler K 1975 Auditory Perceptual Skills Their Measurement and Remediation With Preschool and School Age Children Paper presented at the American Speech Language Hearing Association Convention Washington DC Butterworth R amp Flodin M 1995 The Perigee Visual Dictionary of Signing New York Berkley Publishing Group Carney A amp Moeller M 1998 Treatment Efficacy Hearing Loss In Children Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research 41 S61 S84 Coleman J amp Wolf E 1991 Advanced Sign Language Vocabulary A Resource Text for Educators Interpreters Parents and Sign Language Instructors Springfield IL Charles C Thomas Publisher Coryell J amp Holcomb T 1997 The use of sign language and sign systems in facilitating the language acquisition and communication of deaf students Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools 28 384 394 Costello E 1994 American Sign Language Dictionary New York Random House Costello E 2000 American Sign Language Medical Dictionary New York Random House Dahlquist L 1998 Classroom Amplification Not Just For The Hearing Impaired Anymore Website www dinf org csun_98124 htm 115 iCommunicator System
7. The 1Communicator program s electronic dictionary provides end users with this valuable literacy tool The electronic dictionary gives an immediate definition for a word in the Text window Owners can take advantage of the free registration at www babylon com to receive DI iCommunicator System User Training notification of downloadable electronic dictionary updates The electronic dictionary is also accessible when using a word processing program babyl n com E aliance A 29 do Buy Say Web MyList Convert Babylon English English s alliance n pact treaty connection relationship alliance 1 Place the cursor on a word in the Text window and then press Shift Right Click right mouse button The definition displays 2 Click the Say button and the computer pronounces the word 3 Click on another word in the definition The electronic dictionary then displays the definition for the new word Retrieving a Sign for a Word in the Text Window There are two ways to retrieve a sign for a word displayed in the Text window Place the cursor on a word such as numerous If the sign is not in the video sign language dictionary the program fingerspells the word 1 Double click on the word with the left mouse In this example double clicking the word numerous produced the sign 2 Click the Show button on the Text window border The sign for the word displays in the Signing window 58 Module 2 Menus
8. User Training 116 Fairweather J amp Shaver D 1991 Making the Transition To Postsecondary Education And Training Exceptional Children 55 412 419 Gustason G amp Zawolkow E 1993 Signing Exact English Los Alamitos CA Modern Sign Press Holt J Traxler C amp Allen T 1997 Interpreting The Scores A Users Guide To The 9 Edition Stanford Achievement Test for Educators Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students Gallaudet Research Institute Technical Report 97 1 Washington DC Gallaudet University Humphries T Padden C amp O Rourke T 1994 A Basic Course in American Sign Language second edition Silver Spring MD T J Publishers Inc Niskar A Kieszak S Holmes A Esteban E Rubin C amp Brody D 1998 Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Children 6 To 19 Years Of Age The Third National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey Journal of the American Medical Association 279 14 1071 1075 Reikopf L 1994 The Joy of Signing Springfield MO Gospel Publishing House Sternberg M 1998 American Sign Language Dictionary New York HarperPerennial Wolk S amp Allen T 1984 A 5 year Follow Up Of Reading Comprehension Achievement Of Hearing Impaired Students In Special Education Programs The Journal of Special Education 18 161 176 comm nicator Appendix A iCommunicator Candidacy Criteria Considerations Individuals with Communication Challenges The Nee
9. a a ee aa Q Lo O 4375 5875 216 0125 216 0375 216 0625 A 216 0875 216 1125 216 1375 aa 216 1625 Ss 216 1875 216 2125 216 2375 aaa 216 2625 Loe 216 2875 216 3125 216 3375 ene 216 3625 SS 216 3875 216 4125 216 4375 216 4625 Ss 216 4875 e 216 5125 216 5375 216 5625 Lo 216 5875 216 6125 216 6375 anne 216 6625 a 216 6875 216 7125 216 7375 E 216 7625 O 216 7875 216 8125 216 8375 ne 216 8625 oe 216 8875 216 9125 216 9375 anna 216 9625 216 9875 amp O K o0 G0 DN p DO N NIN Nn nin N 29 iCommunicator System User Training LightsPEED LES 360 Systems Troubleshooting and Maintenance o tip Consult the User Manual for additional information on the LightSPEED LES 360 system use and maintenance Battery Check e Were the batteries charged overnight If not replace with alkaline batteries or fully charged 9 volt batteries e Is the charging LED illuminated red while charging e Are the transmitter and receiver turned OFF while charging Speech to Text Translation Delay Translation Inaccuracy e Power Refer to the System Check e Batteries Check the batteries first Check battery contacts for correct polarity match Check to see that the batteries fit snugly against the contact points in the battery compartment Clean battery contacts if necessary Use a deoxidizer suc
10. government Section 508 requires Federal electronic and information technology to be accessible to people with disabilities including employees and members of the public An accessible information technology system is one that can be operated in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability of the user For example a system that provides output only in visual format may not be accessible to people with visual impairments and a system that provides output only in audio format may not be accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing Some individuals with disabilities may need accessibility related software or peripheral devices in order to use systems that comply with Section 508 Appendix C Communication Accessibility Regulations The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Access Board issued final accessibility standards for electronic and information technology covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 on December 21 2000 Section 508 requires the Access Board to publish standards setting forth a definition of electronic and information technology and the technical and functional performance criteria necessary for such technology to comply with section 508 Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop procure maintain or use electronic and information technology they shall ensure that the electronic and information technology allows Federal employees with d
11. intelligibility English Speakers of Other need for written English to augment oral presentations Languages ESOL e need to improve English literacy skills e opportunity to hear playback notes and stories to learn the English language e opportunity to improve speech recognition and speech intelligibility Learning Disability e need for note taking assistance due to difficulty multitasking e need for note taking assistance due to dysgraphia e need for visual augmentation due to visual processing deficits Low Vision e need for increased font size e need for high contrast schemes e need for voice output Physical Disability e need for note taking assistance due to difficulty multitasking e need for voice output e need for portable assistive technology that will accommodate peripheral and or alternative devices Severe Language Impairment need for note taking assistance due to difficulty developmental or acquired multitasking e need for visual augmentation to re learn metalinguistic and metacognitive skills to enhance comprehension e possible need for voice output Speech or Voice Disorder e need for voice output device e opportunity to improve speech recognition and speech intelligibility 122 Appendix B Speech and Voice Recognition Training Flowchart Accuracy Check Common Phrases 123 iCommunicator System User Training comm icator Speech and Voice Recognition Training Flowchart
12. rerun Audio Wizard Remember that 1Communicator is not as smart as you are It does not know what you meant to say It needs to hear acoustical boundaries between words in order to translate your speech accurately Refer to Speech and Voice Recognition Training Tips page 69 for additional information You can store speech voice recognition files on a server zip disk or CD when a speaker is not using the ICommunicator When the need arises again reload the file on the computer The speaker then runs Audio Wizard and updates vocabulary if needed Refer to the Archiving and Retrieving S V Files 1Tip on page 113 for more information Another option is available through Dragon NaturallySpeaking From the Start menu in the taskbar select Programs _ Dragon The Manage Users screen appears Select your voice file and choose Open Go to the Tools menu on the Dragon Menu bar and select Accuracy Center Module 4 Vocabulary Building Here you will find some helpful tips for fine tuning your speech voice file as well as troubleshooting tips Another very useful tool available in Dragon s Accuracy Center is the Acoustic Optimizer As you make corrections and add to your speech voice file the speech recognition engine archives this acoustic information and uses it to enhance recognition accuracy The Acoustic Optimizer accumulates this data from each training session It will take some time for the Acoustic Optimizer to process so make su
13. window without generating a voice From the Signing Options menu select the signing speed for comfortable viewing Speak Text Window Select this action to convert the words in the Text window to audible computer generated speech The computer generated speech can then be delivered through the computer s speakers or sent to the end user s hearing assistive device via the Audio Y cable Sign and Speak Text Window This action simultaneously signs the words in the Text window and generates audible computer generated voice Signing Options Menu Ctrl w Enable Signing Ctrl E Fastest Fi 6 v5 4 3 2 Slowest 47 iCommunicator System User Training Scroll to find a word then click the check mark to view the sign The Signing Options Menu lets change the signing speed and find the sign tor a wora oy accessing tne word List Enable or disable signing by clicking Enable Signing or by using the shortcut Control E Select a comfortable signing speed ranging from slowest to fastest Most end users who use sign language choose a speed of 4 or 5 In Version 3 0 the signing speeds have been readjusted so that the slowest speed represents the actual film speed of the sign video Individuals who wish to learn fundamental sign language may choose the slowest speed Select Word List to view an alphabetical display of words in the signing video library Choose a word from the drop down list and then click the ch
14. 10 entries Demonstration 1 Type some text in the Note This Say This text box 2 Press Control Enter The text appears in the Text window enclosed by arrows 3 Press Control Enter The two arrows appear in the Text window and serve as a notation 4 To display the last ten entries place your cursor on the arrow to the right of the text box Microphone Status Bar The microphone status bar displays a graphic indicator of the microphone input Color appears over the background to indicate the status amber e on and ready to receive speech e listening but not detecting any sounds it considers to be speech green e in use and receiving speech e audio level is too high e can occur if speaking voice is louder than the presentation voice used during speech voice training e need to rerun Audio Wizard e microphone is OFF Use the microphone status bar to turn the microphone OFF and ON 53 iCommunicator System User Training 1 Move the mouse pointer directly over the microphone status bar and click it once to turn off the microphone 2 Click it again to turn on the microphone The default 1s the ON position 3 If the Microphone Status Bar turns red while speaking into the microphone the audio level is too high You must rerun the Audio Wizard and recalibrate the microphone If the redlining continues further troubleshooting and adjustment may be necessary Contact Customer Service for assistance Mi
15. Building Reading a third selection is necessary if your accuracy 1s below 90 You may choose to read a third selection if your accuracy is at 90 or above to give the speech recognition engine Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 Preferred a broader sample of your speech and voice patterns Environmental factors and the condition of your voice can significantly influence speech and voice recognition training Whenever possible create speaker files and complete initial voice training in the environment in which you plan to use ICommunicator If training occurs in a different environment you will need to rerun Audio Wizard when you use the iCommunicator in the classroom or in the workplace This will calibrate Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training the microphone You do not have to rerun Audio Wizard daily only if there 1s a condition that indicates the needs to repeat the process Since your speaking voice may differ greatly from your reading voice it is important that you perform speech and voice training in the same voice and with the same vocal effort that you plan to use with the iCommunicator program in your workplace or other special application environment Rerun the Audio Wizard any time conditions change such as the acoustical environment voice change due to a cold translation accuracy 1s degraded or when a different microphone or sound card 1s used Dictation tips included in this module will assist speakers in masteri
16. Microphone Placement Microphone placement is extremely important for accurate speech translation Place the microphone in the same position each time you use the 1Communicator program Squeeze the microphone through the windscreen and verify the microphone diaphragm is in the appropriate location 69 iCommunicator System User Training Preventing Vocal Strain During Training e Use good posture Use vocal effort characteristic of your presentation voice Breathe deeply from your abdomen not from your chest e Take occasional breaks e Keep your vocal cords moist Use a straw so you do not have to move the microphone Eating Chewing and Dictating e Avoid eating chewing gum or drinking liquids while the microphone is ON e Use the mute switch to avoid transmitting non speech sounds Eyes Off the Screen e When dictating try not to watch the computer screen e Viewing the text while dictating sometimes causes speakers to speak unnaturally You can make corrections later Saving Small Segments e After completing general training and vocabulary building use your presentation voice while the ICommunicator translates your speech e Make corrections and then save small segments of accurately translated speech This helps in building customizing and fine tuning your speech voice file Judicious Use of the Mute Switch e Use the Mic Mute switch to avoid transmitting unwanted information such as private conversa
17. Other Programs 31 comm nicator Module 2 Menus and Windows 33 iCommunicator System User Training Module 2 Objectives In this module you will learn the skills necessary for e working with windows e working with menus e using the Control window e using the Text window e using the Signing window Preview Menus and Windows 34 The 1Communicator main screen contains three windows in the standard viewing mode each serving a different function Seven menus appear on the menu bar to help you navigate and manage the 1Communicator program Highlight an option and then click the left mouse button to execute it e The File menu manages files e The Views menu controls the Signing and Text windows color themes and the viewing mode e The Options menu lets you access unique iCommunicator features such as Speak Incoming Words Set Talking Voice Edit Quick Say Keys and Speech and Voice Recognition training e The Actions menu lets you turn on or change the signing and speaking actions that occur in the Text window e The Signing Options menu lets you enable or disable signing control the signing speed and retrieve a sign using the Word List e The Font menu offers font sizes from 8 through 72 e The 1Communicator program contains a comprehensive Help file that you can access through the Help menu Obtain help by selecting a topic from the Table of Contents or Index or by conducting a search for a specifi
18. Outcomes The 1Communicator program uses continuous recognition of natural speech to translate speech to text and or sign language in real time Systematic professional training is strongly encouraged to maximize use of the unique features and capabilities of the program The end user must be completely trained in the operation of the 1Communicator program to achieve positive outcomes and adequate supports will need to be available for the end user for technical assistance and support Managers of the iCommunicator program should possess computer literacy skills necessary to use and maintain the program and peripherals and provide training for both end users and speakers in the unique features of this communication access technology Speech and voice recognition enhancements available in 1ICommunicator program V 3 0 allow most speakers to easily achieve 90 or better translation accuracy with approximately one hour of speech Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge and voice recognition S VR training Additional time is required to customize the speaker s S VR file by adding unique vocabulary specific to the speaker s profession or worksite application Contact Interactive Solutions Inc for information about online professional training opportunities Section 508 Compatibility Interactive Solutions Inc is committed to helping the government as well as private and public sector businesses provide improved accessi
19. Read the two information screens and click OK after each one ICommunicator Info Window When the New User Wizard window appears type the desired name in the Your Name area And then click on the Advanced option bacrognore pugpea to mo n sacx msteommon E 73 iCommunicator System User Training In the Advanced window ensure thatthe Speech Model is BestMatch III If not click on the drop down menu and then select BestMatch III And then verify that the Vocabulary Size option is set to Large If not select it from the drop down menu then Click Ok New User Wizard opens to the Create New User screen 3 Enter your name This field can hold up to 127 characters 4 Press Tab to navigate to the next field 5 Click the Advanced button to choose the speech model and vocabulary size Advanced Choose Models Language US English Type General Speech Model BestMatch III Vocabulary size Large Recommended for this machine Cancel Verify the following selections If the recommended choice does not appear click on the drop down menu and select the preferred choice listed below e Speech Model is Best Match III e Vocabulary Size is Large 74 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training e Custom based on advanced selections will appear in the New User Wizard s Vocabulary window 6 Choose OK to accept your changes 7 Click Next Calib
20. Signing Options Font Help To view the menu selections click a menu name Move the mouse pointer to highlight the item you want and then click the left mouse button to select it Keyboard shortcuts appear to the right of some menu selections See page 64 for a complete listing of keyboard shortcuts and hot keys New Ctrl N The File Menu offers a variety of options to Open Ctr o manage files Save Cris Save As Ctr A New Ctrl N Exit Use this to clear any text in the Text window or to prepare a new file 35 iCommunicator System User Training When you select this option the ICommunicator program removes the text from the window but does not save it If you want to save the text in this window you must do so before selecting New Open Ctrl O This opens an existing file and displays it in the Text window It only opens files or documents previously saved using the following naming conventions ASCII text txt Microsoft Word doc Rich Text Format rtf Corel WordPerfect wpd and Hypertext Markup Language htm and html Demonstration 1 From the File menu select Open 2 Choose iCommunicator text file Teddy Roosevelt The file loads to the text window 3 From the File menu select New The Text window clears Save Ctrl S Use this command to save the contents of the Text window to a file Save As Ctrl A Exit 36 Use this command to name and save the contents of the Text w
21. User Training AMM 117 iCommunicator Candidacy Criteria Considerations 117 Individuals with Communication Challenges The Need and Feature Match 117 ea 118 LICEI RO ARA ica 118 Special Communication NeedS 118 Independent Use Candidacy Criteria Considerations 118 Training Requirements and SUpports i 120 Individuals with Communication Challenges The Need and Feature Match 121 Siino rete 123 Accuracy Check Using Phonetically Balanced ParagraphS 125 enna 125 My ELE ARR ARR 125 Common Phrases and Sentences for Speech Voice Recognition Training 27 O RA 133 Communication Accessibility Regulations 133 Regulatory Authority Related to Communication Accessibility 134 Americans with Disabilities Act ADA of 1990 cceccccsseccceeeeceeeeeceeaees 134 Assistive Tecimolopy Act of 1998 ecreis eren tn ene EEr en koo ENO a aS 134 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 IDEA cecccceeeceee eee 135 GUI 148 1 IRR RR ROERO RR 136 Dia 139 Hill lata 143 Module Review Answer Ke y sesssesssesseccssecosesssecoseoosecosecssecssecssscsssesssesssesssessseosseose 147 1V comm nicator Getting Started iCommunicator System User Training The Communication Accessibility Challenge Each day we
22. alternatives choose 7 did she say ice cream or Le scream based on choose 6 to did she say ice cream or ice cream word choose 9 did she say ice cream or eye scream predictability If the correct Spell That translation Is Play That Back ha i su SIE That Unselect That Correction Options 3 Select the correct word or text from the numbered list of recognition alternatives In the example above the speaker actually said Did she say ice cream or I scream 4 Ifthe correct alternative is not a choice select Spell That The Spell That dialog box appears Spell or type the word or phrase You may also say Choose 1 or another number did she say ice cream or scream did she say ice cream or ice cream say ice cream or scream did she say ice cream or a ice cream did she say ice cream or ice cream a did she say ice cream or ice cream did she say ice cream or eyes scream DG say ice cream or ice cream did she say ice cream or i e scream to did she say ice cream or ice cream I Train how to pronounce this Play Back Cance He 1 2 3 4 2 6 n 8 9 105 iCommunicator System User Training 106 5 If the correct text is displayed click the number or say Choose x where x is the number of the correct text If the correct text is not displayed type it in the text box Click inside the Train how to pronounce this box Then click OK The Train Wo
23. and Windows Demonstration 1 From the File menu select Open and then choose Ancient History 2 Place the cursor on a word 3 Press Shift Right Click The definition displays 4 Click on the Say icon to hear the word spoken 5 Click another word in the definition to see its definition display 6 Place the cursor on another word 7 Double click on the word The sign will display Signing Window The Signing window displays sign language and fingerspelling videos The program contains more than 9 000 video clips of individually signed words and fingerspelling videos When a sign is not available the iCommunicator program fingerspells the word When several persons are viewing the screen enlarging the Signing window in the Custom viewing mode may be helpful The image clarity changes with enlargement Use the magnifier buttons at the top of the Signing window to increase or decrease the size of the Signing window Use the Signing Options menu to control the signing functions Select Enable Signing to turn on signing A check mark appears beside the menu option The signing speed can be controlled from this menu Turn off signing by selecting Enable Signing again and the check mark will disappear A sign can also be accessed for a word in the Text window by clicking the Show button on the Text window Another option for obtaining a sign is to use the Word List from the Signing Options menu 59 iCommunicator System User Tra
24. be finished What time is practice 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 ZI 212 213 274 275 276 277 278 219 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 DOT 298 299 300 Practice makes perfect I cannot remember that Did you forget Of course You look very nice today Aren t you feeling well What happened here It s all over It s all over but the shouting OK Did you like it What grade did you get Did you pass PII see you tomorrow What number is it I know all about it Just give me the facts Pd better go now Do you understand this So what do you think Come back again I can t stand it anymore It s your turn Turn out the lights What day is it What time does it come on The pencil is broken Watch it What time is it now Who won the game It won t last that long Answer the question please Don t play games with me You have a lot of homework Is your brother in high school Where s your sister We have plenty One day at atime Did you trick me See you next year 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 Is that an appropriate response Remember your m
25. communicate at home in the car in the classroom in the workplace or in public venues Those of us who can speak and hear normally have little trouble asking or answering questions supplying vital information or engaging in effective two way communication However these simple acts can be a struggle for persons who are deaf hard of hearing or other persons who experience unique communication challenges Access to acoustic information and communication are challenges these individuals face daily Interactive Solutions Inc developed the ICommunicator software program to enable persons to overcome communication challenges and to foster literacy development and independent communication The Impact of Hearing Loss In the United States an estimated twenty eight million people have a hearing loss during their life ASHA 2000 More than 30 of people over sixty five and 14 between the ages of forty five and sixty four have some hearing loss Nearly eight million people between the ages of eighteen and forty four and seven million children have hearing loss Better Hearing Institute 2001 Research shows that 11 3 to 14 9 of school aged children have a hearing loss that affects their learning and development Bess Dodd Murphy amp Parker 1998 Niskar et al 1998 Carney amp Moeller 1998 reported that early onset sensorineural hearing loss has many consequences on a child s development For example hearing loss alters th
26. in front of the chin and not directly in front of the mouth The flat side of the microphone is directed away from the face The microphone should always be placed in the same position to ensure translation accuracy Squeeze the microphone through the windscreen to make certain that the position is correct Charging the LightSPEED LES 360 system Photograph courtesy of LightSPEED Technologies The BC 4 Battery Charger is used to charge the NiMH batteries provided with the LES system To maximize the life of the batteries charge them nightly and do not allow them to drain completely Turn off the power on the receiver and transmitter when charging Insert one end of the charging cable into the battery charger and the other end into the charger jack on the receiver and the transmitter The red LED on the charger should light when the batteries are charging If alkaline batteries are alternatively used in the LES system do not attempt to recharge these batteries It will damage the system Be sure to match battery polarity 1 e and terminals when replacing batteries in the receiver and transmitter The batteries should fit snugly against the contacts Every two or three months clean the battery contacts with a deoxidizer such as alcohol The most frequent problem associated with wireless FM systems is directly related to low battery power Consult the LES 360 User Manual for additional information about battery use and management
27. lexical linguistic to select the appropriate word choice for 45 iCommunicator System User Training translation Sometimes the program has to hear a word in a phrase or sentence before it actually recognizes the word Some users prefer displaying the Show Results box along with the other iCommunicator features because it gives them the opportunity to view speech to text translation almost immediately Experiment in using this feature when you speak to the computer later in the training process Change Font Size and Color The default font size in the Show Results Box is 8 however end users can change the font size to a maximum of 24 In addition the font color can be changed The following procedure is based upon the Windows XP operating system OS If your computer has an earlier operating system consult the system s Help File for information on locating the path to the ToolTip Follow these steps to change the font size and color Start Control Panel _Appearance and Themes Display Appearance Advanced ToolTip At this point you will be able to change the color and size of the font that will display in the Show Results Box It is important to remember that if you change the font size or color in the ToolTip those changes will be effective for the entire operating system Change Position of the Show Results Box To prevent the Show Results Box from moving on the 1Communicator main screen use the mouse to click and drag the t
28. others nearby There is value in listening to computer generated speech in that the dynamic range is more restricted than the human voice and sound patterns may appear to be more predictable set Talking Voice 40 The talking voice speaks translated incoming words and it verbalizes the words found in text documents It also gives intelligible speech to users who need this type of assistance To make a comment ask a question or to reply simply type the words into the Say This Note This text box When you press the Enter key the computer speaks the words in the text box The Set Talking Voice command opens a dialog Talking Voice fi Mary box that lets end users choose options to Fitch Speed J customize the computer generated voice Test This is a test of text to speech A male or female voice Accept Changes Discard Changes may be selected The parameters of pitch and rate speed may be manipulated Then listen to your selections and Accept or Discard the changes by selecting the appropriate button Adjust the rate of speed to help users hear multi syllable words such as Constantinople Use this feature to improve speech recognition and speech intelligibility skills Demonstration 1 Choose a male or female voice 2 Click the down arrow to view a list of talking voice options Module 2 Menus and Windows 3 Click and highlight to choose a talking voice 4 Click Test to hear the talking voice
29. person puts words together The speech recognition engine compiles statistical information associated with a vocabulary that describes the likelihood of words and sequences of words occurring in the speaker s language model e Lexical a typical English vocabulary The speech recognition engine recognizes thousands of words that are in its built in lexicon and each word in the vocabulary has both a text representation and a pronunciation When you Create a New User you begin with a standard set of acoustic linguistic and lexical models As you read selections and later speak spontaneously into the computer you customize these models for the manner in which you speak acoustical model and the way you use words linguistic and lexical models When the speech recognition program learns about your speech and voice characteristics it will become more accurate in its translations The speech recognition engine uses your customized speech voice recognition file to predict the words you have spoken When you initially use the 1Communicator software program you will notice some translation inaccuracies Use Vocabulary Builder and Vocabulary Editor to customize and expand the lexical model Add technical terms and vocabulary you routinely use by speaking or by analyzing documents and then training any unfamiliar words that the iCommunicator program does not recognize You can enhance the linguistic model to better match your spoken lan
30. the File menu select Save As Choose My Documents Vocabfiles and then click Save 10 Repeat steps 7 through 9 for each text file you downloaded 15 iCommunicator System User Training 16 comm nicator Module 1 iCommunicator Overview iCommunicator System User Training Module 1 Objectives In this module you will learn the skills necessary to e use the transmitter and position the microphone e connect the receiver e connect the audio outputs e manage battery usage e perform a System Check e open the Communicator program Preview iCommunicator Program V 3 0 Kit Overview 18 The 1Communicator program works with a Pentium III based multimedia laptop or desktop computer that meets the minimum hardware specifications identified by Interactive Solutions Inc The software includes e iCommunicator V 3 0 software kit e Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred Version 6 0 e Babylon Translator The iCommunicator program runs efficiently on Windows 98 Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 is the underlying speech recognition engine incorporated into the iCommunicator program Version 3 0 software is easily installed by the owner when following the step by step procedure described in the Install Guide Version 3 0 software 1s available as a professional version or a standard version and the difference is the microphone used to input the speaker s voice The profession
31. the ICommunicator program 1 From the options menu select Speech Recognition Save Speech Files 2 Note This is the only way to save your recordings Choosing the Save option under the file menu saves only the text in the Text window not speech files 3 A red warning screen appears 4 Click Yes and proceed Acronyms and Other Unique Text 94 You can add acronyms or other text and then have the program show the actual words or vice versa Some examples follow Spoken Form Written Form IEP Individual Education Plan United States of America USA my email address training info isi com our website www isi iCommunicator com my telephone number 941 753 5000 Add common phrases colloquial speech and contemporary phrases to your speech voice file using the Vocabulary Editor Some examples include good morning good afternoon instructional technology department deaf and hard of hearing fixin to and Better Hearing and Speech Month Module 4 Vocabulary Building Working with Document Text Files Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 allows for documents saved in the following formats to be analyzed under a speaker s speech voice file Existing documents or files from the Internet such as classic literature can be saved in one of these formats for analysis Consult the Dragon help menu for useful information about preparing documents to add to the vocabulary ASCII text txt Microsoft Word doc
32. to increase or decrease the size of the Signing window There are three sizes available You must be using the custom mode in order to resize the Text window 1 Move the mouse pointer to the windows edge at any of the four sides 2 When the double arrow appears hold down the left mouse button and drag to the desired size 3 Release the mouse button when the desired size appears 63 iCommunicator System User Training Hip 64 Keyboard Shortcuts and Hotkeys You can quickly execute ICommunicator menu commands using keyboard combinations called hot keys The hot key combination displays on the pull down menu along with the command Hold down the first key e g Ctrl or Alt and then press the key shown with it to use the shortcut In the Standard mode all menus display the hot keys Hot Key Menu iCommunicator Menu Combination Command Ctrl A File Save As Ctrl B Actions Sign and Speak Text window Ctrl D View Return to Defaults Ctrl E Options Enable Signing Ctrl G Actions Sign Text window Ctrl I Options Speak Incoming Words Ctrl K Actions Speak Text window Ctrl N File New Ctrl O File Open Ctrl P Actions Pause Ctrl R Actions Reset Ctrl S File Save Ctrl W Actions Word List Ctrl Enter N A Place Note This text in Text Window comm nicator Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training 65 iCommunicator System User T
33. 0 Sharpen your pencils now 128 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 I am grateful for your help Speak up Close the door Open the window Listen to the announcements Circle time It s really hot today Hello class Hello boys and girls Hello ladies and gentlemen My name 1s Where were you I appreciate that Thank you very much You may go now What s for lunch What is your address For goodness sake How about that It s too noisy in here I m happy to meet you I don t believe it It s the truth Like it or not it s true Where did you hear that Come on now It s really true Sorry to hear about that I wish I could help you How do you do How are you Get out your pads and pencils Take out your laptop Take care I m sorry That s terrible news How do you spell your name Tell me all about it It s about time After all this time 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 Once upon a time That s all I know about it Where have you been It alwa
34. 1 Shutting down the computer if it stops Working i 71 Initial Speech and Voice Recognition Training Overview i 72 Gn 4 E EE ET 73 Calibrating the Microphone 75 Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training 8 1 EE e Ee nana 85 Ct PERO EERE EEE ENEE SE EEE EER 86 LOCALE E RR EEO TOA 86 IPA Vs AGUA y Adus TENT ae 87 Modulo 3 ROVE Ao EEA 89 Module 4 Vocabulary Baldo cullare 91 Mod le 4 Module Oc e a EE E ES 92 Preview Vocabulary Building i 92 Vocabulary Building Sy sc vci 93 Aa DOT RR 93 Wei 94 Actors and het Ln Let nera 94 Working with Document Text Files 95 Scanning Documents for Vocabulary Building 95 Vocabulary Builder Analyzing Document i 95 CILE ER 76 E IR IRE ATA ORI 95 Sarine I accesses O PRC OPA RO EE PARA 96 i luna 97 LE PERRIN ee tr erry ete rr 101 EE 101 SERI RR IAA 101 iaia 102 Correcting Errors Using Correct That iii 104 Jange RR EA P E E EE RE A EAA E 104 Lina 104 Continuing to Fine tune the Speech Voice Recognition File 108 Top Ten Tips for Successful 1Communicator Program Use 110 Via ARRE 112 Archiving and Restoring Speech Voice Recognition Files 113 Lidia 113 LO RR EA 113 Restoring Speaker S V FILE lineari rio irta 114 oe RE 115 il iCommunicator System
35. 36 The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies 1n programs receiving Federal financial assistance in Federal employment and in the employment practices of Federal contractors The standards for determining employment discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act are the same as those used in title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act Of particular interest are Sections 504 and 508 Section 504 states that no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that either receives Federal financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency or the United States Postal Service Each Federal agency has its own set of section 504 regulations that apply to its own programs Agencies that provide Federal financial assistance also have section 504 regulations covering entities that receive Federal aid Requirements common to these regulations include reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities program accessibility effective communication with people who have hearing or vision disabilities and accessible new construction and alterations Each agency is responsible for enforcing its own regulations Section 508 establishes requirements for electronic and information technology developed maintained procured or used by the Federal
36. Assistive Technology Act of 1998 133 Audio Quality factors 75 Audio Wizard rerun 70 AutoSave 39 B Babylon Electronic Dictionary 57 Battery Indicator 31 BestMatch III speech model 73 C Calculating recognition Accuracy 126 Calibrating the Microphone 75 Calibration microphone 75 Changing font size 55 windows theme 57 Chart compute accuracy 126 Clear Text When Starting 56 Clear Text Window When Starting 42 Clearing text window 56 Close text window 57 Color Codes microphone status bar 53 Communication Accessibility Challenge 2 Compute Accuracy Chart 126 Continuous Speech Recognition overview 68 Control Window 34 50 Correct That purpose 103 using 103 Create new user 73 Create a New User 73 Create New Speaker 73 124 Current Speaker 34 selecting 51 Current Speaker Indicator 50 Custom Mode minimize amp restore windows 62 D Defaults returning to 38 Disable Signing 48 E Editing quick say keys 42 Electronic Dictionary Babylon 57 Enable Signing 48 143 iCommunicator System User Training F Font changing size 55 Font Menu 48 G General Speech Voice Training running 84 H Hearing Loss Impact of 2 Help contents 49 Help Menu 49 iCommunicator 10 tips for success 109 benefits 7 fully integrated 7 real time translation 6 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 IDEA 134 Initial Speech and Voice Recognition Trai
37. Click Cancel Clearing the Text Window 56 To clear text that appears in the Text window Demonstration 1 From the Control window File menu select New 2 Choose Yes to remove the text from the window Use the Clear Text When Starting option when you want a clear Text window each time you open the ICommunicator program e From the Options menu select Clear Text Window When Starting Module 2 Menus and Windows Closing and Opening the Text Window Open the Text Window e From the Control window Views menu select Text Window A check mark appears on the menu indicating the option is enabled Close the Text Window e From the Views menu deselect Text Window Or e Click the X in the upper right corner of the Text window Custom mode only Changing the Windows Theme Choose from several preprogrammed themes to change the look and color of the 1Communicator windows The program remembers your theme each time you make a change From the Views menu select Allow Themes A check mark appears on the menu indicating this option is on Click on a theme name to select a theme To deselect themes click on Allow Themes again SS SY YS The check mark disappears from the menu indicating the option 1s off Resize the Text Window This option is available in the custom mode only Refer to the Custom Mode Viewing Options iTip on page 62 for further information Using the Electronic Dictionary within the Text Window
38. Connect the audio end marked with the blue band to external speakers if the end user requires voice output System Check Before using the 1Communicator software program complete a System Check A System Check should also be performed at any time when there are speech voice translation accuracy problems The System Check iTip found on page 31 addresses the following keys to successful operation e power computer receiver transmitter e battery status computer receiver transmitter e connections power audio connectors microphone e frequency setting transmitter and receiver e microphone placement e other programs running on the computer including screensavers Module 1 ICommunicator Overview Software The 1Communicator software kit includes the 1Communicator software program Version 3 0 Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred Version 6 0 speech recognition software and Babylon Translator The 1Communicator program runs on Windows 98SE Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems Speakers are encouraged to become familiar with helpful features within Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 6 0 such as the Accuracy Center and the Acoustic Optimizer Install the ICommunicator V 3 0 software according to the Install Guide shipped with your software kit If you have purchased the ICommunicator V 3 0 software program and do not have a previous version installed on your computer you will be completing a new installation Af
39. English and other languages and has a very limited written format Manually Coded English is a sign system that represents English in a visual gestural modality Manually Coded English was designed to make English visible The three best known Manually Coded English systems in educational programs for students who are deaf are Seeing Exact English Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge SEE I Signing Exact English SEE II and Signed English Coryell amp Holcomb 1997 Gustason amp Zawolkow 1993 These manually coded English systems consist of a set of invented signs to represent English structures such as pronouns verb tenses plurality adverbs possessives comparatives and articles Pidgin Sign English or contact sign refers to the use of ASL signs in English word order with some inclusion of English morphemes PSE or contact sign is not a language in itself but an incomplete version of ASL and an incomplete version of English Students with special needs are placed in a variety of educational settings to meet their educational needs Options range from inclusive settings regular education classes to segregated classes self contained special education classes or residential schools The increased emphasis on placing students in inclusive classes stresses the importance that students have good communication and literacy skills Parents abilities to communicate with their children as well as their activ
40. FM systems cochlear implant speech processors directly to the computer with the audio Y cable to clearly hear the computer generated voice Enhance Language and Literacy Skills 10 find word definitions using an integrated electronic dictionary view the sign for a specific word allows immediate text display using Show Results Box associate spoken words with displayed text and sign language that is delivered in English word order Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge Special Features for Speakers The 1Communicator program s exclusive features provide speakers the opportunity to easily and directly converse with people that have special communication needs e enhanced speech and voice recognition translation accuracy through iCommunicator s expertly integrated program e user friendly on screen prompts and dialogue boxes to assist speakers during speech voice recognition training e speaker verification window to protect the user s speech voice files e opportunity for most speakers to achieve 90 or better speech and voice recognition translation accuracy in approximately one hour e fine tuning of the speech voice file through a guided vocabulary building process e decrease speech voice recognition training time by analyzing electronic documents such as texts manuscripts scanned materials summaries glossaries and vocabulary lists e fine tune the speech voice recognition file using special featu
41. Mode Viewing Options 62 Key Differences from the Standard Mode 62 Vega i RR 62 Minimizing and Restoring Windows in the Custom Mode 63 Rey boat Shortcuts and Hotkeys ccs cacssezscccannsasdusanndecseannaansqnunsanasternedesunssenesnoncdenmnan 64 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training ccccsssccsssscsssscssssccssscecesees 65 Moue Te PEER NGN AACR GE DIICR NEI ENERE RE A NERA 66 Preview Speech and Voice Recognition Traming il 66 Speech and Voice Recognition Training iii 67 BN e E E ORE CORIO SVOTAROI DOVA E ORINPO SERIA CERTIRO VERNO 67 Overview of Continuous Speech Recognition 68 Speech and Voice Recognition Training Tips 69 eci 69 1A 1138 EE 56 PARRA E LARE RARA ERRE E E AIA 69 OLI 0 RR RR CR A E SO TT 69 Microphone alls 10 0 Rn nnr a a a E E a 69 Preventing Vocal Strain During Trainin cc0s scccscsesecsnesesecceasseccceasesesssnsesees 70 Eating Chewing and Dictating 70 EI I AA 70 VEE PRO RR OA 70 Judicious Use of the Mute birra 70 Kon Ando Niz o AE 70 Table of Contents Dictating or Speaking in Your Own Speech Voice File 71 Accuracy cs cc ciincaseesspndbaaaienstaasnsendiasnaned onensdimoasaysssteaenissbsatsassaeaneendveseasasiacnnned 71 Fine tuning your speech voice recognition file 7
42. Rich Text Format rtf Corel WordPerfect wpd HyperText Markup Language htm or html Scanning Documents for Vocabulary Building Scan documents such technical reports chapter summaries glossaries and other information pertinent to the speaker s typical vocabulary The scanner must have optical character recognition OCR capability so that the program can read the words as text Save the scanned document as a text file in rtf format Vocabulary Builder Analyzing Documents You will complete several exercises as you proceed through this portion of the training manual Later you will continue vocabulary building to improve translation accuracy System Check 1 Check your system using the System Checklist appropriate for your microphone 1 e professional or standard 2 Make sure that your name displays in the Current Speaker window 3 In the Control window click the Microphone Status Bar or Microphone On Off button so that the microphone is off that is totally black 95 iCommunicator System User Training 96 Starting Vocabulary Builder l From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Vocabulary Builder Vocabulary Builder Microphone On Ctrl M v Autosaving every 7 minutes Speak Incoming Words Ctrl I Set Talking Voice Edit Quick Say Keys w Clear Text Window when starting Speech Recognition Change Current Speaker gt Save Speech Files v Show Results box Run General Training Creat
43. Smith Jones or 1s1 1Communicator because the program recognizes each part of such a word as separate pieces To add these types of words use the Vocabulary Editor It is important not to repeat words that appear incorrectly Correct them the first time you see the inaccurate translation When you select Save Speech Files the program saves everything you say both correctly and incorrectly even when text box is clear The only way to begin anew is to exit without saving and return or change to another speaker Some commands for using the Correct That feature may be voice activated Using Correct That 104 Use the following steps to correct a word 1 Repeat the word once so that it appears incorrectly translated on a line by itself p Tip Ifthe word appears correctly you will not need to correct it 2 Say Correct That Wait a moment and the Correction window will appear p Tip You may use other voice commands such as select go train record and done to easily navigate through this process Module 4 Vocabulary Building Correction Say Choose 1 for example or just ignore this box choose 1 did she say ice cream or scream choose 2 did she say ice cream or a ice cream The choose 3 did she say ice cream or lice cream Correction choose 4 a did she say ice cream or ice cream window choose 5 did she say ice cream or eyes scream displays choose 6 DG say ice cream or ice cream
44. The LightSPEED LES 360 system is compatible with other peripheral hearing devices that transmit in the 216MHz frequency The FCC Channel Module 1 ICommunicator Overview Reference iTip on page 29 provides information about the frequency channels of other FM products that are compatible with the eight frequencies available on the LES 360 system Whenever possible match the frequency channel with other FM systems so that the speaker will need to use only one transmitter ISI recommends only using the LES transmitter on these matched frequencies Consult with an audiologist to ensure that the appropriate frequency channels are selected to accommodate the various FM products Turn ON the Power switch on the LES 360R receiver Turn ON the Power switch and the Mic switch on the side of the LES 360T transmitter You are now ready to begin using the LES transmitter and receiver Refer to the LES 360 Troubleshooting and Maintenance iTip on page 30 for further information Parrott Bermuda Microphone The Parrott Bermuda Microphone accompanies the Standard Version Kit The Parrott Bermuda is a noise canceling electret microphone In order to use this microphone simply insert the pink microphone plug into the microphone input jack on the computer Use the inline mute switch to avoid transmitting unwanted verbiage while using the iICommunicator software program for speech to text conversion Push in to mute and push again to engage the microphon
45. When you finish your selections choose the Add Checked Words to Vocabulary button Exercise 1 Click inside the box beside each word you want to add to your vocabulary Note Select the box beside the word iICommunicator 2 If words are misspelled click Edit and then correct the spelling 3 After selecting which words to add choose the Add Checked Words to Vocabulary button Train Words Review the information in this section and then complete the exercise A dialog box displays and asks if you want to train the new words 1 Choose Train The Train Words dialog opens 99 iCommunicator System User Training Train Words Click Done to finish training and exit iCommunicator Written form Spoken form Turn on the microphone Say Go and then say each word as it appears in the text box Use your presentation voice The microphone bar changes from yellow to green when you say each word If a second or third bubble appears that is your prompt to repeat the word Choose Done when you finish training Turn off the microphone Adapting Vocabulary 100 Proceed through the remaining steps to complete the Vocabulary Builder exercise You can follow this procedure to analyze additional documents in the future When you finish training all words the Add New Words dialog box appears again Click Next The Adapt to document style dialog box appears Accept the default settings and click N
46. agon NaturallySpeaking Users Speaker S V file name Select the User folder and then copy it to the appropriate destination 113 iCommunicator System User Training 3 To backup a specific S V file navigate down one level and then select speakers S V folder you wish to backup From the left panel select My Computer Then select the following path C ProgramFiles Dragon NaturallySpeaking Users Speaker S V file name 4 Copy the speaker s S V folder to the appropriate destination Restoring Speaker S V Files 114 To restore all speakers copy the previously backed up User folder to drive C Program Files Dragon NaturallySpeaking Tip This process replaces all speaker files currently recognized by the Communicator program If the S V files recognized by the program are valid use the backup procedure described above before you initiate restore process To restore a specific S V file copy the speaker s S V backup file to drive C Program Files Dragon NaturallySpeaking Users Speaker S V file name Start Communicator From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Create New Speaker Enter the correct voice file name in the Your Name field and then continue until the Audio Wizard Setup is complete Select Cancel and close the Communicator program You must run Audio Setup the first time you use the restored S V file References Bess F Dodd Murphy J amp Parker R 1998
47. al version includes the LightSPEED 360 wireless RF system and the standard version includes the Parrott Bermuda wired direct connect microphone Interactive Solutions has qualified the LightSPEED and Parrott units as the only high quality microphones that are compatible with the 1Communicator software in order to achieve maximum translation accuracy ISI will take no responsibility for product Module 1 ICommunicator Overview failure if the purchaser uses an alternative microphone Prior to shipping the LightSPEED system is professionally calibrated to optimal settings to support maximum performance and translation accuracy Owners of the iCommunicator program should consult the product literature for the microphone shipped with their software kit for further details Speech recognition software is what the Communicator software program uses to translate speech It sends the translated words to an external source using a double wire cable called the Audio Y cable One end of the Y cable plugs into the laptop the other cable end splits into two plugs The yellow coded plug may be connected to a peripheral hearing device such as a cochlear implant speech processor FM system or personal hearing aid The blue coded plug may be connected to external speakers if the end user requires this option for voice output 19 iCommunicator System User Training iCommunicator Program and Hardware Connections When setting up your computer consul
48. am in your reading voice and the program will respond more accurately when you use the program in the classroom workplace or other public venue You must complete the initial voice training in order to create your own speech voice file It is necessary to read the first story to calibrate your speech voice file If you do not complete this step ICommunicator alerts you that you did not calibrate your speech voice file when you attempt to use the program as an identified speaker p Tip Check your system before you begin this part of the training 8 1 iCommunicator System User Training Begin Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training The New User Wizard screen opens inviting you to train Dragon NaturallySpeaking New User Wizard Train Dragon NaturallySpeaking Say the following sentence Welcome to general training Start Finish Pause Demo cI New Cancel Help 1 Click Go and read aloud the sentence in the text box As you read the yellow listening indicator changes to green receiving speech You will read another sentence on the next screen The Select Text screen opens We recommend that you select Talking to Your Computer for the initial training This instructive selection takes about five minutes to read 82 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training Select Text Please select the text that you would like to read Talking to your Computer Easier Reading Instructi
49. anners Be polite What is the meaning of this That s wonderful That s marvelous That s super It s A OR Your score 1s 100 We have 10 minutes left Can you change this please I bought it for a song When it rains it pours How did that happen to you It just doesn t seem fair Where s your buddy This is your last chance What s the rush What s the funny business I didn t say anything Is that an appropriate response Remember your manners Be polite What is the meaning of this That s wonderful That s marvelous That s super It s A OK Your score 1s 100 We have 10 minutes left Can you change this please I bought it for a song When it rains it pours How did that happen to you It just doesn t seem fair Where s your buddy This is your last chance What s the rush What s the funny business I didn t say anything Appendix B Speech and Voice Recognition Training Add more common phrases sentences and colloquial speech that are characteristic of the speaker s language and speech patterns 131 iCommunicator System User Training Notes 132 iCommunicator System User Training comm nicator Appendix C Communication Accessibility Regulations 133 iCommunicator System User Training Regulatory Authority Related to Communication Accessibility Communication accessibility 1s addressed in various federal re
50. ars of funding under the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 The Act also authorizes States to enter cooperative agreements with other States to expand their capacity to assist individuals with disabilities of all ages to learn about acquire use maintain adapt and upgrade assistive technology devices and services Furthermore the act authorizes States to operate or to participate in a computer system through which the State may communicate electronically with other States to gain timely technical services necessary for access to the comprehensive statewide program of technology related assistance by individuals with disabilities in financial need who are ineligible for such services through another public agency or private entity Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 IDEA The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA formerly called P L 94 142 or the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs President Bill Clinton signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 P L 105 17 on June 4 1997 The Final IDEA 97 Regulations were released on Friday March 12 1999 This Act strengthens academic expectations and accountability for the nation s 5 8 mi
51. audio quality Before you proceed recheck your system and repeat both steps of the process to recalibrate your microphone volume check and audio quality check 3 When the audio quality is acceptable click the Finish button 4 Turn off your microphone Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training After you create a speech voice file and calibrate the microphone next you will complete initial speech voice recognition training You must complete this step to be able to use the 1Communicator program to translate your speech This process takes five to ten minutes You will dictate two sentences into your microphone and then read a short selection entitled Talking to Your Computer As you speak you will train the program to recognize your speech and voice characteristics as you pronounce words Initial speech voice training 1s the first step to achieving translation accuracy Before you perform initial speech voice recognition training consider the difference between your reading voice and your speaking voice It is essential that you use the same vocal intensity and effort you normally use in the environment where you will use the ICommunicator program Speech voice recognition is based solely upon what the program hears When your training voice differs significantly from your speaking voice the translation may not be as accurate Consciously resist the urge to train the progr
52. ave to store your Quick Say message 4 Choose Exit to close the window and return to your 1Communicator window 5 Press FI2 Enter to hear the computer speak the corresponding text Clear Text Window When Starting When you select this feature an empty Text window displays each time you turn on the 1Communicator program signing Locked 42 When the end user prefers not to Options use the signing feature the Microphone On Crem Signing Window may be disabled or locked The process uses password protection The lock feature is available only when the iCommunicator program is v Autosaying every 7 minutes Speak Incoming Words Ctrl I Set Talking Voice Edit Quick Say Keys operating in the Custom mode Clear Text Window when starting When this feature is selected all Signing Locked commands for the signing option Speech Recognition disappear from the iCommunicator program menus Options Menu in the Custom Viewing Mode Module 2 Menus and Windows A check mark appears on the Options menu to indicate that signing is locked A user cannot unlock and enable signing unless the correct password is entered To lock or unlock the Signing window 1 Switch to the custom mode if necessary From the Views menu deselect Standard Mode is Selected 2 From the Options menu choose Signing Locked The password window appears 3 Enter a password in the Password window text box Note defaultpassword is the password when t
53. b vocabulary Builder 7 GailGR The 1Communicator program will be able to perform speech to text translation when a speaker has his her own speech voice file selected From the Options Menu select Speech Recognition Change Current Speaker Select the speaker s name from the list You will see the message Changing active speech files Please wait It also is possible to change the current speaker by clicking on the current speaker s name at the bottom of the Control Window and then selecting the desired speaker s name from the list Delete Speaker 44 If you are certain that you no longer need a speaker s speech voice file you can delete it Once you delete a speaker s S V file it is gone forever Make sure you do not need it before you remove it You may wish to archive the CIS speaker s S V file for use at a save Speech Files later time In this instance ru paso transfer the S V file to a zip disk Run General Training CD or LAN Always use the Create New Speaker Delete Speaker menu selection to Run Audio Wizard delete speaker files Delete Cancel Speaker is the only way to Vocabulary Builder di pr properly remove all information CE about a user Before deleting the gail_ros current speaker close that IC Princess speaker s S V file by opening GailGR Module 2 Menus and Windows another speaker s file then select Delete Speaker The important point to remember is that you cannot delete the cu
54. bility of information and technology through its products information services and programs As such the 1Communicator website and software application meet Section 508 requirements for electronic and information technology accessibility The 1Communicator program is fully 508 compliant in the Standard viewing mode and following are some of the features e iCommunicator program works correctly with the Accessibility Aids Microsoft bundles with the Operating System In Standard mode all menus display Alt key combinations e A microphone on off choice has been added to the Options menu in Standard mode and a visual microphone on off button has been added to the control window e Text Window options have been added on the menu bar in Standard mode e The Change Speaker choice has been added to the Options Speech Recognition menu e The program is now 16 bit color compatible Special Features for End Users The 1Communicator program s unique technological features provide end users with unparalleled opportunities to achieve efficient and effective communication The signing engine has been rewritten to be faster more efficient and more accurate Translation Actions and End User Options e translates spoken language to real time on screen text adjust the font size for comfortable viewing adjust the size of the Text Window custom mode e translates spoken language into sign language e signs on screen text adjust the sign
55. c topic The Control window is the heart of the 1Communicator program Use its menu commands to perform most program operations The Control window also displays the current speaker a microphone status bar and a special text box Menus File Menu Module 2 Menus and Windows The Text window serves different purposes Primarily it displays translation of incoming speech As a speaker talks the speech recognition software translates spoken words into written words which are then displayed in the Text window Text wraps onscreen until the speaker takes a breath or pauses There is no punctuation in the translation The Text window also displays text when a user opens an existing text file Use it to recite words sign words or display a word s definition using the electronic dictionary The Signing window translates speech into sign or fingerspelling videos As spoken words are recognized and translated a video clip plays in the window reinforcing the written word and its accompanying sign Similarly when a text file is opened 1ICommunicator can display the signing and fingerspelling for specific words or an entire text passage The standard mode displays seven menus on menu bar at the top of the iCommunicator s main screen These pull down menus let end users and speakers navigate the program and execute actions The custom mode has the same options although organized differently iCommunicator File Views Options Actions
56. cking the Show button Double clicking a word to obtain a sign If the microphone in the ON position it is temporarily disabled when any of the following actions occur and when the action has completed the microphone is returned to the ON position Opening Edit Quick Say Keys Opening the Word List Opening AutoSave Opening Signing from a Password if signing is locked Opening Save File As Opening Talking Voices Autosave _ Autosave Options Check to Enable Autosave IV This feature allows the end user to select the automatic save option in ee ee order to save translated text displayed a ee eee in the Text window Click inside the 8 box to enable Autosave The Autosave ch feature can be adjusted by the end user to save text every 5 to 60 minutes The Autosave feature also allows the end a REE ae ee user to restore the last Autosave by iCommunicator System User Training selecting Restore Last Autosave which will overwrite any text currently in the Text Window Speak Incoming Words This feature converts recognized words to audible computer generated speech and transmits speech to the end user s hearing assistive device Connect the end user s hearing assistive device to the audio Y cable when using the Speak Incoming Words feature Otherwise the speaker s voice converts to computer generated speech that others can hear from the computer s speakers and this could be disturbing to
57. crophone ON OFF Button Click this button to turn the microphone ON or OFF For more information about the functions of the Microphone ON OFF button refer to page 39 Demonstration e Experiment with turning the microphone ON and OFF by toggling the Microphone Status Bar and by using the Microphone button Use this feature during speech voice recognition training and vocabulary building Text Window Speech converts to text and displays in the Text window When the Text window is closed the program continues to translate and add text The translated text appears in the Text window when it reopens General Features of Text Window 54 Speech to text conversion occurs when the speaker pauses or takes a breath Text wraps onscreen until the speaker pauses A slight delay in the text display occurs as the program compares what the speaker says with its internal speech voice model The program uses acoustical lexical and linguistic information as well as context clues to translate speech to text The Show Results Box offers a direct way to view translated text before it appears in the Text window This small box resembles a tool tip and displays in either the top left or bottom right corner of the screen The Show Results Box is helpful when the speaker seldom pauses during Module 2 Menus and Windows delivery To activate the Show Results Box select Speech Recognition Show Results Box from the Options menu iComm
58. cy using the chart provided Fine tuning your speech voice recognition file After reading two or three stories and adding vocabulary read chapter summaries a glossary or other documents that contain the specific vocabulary and technical terminology that you typically use in your workplace or special application environment Analyze documents available in electronic format to build the linguistic and lexical model Shutting down the computer if it stops working If the computer stops working during use follow these steps listed in priority order to shut down the computer IL Simultaneously press Control Alternate Delete 2 Power down the computer di Unplug the computer and remove the battery 71 iCommunicator System User Training Initial Speech and Voice Recognition Training Overview 72 During speech and voice recognition training the ICommunicator program learns about your speech and voice characteristics by listening as you speak into the microphone The stories you read are selections from best selling books that the speech recognition engine has stored and analyzed Because the speech recognition engine already knows the text that you are reading it uses this time to model your voice and learn how you pronounce words After reading two or three short stories you will personalize S V files by analyzing documents and building vocabulary The following flowchart is an overview of the S VR Training process A m
59. d Voice Recognition Training Signal to Noise Ratio SNR The speech to noise ratio SNR displays when the quality check is complete An acceptable value is within the low 20s to low 30s range and must be a minimum rating of 22 New User Wizard Checking Sound Quality You have finished Audio Setup successfully Click the Next button to go to the next step Speech to noise ratio 31 Sudio quality check PASSED Start Quality Check Audio quality check PA lt Back Cancel Help Dragon NaturallySpeaking will indicate that 15 is acceptable however based on the quality testing performed by Interactive Solutions Inc it is recommended that the minimum SNR be no less than 22 If your rating is below 22 it will be necessary to reread the paragraph A low SNR rating requires the program to use more resources resulting in a slower rate of speech to text conversion The graph showing the SNR should be approximately 90 green speech and 10 yellow noise If an error message appears advising that your sound level is too low click OK and then recheck your system Very often the problem is that the microphone is not turned on 79 iCommunicator System User Training 80 The quality of your sound system is unacceptable You may go on however you may get poor voice recognition results It is highly recommended that you try calibrating your volume again go to the previous page then come back here to check your
60. d and Feature Match 117 iCommunicator System User Training Candidacy Criteria Considerations User Characteristics and Skills The 1ICommunicator program provides communication accessibility for persons with special needs The Candidacy Criteria Considerations include end user characteristics and skills that should be considered by evaluation and planning teams e g assistive technology IEP transition rehabilitation to determine the appropriateness of this communication access technology for a specific end user in various settings such as education workplace and public access venues Special Communication Needs Individuals with special communication needs such as those listed below may be candidates for the iCommunicator Deaforhardofhearing Significant speech or voice disorder Learning disability e g dysgraphia Auditory processing disorder learning disability and or severe language impairment that results in difficulty with multitasking and notetaking Attention deficit disorder that results in the need for notetaker assistance Visual impairment e g low vision Physical impairment English as a Second Language ESOL Independent Use Candidacy Criteria Considerations 118 These characteristics abilities and requirements should be considered by the evaluation and planning teams when determining if the iCommunicator is the appropriate communication access technology for a des
61. d others with motor disabilities may also benefit from the program s ability to communicate and note take during classes discussions and meetings Systematic evaluation of a person s unique communication needs and the iCommunicator program features will determine if the 1Communicator program is an an appropriate assistive technology Individuals with significant expressive speech or voice disorders may benefit from the voice output capabilities that allow them to interact independently during conversations The 1Communicator program provides applications that assist with these needs through the developmental or recovery process Visual acuity and visual perceptual 3 iCommunicator System User Training deficits also necessitate special communication accessibility The size of the visual display and background foreground contrast are two needs the iCommunicator program accommodates Another very large group with special communication needs are those whose native language is not English Refer to Appendix A for additional information about factors to consider when evaluating the ICommunicator program as an assistive technology Access to Sign Language In the United States there is a critical shortage of sign language interpreters It is estimated that there are approximately 40 000 interpreters nationally though less than 25 of them hold certification Altlhough the iCommunicator program is not intended to replace sign language int
62. d possess computer literacy skills necessary to use and maintain the program and train both end users and speakers in the unique features of this communication access technology Appendix A iCommunicator Candidacy Criteria Considerations Individuals with Communication Challenges The Need and Feature Match The iCommunicator software program is appropriate for many individuals with communication challenges Careful evaluation of an end user s needs will help in determining which Communicator features are best for that individual The iICommunicator program is a great benefit for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing However the program has applications that many other individuals who face unique communication challenges can use For instance persons with auditory processing disorder learning disability and or severe language impairment who have trouble with multitasking will benefit from the 1Communicator as a sophisticated note taking technology Persons with a specific learning disability known as dysgraphia and those with motor disabilities may also benefit from the program They can use it to communicate and to take notes during classes discussions and meetings Individuals with significant expressive speech or voice disorders may benefit from the voice output capabilities since it allows them to interact independently in personal and group conversations Severe language impairment either acquired or developmental may
63. e The headset may be worn with the swivel microphone on either side of the face Position the microphone along the jaw line The flat part of the Parrott Bermuda microphone should be located one finger width from the corner of the mouth For voice conversion you will Parrott Bermuda not need to be concerned with the Microphone Parrott Translator which is the plastic Photograph courtesy of VXI Corp case between the microphone line and the microphone plug 23 iCommunicator System User Training 24 Hardware Security Dongle A hardware security dongle is included with the ICommunicator V 3 0 software kit It must be attached to the computer s parallel port in order to use the software Reconnect to the dongle any parallel port device that may have been connected previously Audio Y cable Connector This unique 1Communicator accessory lets you connect the computer to both standard speakers and peripheral hearing devices such as cochlear implant speech processors personal FM systems or personal hearing aids e Connect the Y cable to the headphone jack on the computer e Connect the cable end marked with the yellow band to the cochlear implant speech processor personal FM system or hearing aid This allows the end user to listen to the speaker s voice converted to computer generated speech or to listen to the computer read a text file such as an e story downloaded from the Internet or informational documents e
64. e recognition training their file name appears on the list of Current Speakers You must tell the ICommunicator program which speech voice file to use It is important to only use your own speech voice file to ensure translation accuracy To view the list of speakers who have speech voice recognition files simply click on the Current Speaker indicator Select a speaker from the drop down list A message box displays when changing speaker files It takes less than a minute Changing Speaker for the program to change from one speaker to the next When the new Please wait speaker s name appears the program is ready to receive the speaker s speech SI iCommunicator System User Training Demonstration e Click on the Current Speaker indicator to display a list of speaker s speech voice recognition files recognized by the program Say This Note This Text Box 52 This unique feature lets the user enter text that the computer speaks It also inserts notes or comments in the Text window This feature is helpful for taking notes during a lecture or to display two way conversation Say This The computer converts the words typed in the text box to computer generated speech You can choose to deliver computer generated speech to the computer s speakers the external speakers or to an individual s personal assistive hearing device using the audio Y cable As iCommunicator speaks the contents of the Say This text box
65. e New Speaker Run Audio Wizard Delete Speaker gt vocabulary Editor vocabulary Builder A red warning screen appears Click Yes and proceed to the next screen The Vocabulary Builder Welcome Screen appears Read the information on the screen and click Next Welcome Welcome Welcomel In five steps this wizard will customize your vocabulary to improve recognition accuracy Oddi wees yous 1 Optionally transfer all words from an existing list into the vocabulary list optional lop Analyze documents to find words that the yocabulary does not yet contain e Select from the list of words those that the vocabulary should contain Analyze 2 3 documents 4 Adapt to the writing style of your chosen documents 5 Finish this session and save the changes that were made to the Add new words vocabulary Please verify that the user that you want to modify is displayed below and click the Next button To change the display exit and use the main application menu Adapt to to choose the desired user document style User GGR Finish Vocabulary General Large Next gt Cancel Help tec He Module 4 Vocabulary Building At this point the Vocabulary Builder advances to the Add Words From a List dialog box Only use this feature if the file you wish to analyze is a word list Using this feature to analyzing the word list will not give you the opportunity to train words Interactive Solution
66. e child s ability to extract linguistic clues from auditory language models Hearing loss limits opportunities to overhear information which is how persons with normal hearing typically learn the nuances of the English language This deprivation brings negative consequences for language rule formation word knowledge and vocabulary development Subsequently many with hearing loss experience other unique communication challenges Classrooms are auditory verbal environments However most of America s 88 000 schools do not provide students with hearing loss or auditory based learning challenges with the acoustic accessibility needed to fully comprehend messages Noise reverberation and distance from the speaker compromises the student s speech perception abilities even when he or she uses advanced signal processing personal amplification equipment or other assistive devices The student needs access to the spoken word Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge Listening is Important to everyone but it is more challenging for the person with hearing loss because he or she may not have a rich linguistic background to help them eliminate the disparity during lectures directions and conversations Adults spend 45 of their day involved in the listening process but children spend 60 to 75 of their day listening Butler 1975 Dahlquist 1997 These communication challenges often present barriers to listening and lear
67. e involvement in their children s education and children s desire to actively interact with peers in all environments support the need to develop children s English skills To support an individual s improvement of communication and literacy skills the use of the S V O structure is used as a basis for the selection of signs for the 1Communicator program s signing lexicon The S V O structure enables children to learn the English language For other applications of the 1ICommunicator software program such as the workplace English word order delivery of sign language is judged to be the most appropriate delivery mode The use of real time captioning and signing as needed are beneficial to the communication and language development of a variety of special learners including persons who are deaf deaf blind visually impaired autistic or aphasic It also has applications for persons with motor problems or difficulties in multitasking persons with specific learning disabilities and other persons with unique communication challenges iCommunicator System User Training An Interactive Communication Access Solution The iCommunicator software program Version 3 0 developed by Interactive Solutions Inc is a leading edge communication access technology This very powerful tool provides a multisensory interactive communication solution for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and other persons who experience unique communica
68. eacher s supervisors and parent caregiver as appropriate Computer literacy Keyboarding skills Ability to navigate the Windows operating system Need for external mouse or other peripherals Classes workplace application where program will be used purpose for use Content e g core subject area fine performing arts foreign language performance hands on speech language therapy staff meetings training counseling intake data Delivery style e g primarily lecture highly interactive small groups Amount of use per day 119 iCommunicator System User Training 120 Availability of back up plan for when 1Communicator is unavailable User supports On site and off site staff support Technical support Resources batteries transporting to classes cart case Family caregiver supervisor 10 Recommendation of evaluation planning team Training Requirements and Supports l The end user must be completely trained in the operation of the iCommunicator program to achieve positive outcomes End users need to demonstrate competency in the use of a computer with respect to working within a Windows environment Adequate technical assistance support will need to be available for the end user This will vary with the individual s level of independence in using the program and the specific application of the technology Managers of the 1Communicator software program and peripherals shoul
69. eating a new speaker a C d Make sure your transmitter and receiver are turned on and receiving adequate power Make sure the transmitter and receiver are set to the same frequency Make sure the audio button on the transmitter is set to the ON position All of the above 7 The benefits of reading more than one selection during speech voice recognition training include a b c d more opportunity for Communicator to learn to recognize your voice exposure to more words and a larger vocabulary a higher degree of speech recognition and speech to text translation All of the above 8 When you dictate into the microphone you should always a b C d speak as quickly as possible speak as slowly as possible speak clearly and enunciate your words none of the above Check your answers using the Answer Key in the Appendix 89 comm nicator Module 4 Vocabulary Building iCommunicator System User Training Module 4 Module Objectives In this module you will learn the skills necessary to e use the Vocabulary Builder e add vocabulary from a document file e use the Vocabulary Editor e correct translation errors Preview Vocabulary Building 92 During each phase of speech voice recognition training the words you speak become part of a basic vocabulary stored as your speech voice recognition files The ICommunicator program relies upon this vocabulary to recognize and translate yo
70. eb site at www isi iCommunicator com Table of Contents CU RRSSAA 1 The Communication Accessibility Challenge i 2 INI iii FR EA 2 The Impact of Literacy Deprivation 3 Other Persons with Special Communication NeedSs 3 Pt RIOT SI Laa AIRRREGRA RO RA RR IA 4 Rationale for Selection of 1Communicator s Sign Lexicon 4 An Interactive Communication Access Solution 6 oi RR RO A 6 III a RR REA 7 Version 3 0 Software and Peripheral FI se ccssescocsiosvscndssnsconsansvsendonnseonsaenssoniosncenasenensans di Systematic Evaluation and Recommendation 8 Training to Ensure Positive Outcomes 8 wis eis 6 RI itis 6 1e RO RO RR A 9 Special Features for End Users 0c5 055ccaisescvacivesssvessendsissanessvesssntssdiselsauseavsnasedesesasiseaseseses 9 Translation Actions and End User Options 9 Other Unique Features and ara 10 Potential to Improve Speech Recognition and Intelligibility eeeeeees 10 Enhance Language and Literacy Skills i 10 Special Features for Speakers cccsccccccesseecccenseeccceansetccsansecccseaseesccsausercesaasenes 11 Lala 11 Re IL 12 Who Should Participate in Communicator Training i 12 het MS acess ear REA 12 Master Inservice Component 1Communicator Training 0 13 Us
71. eck mark to view the accompanying signing video Font Menu 8 Select the font size for comfortable on screen viewing Font 10 sizes are available from 8 through 72 12 16 The electronic dictionary operates most efficiently with the i font size 16 or 18 T 26 i 26 Demonstration 36 48 48 1 From the File menu choose Open and then select Teddy 72 Roosevelt Text displays in the Text window 2 From the Font menu select different font sizes for comfortable viewing 3 From the Actions menu choose Sign Text Window 4 Press Control P to halt signing Press Control P again to resume signing 5 Place the cursor next to any word in the Text window to begin signing This also applies to the Speak Text Window function 6 From the Signing Options menu make selections to manipulate the signing speed and enable disable signing 7 From the Actions menu select Sign and Speak Text Window 8 From the Actions menu select Speak Text Window Module 2 Menus and Windows 9 Press Control R to turn off the speaking action 10 From the Signing Options menu select Word List Select a letter from the pull down menu and then select a word Click on the check mark and to see the accompanying sign display Help Menu The iCommunicator program provides a comprehensive help system Although the 1Communicator windows menus and features are easy to use you may occasionally need help If you HotKeys Ctri h are unable
72. ecognition file Read a set of ten speaking in your presentation voice and then correct mistranslations Save to your speech voice file Read another set of ten correct and save Add more phrases sentences and colloquial speech that are characteristic of your speech and language patterns Remember to use the mute switch while completing these tasks pra ra ee n 14 21 Good morning class Take out your book Write your name on your paper It s time for lunch Where is your book Good job That s great Time out You re late Turn to page 52 Look at this 12 13 Raise your hand 15 16 ee 18 19 20 Who 1s absent Please sit down Why did you do that Turn around Pay attention Take your seat Let s begin It s your turn Here is your hall pass 22 23 24 23 26 2 28 29 30 Did you know that Put away your books That s right Pm only kidding No way That s cool Where are you going Please give that to me That s awesome sa 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 SL 52 53 54 DI 56 DL 58 59 60 Don t you feel well Let s stop here Who did that I know you can do this Go for it Give it to me right now Pass your papers to the left I don t know I have no idea No thank you Where did you get that Let me tell you a story What is that
73. ed ON e Is the receiver powered ON e Is the transmitter powered ON Battery Status Are the transmitter and receiver batteries charged e Laptop If using battery power monitor battery status by Checkpoint LES 360 Solution Parrot Bermuda Solution Is the microphone connected to the microphone Jack of the computer Is the computer plugged into an electrical outlet Is the computer powered ON Does the green light show when you depress the button on the front of the microphone assembly Laptop If using battery power monitor battery status by clicking on the icon clicking on the icon Receiver and e Are the receiver and N A Transmitter transmitter set to the same Frequency frequency channel Settings Correct Is the microphone positioned Is the microphone Microphone properly round part of the positioned properly flat Placement microphone facing the mouth side of microphone facing the mouth Mute Capabilities Are you using the in line the transmitter and the microphone mute switch and the Are you using the Mic switch on microphone button status bar on the main screen to avoid transmitting unwanted verbiage button status bar on the main screen to avoid transmitting unwanted verbiage Make sure there are no other programs running on the laptop in the background Make sure there are no other programs running on the laptop in the background
74. ed to take a break Use the Skip button if the program does not recognize how you pronounce a word or if a word is unfamiliar The blue progress bar indicates the amount of text remaining to read Be sure to continue reading until the program prompts you to click the Finish button otherwise the program will not save the reading you have completed When you complete the last paragraph in the story the Congratulations window appears Dragon NaturallyS peaking Congratulations You have finished training When you click OK the computer will spend a few minutes adapting your user files If you would like to improve your recognition accuracy you can train the computer more later 4 Click OK 5 It will take a few minutes for the program to adapt and save your speech voice file 6 Turn off your microphone Please Wait Dragon NaturallySpeaking Adapting user files You have now completed the Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training The next screen invites you to view a tutorial We recommend this for first time users 84 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training Exercise Return to page 73 and complete Create a New User and Calibrating the Microphone Follow the steps to complete the Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training process Run General Training You must read one or two more stories to build a representative speech voice file You will complete an Accuracy Check followi
75. ed v Blue Colorful Gold Views Menu for the Green standard viewing mode Lava Red Yellow Use this to change the border display and color themes for the iCommunicator windows Different color backgrounds and contrasts improve on screen visibility for some individuals and also allow end users to personalize the appearance of the 1Communicator program If Allow Themes is deselected the display will revert to grayscale The iCommunicator program is compatible with the Microsoft Accessibility features which allow additional modifications regarding viewing accessibility such as a high contrast theme Custom Mode In the custom viewing mode the end user can customize by resizing and repositioning the windows Refer to the i7ip at the end of this module to learn more about customizing the view 37 iCommunicator System User Training Signing Window v Text Window Allow Themes Change to Standard Mode v Blue Return to Defaults Ctrl D Colorful i i Gold Green Views Menu for the standard viewing mode Lava Red Yellow Signing Window custom mode only Use this to control the Signing window display in the custom viewing mode This is an open close function A check mark indicates the window is open Text Window custom mode only Use this to control the Text window display in the custom viewing mode This is an open close function A check mark indicates the window is open Demonstration 1 From the Vie
76. ephone relay services Section 3 1 of the ADA specifically addresses auxiliary aids and services for persons with disabilities and includes 1 qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments 2 qualified readers taped texts or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals with visual impairments 3 acquisition or modification of equipment or devices and 4 other similar services and actions For further information www usdoj gov crt ada pubs ada txt Assistive Technology Act of 1998 134 Finally the act authorizes the State to pay for expenses and The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 P L 105 394 formerly the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 supports Appendix C Communication Accessibility Regulations programs of grants to States to address the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities and for other purposes The original Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 was the first time the importance and necessity of assistive technology in everyday life was clearly defined at the national level P L 105 394 establishes the mandatory and discretionary activities for any State receiving continuity grants for assistive technology for individuals with disabilities to states that have received less than 10 ye
77. er must be set to the same frequency Shortcut key A key or combination of keys that you press to carry out a specific command without accessing a menu signing The act of communicating with sign language Signing window Displays sign language and fingerspelling videos Text window The portion of the 1Communicator interface that displays speech that was translated into text themes Color schemes and border displays which change the appearance of the iCommunicator interface transmitter A device that broadcasts a signal voice training The process of teaching the ICommunicator software what your voice sounds like so that it can recognize and translate your speech with accuracy Y cable An audio cord that enables a signal coming from a single port to be connected to two ports The 1Communicator uses the y cable to direct a signal to both external speakers and to a hearing assistive device 141 iCommunicator System User Training Notes 142 Index A Accuracy Check phonetically balanced paragraphs 125 Accuracy Check 1 85 Accuracy Checks 71 107 Acronyms and other unique text adding 92 Adapting Vocabulary vocabulary builder 99 Add New Words vocabulary 97 Adding and Training Words vocabulary editor 101 American Sign Language 4 Americans with Disabilities Act ADA of 1990 133 Analyze documents vocabulary building 91 Analyze Documents 95 Answer Key module reviews 147
78. erpreters it can serve as an alternative access technology for people who communicate in sign language The 1Communicator software program delivers American Sign Language ASL signs in English word order subject verb object Using this manually coded English system users can improve the association between spoken written and signed words and improve literacy skills The 1ICommunicator video sign language library has more than 9 000 individual video clips Rationale for Selection of iCommunicator s Sign Lexicon The selection of signs for the ICommunicator program s signing lexicon is based on the goal of using this unique software application to enhance communication and literacy skills As children begin to develop reading and writing skills they become aware of print in the environment and the use of print by others Children start to understand and use written symbols before formal instruction in school In order to understand written material children must understand the written structures that are used Simple sentences that follow subject verb object S V O structures are easier for children to understand than sentences with more complex structures Individuals who are deaf may use American Sign Language ASL Pidgin Sign English PSE also known as contact signing Manually Coded English MCE or English to communicate in face to face situations ASL is a visual gestural language with a rule structure that is different from
79. ext Choose Finish and then confirm by clicking Yes Save your changes from the Options menu select Speech Recognition Save Speech Files A red warning screen appears Click Yes to save your speech voice file Module 4 Vocabulary Building Vocabulary Editor Purpose Use the Vocabulary Editor to enter and train individual words you want to add or to delete unwanted words When Vocabulary Editor opens you can view the entire vocabulary It contains approximately 250 000 words The vocabulary changes you make to your speech voice file will apply only to your file and not to other speaker s speech voice files You can also use Vocabulary Editor to customize the vocabulary in your speech voice recognition file When the written form and the spoken form of a word are different such as scientific terminology abbreviations and acronyms use the Vocabulary Editor to input these differences Examples Written Form Spoken Form A A plus Inc Incorporated Hz Hertz TI titanium fixing to fixin to www 1si iCommunicator com our website hill heel regional dialect Complete the sample exercises as you proceed through this section You may then add other words using Vocabulary Editor Getting Ready Follow these steps to use Vocabulary Editor 1 Check your system 2 Verify that your name appears as the current speaker 3 Verify that the microphone status bar is on yellow before opening the Vocabu
80. ext box to the desired position on the screen Then right click the Results box and select Anchor The Show Results Box will remain anchored in that location Actions Menu 46 a n Do a an _ actions Reset Ctrl R Pause Ctrl P Sign Text Window Ctrl G Speak Text Window Ctrl k Pause button changes to Continue Sign and Speak Text Window Ctri B until the action is restarted The Actions Menu lets you turn on or change the signing and speaking actions that occur in the Text sindow To choose the starting point for an action place the cursor in the text box and click where you want the action to begin before selecting the Actions menu command The Actions menu commands Reset and Pause also appear on the top border of the Text Window for easy access Simply click to use the Action command The button on the Text Window changes from Pause to Continue Click Continue to restart the action Reset Pause Module 2 Menus and Windows Use Reset to halt the computer generated speech turn off signing and reset the microphone Access this command from the Actions menu or the button on the Text Window Use this feature to temporarily halt the action in the Text or Signing windows or to stop delivery of computer generated speech Re select Pause to restart the halted action Access this command from the Action menu or the Text Window Sign Text Window Select this to have the iCommunicator program sign the words in the Text
81. external speakers and specialized hearing assistive devices 5 The 1Communicator program runs most efficiently on a Pentium III computer 6 The transmitter must plug into the computer using the audio connector cord in order to transmit speech 7 The headset microphone can be worn around the neck and still achieve the same high quality speech signal for speech voice recognition Check your answers using the Answer Key in the back 28 Module 1 ICommunicator Overview FCC Channel References The LightSPEED LES 360 has eight frequencies channels available which are compatible with frequencies of other FM systems i e Phonak AVR Phonic Ear Whenever possible matching frequencies will require a speaker to use only one transmitter FCC Frequency in Channel MHz 1 216 0125 216 0375 216 0625 A4 216 0875 SC 216 1125 216 1375 216 1625 Phonic Ear 0125 LightSPEED Phonak 0125 AVR C 01 216 1875 216 2125 216 2375 216 2625 216 2875 216 3125 216 3375 216 3625 216 3875 216 4125 216 4375 216 4625 216 4875 216 5125 216 5375 216 5625 216 5875 216 6125 216 6375 216 6625 216 6875 216 7125 216 7375 216 7625 216 7875 216 8125 216 8375 216 8625 216 8875 216 9125 216 9375 216 9625 216 9875 NO Nn N A GO N N QO ld oe CO h I N J I ZI N Nn N oT Ga Nn Nn ON N vi co E a S a a e a a a na oe FTA C 18 aa a ie C 25 a SS oe a i C 32
82. g Notes 26 Module 1 ICommunicator Overview Opening the iCommunicator Program Interactive Solutions Turn ON the computer Copyright 1999 2002 The iCommunicator program works best when no other programs are running Other programs should not be open as S this slows the speech conversion process N If you choose to install other programs do not place them in the start up menu uno Loading list of speech files You can start the iCommunicator program using several methods depending on the computer system set up Use one of the following methods to start the program e double click the Communicator icon on the desktop e from the Start button at the bottom of the computer screen select Programs 1Communicator A series of messages appear on the 1Communicator s splash screen as the program loads The program opens to the ICommunicator s main screen shown below The ICommunicator program is now ready for use iCommunicator Sele File Views Options Actions Signing Options Font Help iCommunicator Main Screen 2 iCommunicator System User Training Module 1 Review True or False 1 The 1Communicator program runs efficiently vhen other programs are open and in use on the computer 2 A lapel microphone is just as effective as a headset microphone 3 The frequencies selected on the transmitter and receiver must match 4 The Y cable enables you to output synthesized speech to both
83. g the training you will access text files to complete some of the exercises in this manual Later you will open the vocabulary file vocab rtf and add your name additional names technical terms and other words and phrases You will analyze these words and phrases during vocabulary building exercises You can download the training text files from the Interactive Solutions website The text files are zipped and you will need to unzip them using an archive utility such as Power Archiver This program free and you can download it at http www powerarchiver com After you download the Power Archiver use the following steps to download the text files 1 Enter http www isi icomm com vocabfiles in your web browser s address area The vocabulary file download page opens 2 Click where indicated to download the files The File Download screen appears 3 Select Save this file to disk and then click OK The Save In window appears 4 Choose the My Documents folder and then click the New Folder tool button to create a new folder Name the new folder Vocabfiles 5 Open your newly created Vocabfiles folder and then choose Save The Download Complete screen appears 6 Click Open Files Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge The text files open within the Power Archiver 7 Select the first file Ancient Research rtf and then click Open 8 Enter the password dragonflies The file opens 9 From
84. guage patterns by speaking to the computer and saving small segments Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training of correctly translated speech Another effective way to improve the linguistic model is to analyze existing documents such as lecture material or reference documents under the speaker s speech voice recognition file This process is very quick and the speaker then has the opportunity to train unfamiliar words The 1Communicator program s onboard vocabulary contains approximately 250 000 words Speech and Voice Recognition Training Tips Presentation Voice Speaking clearly and consistently will improve recognition accuracy The speech recognition engine needs to hear acoustical boundaries between words Use the same vocal effort that you use when addressing a class or other audience In other words use your presentation voice and posture when training the ICommunicator program to recognize your speech and voice characteristics Imagine that you are addressing at least 47 audience members Rate of Speech Speak at a comfortable pace and not too fast The speech recognition engine can efficiently translate speech delivered at rates up to 160 words per minute Use pauses as you naturally do during continuous speech Enunciation Enunciate words clearly and speak normally Avoid exaggerating lip movements or words It is important to speak clearly so the program can identify acoustical boundaries between words
85. gulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA Assistive Technology Act of 1998 the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act of 1997 IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 The following is a summary of key legislation related to communication accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and links to full text of the regulatory acts Americans with Disabilities Act ADA of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act Public Law 336 of the 101 Congress was signed into law on July 26 1990 The purposes of the ADA are to 1 provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities 2 provide clear strong consistent enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities 3 ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this Act on behalf of individuals with disabilities and 4 invoke the sweep of congressional authority including the power to enforce the fourteenth amendment and to regulate commerce in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day to day by people with disabilities The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment State and local government services public accommodations commercial facilities and transportation It also mandates the establishment of TDD tel
86. h as an alcohol wipe every 2 3 months Recheck the operation of the receiver and transmitter using fully charged 9 volt batteries e Microphone Is the microphone cable inserted securely into the transmitter Wiggle the microphone cord while speaking into the microphone If there is inconsistent or intermittent speech to text translation the problem may be a damaged microphone cord Clean the microphone jack using an alcohol wipe If available insert another TK 150 microphone into the transmitter and repeat the check described above e Radio Frequency Interference Switch to the other channel frequency to determine if translation inaccuracy may be due to radio frequency interference RFI If the interference 1s no longer present RFI was the problem Confirm that the selected frequency channel is not duplicated by another wireless RF system in a nearby location Continued RFI may require exchanging your LES 360 system for one with a different frequency 30 Module 1 ICommunicator Overview iCommunicator System Check speech voice translation accuracy problems Before using the iCommunicator software program complete a System Check ti A System Check should also be performed at any time when there are Checkpoint System Is the receiver connected to the Connections computers microphone jack via the audio connector cord e Is the computer plugged into an electrical outlet Power Is the computer power
87. he iCommunicator program ships from the factory You must type defaultpassword pace Chan enter ge in the text box before es attempting to lock signing or change the password Password 4 Choose the Enter button to enter a password the Change button to change your password or the cancel button to close the password window without changes Follow the instructions on your screen Remember the password you enter You will need it to unlock the signing feature Speech Recognition Microphone On Ctrl M v Autosaving every 7 minutes Speak Incoming Words Ctrl I Set Talking Voice Edit Quick Say Keys v Clear Text Window when starting Change Current Speaker gt Save Speech Files v Show Results box Options Menu in the Run General Training Standard Viewing Mode Create New Speaker Run Audio Wizard Delete Speaker z vocabulary Builder d 43 iCommunicator System User Training Speakers use these menu options to create a new user save speech files run General Training run Audio Wizard and run the Vocabulary Builder and Vocabulary Editor Each activity is part of the speech voice recognition training process These options are described in Module 3 and you will work with these features during speech and voice recognition training Change Current Speaker Change Current Speaker gt Cancel Save Speech Files GGR v Show Results box Run General Training Create New Speaker Run Audio Wizard Delete Speaker
88. htSPEED system 1s professionally calibrated to optimal settings to support maximum performance and translation accuracy The computer also may be coupled with peripheral assistive hearing devices such as personal FM systems hearing aids and cochlear implant speech processors When used on a laptop computer iCommunicator technology becomes a portable interactive solution to communication accessibility challenges in multiple communication environments educational workplace and public venues Warranty software support is available for 90 days Systematic Evaluation and Recommendation ISI supports careful and systematic evalution of potential end user needs and the iCommunicator program features to ensure that this software technology application is a viable solution To promote positive outcomes evaluation and planning teams must determine 1f the ICommunicator is the right technology for the right end user and then implement the program in the right way Various federal regulations specify entitlements to assistive technology State and local interpretations should guide assistive technology evaluation teams Refer to the Candidacy Criteria Considerations and Individuals with Communication Challenges The Need and Feature Match documents in Appendix A for further information regarding factors to consider in determining if the iCommunicator program is the appropriate assistive technology for a specific end user Training to Ensure Positive
89. ignated end user These interdependent criteria considerations should be factored into the evaluation and planning process to reach an informed recommendation For use as a learning station in a classroom or other facility there are no limitations as the use of the ICommunicator would be under the direction of the classroom teacher or other professional 1 Age of user 2 Cognitive level Appendix A iCommunicator Candidacy Criteria Considerations Ability to learn and remember new procedures Ability to troubleshoot and or problem solve Attention span Divided attention 1 e ability to divide attention among windows displayed the speaker and other visual displays in the environment Working memory Language level and primary mode of communication receptive and expressive language skills Language processing ability Vocabulary level Language comprehension level e g ability to chunk information use tag words as meaning clues Ability to derive meaning using contextual clues Reading comprehension level Word recognition level 1 e at least second grade level Spelling ability Grade equivalent Standard Score Visual processing speed Motivation to use the iCommunicator technology Responsibility and maturity Self discipline Patience with using this type of technology Perseverance ability to see the big picture and ability to handle frustration Appraisal by t
90. indow under a new file name Establish a strategy for naming and organizing files for easy access Use this command to close the iCommunicator program and return to the desktop In the standard viewing mode you can also click on the X in the upper right corner of the main screen to exit the program In the custom viewing mode you can also exit the program by clicking on the X in the upper right hand corner of the control window Views Menu The Views Menu controls the viewing mode background themes and the Signing and Text windows The training process described in this manual Module 2 Menus and Windows refers to the standard rather than the custom viewing mode When an end user selects a viewing mode window arrangement and or theme the program remembers that choice and the next time the 1Communicator program is opened the previous viewing mode will display Additional information on the custom mode is available at the end of Module 2 The custom mode allows the end user to customize the view by moving and resizing windows Consult the Custom Mode Viewing Options iTip on page 62 for information about moving and resizing windows Experiment with resizing and repositioning the windows to customize the view Standard Mode Themes A check appears next to Standard Mode is Selected when the user is viewing in the Standard mode Click on this option to change to the custom viewing mode allow Themes v Standard Mode is select
91. ing It is critical that end users speakers and managers of this assistive technology receive appropriate training in order to achieve maximum benefits from the program Successfully trained persons will be able to use and maintain the 1Communicator program and peripherals in an efficient and effective manner for all applications of the technology Thus the investment made in customized professional training will provide owners with the accountability necessary to ensure that the program can be properly implemented Who Should Participate in iCommunicator Training Interactive Solutions recommends that those responsible for managing the program implementation participate in the professional training This train the trainer approach ensures that the owner has key people trained in all aspects of the program including use and application The trainer is then responsible for training both speakers and end users and serves as implementation manager We recommend that speakers and managers be adept at the computer skills comparable to those offered through a Beginning Windows 98 course Prerequisite skills required e basic knowledge of Windows 98 ability to modify the basic computer environment multitasking and file management e keyboard familiarity how to type familiar with shortcuts e use of the mouse how to move the mouse how to point and click double click and click and drag e familiarity with menu commands e familia
92. ing speed adjust the size of the Signing Window custom mode iCommunicator System User Training locate a sign using the Word List feature speaks on screen text using a clear computer generated voice select the speaking voice e g male or female adjust the pitch and rate 1 e speed of the computer generated speech deliver written manuscripts and reports using computer generated speech listen to stories or lectures delivered via computer generated speech Other Unique Features and Capabilities save text for later use editing or clarification insert notes into real time text for later reference formulate questions and statements for immediate response in class during meetings or during personal conversations prepare and execute formulated statements and questions using Quick Say Edit function keys quickly navigate the keyboard using hotkeys choose a desirable personalized color scheme select a comfortable mode of computer use standard or custom mode lock signing if preferred protect notes by using Autosave and selecting the time interval eliminate unwanted translations by using the onscreen microphone ON OFF button Potential to Improve Speech Recognition and Intelligibility speaks incoming words to enhance speech recognition playback of text converted to speech at variable rates to improve speech recognition and intelligibility couple with peripheral hearing devices e g hearing aids
93. ing the iCommunicator Training Manual 14 Module 1 iCommunicator Overview ccccccccccssscccsssscccsssccccsssccccesscccsesccesssscoeseess 17 elia ile 18 Preview 1Communicator Program V 3 0 Kit OVErview i 18 iCommunicator Program and Hardware Connections 20 Ein E A E A 20 010600 ARR A IA E ences A E ace ee ee 20 Binari 24 Audio ARADEO en sciece esvcedcunovadeaunericadslenationestleasttedalenevoididsasiceisluas acedebewdaduients 24 cai 24 VIA 25 Coupling Peripheral Hearing Devices with the ICommunicator 25 Opening the iCommunicator POSSI 27 Th acc A RA 28 Oi RR ee eee ee E E 29 iCommunicator System User Training LightSPEED LES 360 Systems Troubleshooting and Maintenance 30 EP LOR E erenn E ORE VR EEEE ARER iS 30 Speech to Text Translation Delay Translation Inaccuracy 30 IRA Ea 31 Module 2 Menus anid VV TOW a scsssssscscnsccccacscesassasascasacdearacesensncnacbaswesasscevenserasessasowaes 33 NEURO Re EEC 34 Preview Monus and VIN 34 I o E E EEE E E E AE EE EE E 35 BS RR RE A 35 VIS 0 36 Baen Be secre rae ecg soe alee nt gs cierto sas ieee O eee ee 38 OI RR IAA 46 Signing Options MEMI erigere talia inni 47 Berra es EE AE 48 TA N TEE E 49 VI RO RIE IE I SERIA RITI 50 Ri RR RIINA 50 Op A 54 VIT K01 5 38 1 68 cic uh RO RR ORRORI RA OR ERE 59 Via ears recess A 61 Custom
94. ining Communicator Views Options Actions Font Help Word List Ctrl w Enable Signing Ctrl E Fastest T 6 5 4 3 2 Slowest a ma TOO oO a Reset Pause Show fingerspelling 60 Module 2 Menus and Windows Module 2 Review True or False 1 You should not close the Control window until you are ready to stop using iCommunicator program 2 To return windows to their default configuration select the Return to Defaults command 3 Translated speech does not continue to add to the Text window when the window is closed 4 Selecting a different theme can improve on screen visibility 5 A black Microphone Status Bar indicates that the transmitter is OFF Multiple Choice 6 There is nothing displaying in the Signing window What do you do to investigate the problem a Select the Options menu in the Signing window and see if Enable Signing command is selected or not Click the Options menu in the Control window to see if signing is locked c Close down the program and open it again d Both a and b 7 The Signing Locked command sets the speed at which sign language and fingerspelling are displayed is password protected removes all references to signing in the 1Communicator Both b and c a b C d Check your answers using the Answer Key in the back 6l iCommunicator System User Training 9 J tip Custom Mode Viewing Options virtual The Custom viewing mode is accessed f
95. interactive SOLUTIONS comminicator V 3 0 The ICommunicator Training Manual This document is the copyright of Interactive Solutions Inc and is intended for exclusive use of Interactive Solutions customers All rights are reserved Information in this document is subject to change without notice Companies names and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the express written permission of Interactive Solutions Inc 2002 Interactive Solutions Inc All rights reserved The material in this document has been carefully reviewed however Interactive Solutions Inc does not guarantee it to be free of all errors or omissions and reserves the right to make corrections changes updates or revisions to the information contained herein 1iCommunicator is a trademark of Interactive Solutions Inc Other than those held by Interactive Solutions Inc any other brand and product names referenced in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are used here for informational purposes only Part Number IC6100023 Rev C Interactive Solutions Inc 6448 Parkland Drive Sarasota Florida 34243 4046 USA Customer Service telephone number 888 463 0474 Training and Implementation telephone number 888 463 0474 Visit our w
96. isabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency On April 25 2001 the General Services Administration issued a final rule that incorporates the standards into the Federal government s procurement regulations and establishes the effective date as June 25 2001 For further information on Section 508 compliance go to www section508 gov docs Final99607A htm For further information on the Rehabilitatin Act www usdoj gov Information on ADA accessibility issues and Section 508 compliance also is available on the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board s website www access board gov and the Section 508 website at www sections08 gov 137 iCommunicator System User Training Notes 138 Glossary accuracy An expression of correctly translated words that match spoken words usually expressed as a percentage ambient noise Surrounding sounds present in any typical environment such a
97. issing A long beard clings to his chin giving those who observe him a pronounced feeling of the utmost respect When he speaks his voice 1s just a bit cracked and quivers a bit Twice each day he plays skillfully and with zest upon a small organ Except in the winter when the snow or ice prevents he slowly takes a short walk in the open air each day We have often urged him to walk more and smoke less but he always answers Banana oil Grandfather likes to be modern in his language 125 iCommunicator System User Training Compute Your Accuracy Score Use the chart below to compute your accuracy rate Subtract the number of translation errors from 232 and locate your accuracy rate 78 45 229 78 02 228 77 59 227 77 16 226 87 07 76 72 225 86 64 76 29 22 86 21 75 86 223 85 78 75 43 22 75 00 DI 84 91 74 57 220 84 48 74 14 219 84 05 73 71 218 73 28 217 83 19 216 82 76 215 82 33 214 81 90 213 81 47 212 81 03 211 80 60 70 26 80 17 69 83 79 74 69 40 References The Rainbow Passage Excerpted from phonetically balanced reading 101 words Fairbanks G Voice and Articulation Drill Book 2 ed New York Harper My Grandfather Phonetically balanced paragraph 131 words from Charles Van Riper Speech Correction 126 Appendix B Speech and Voice Recognition Training Common Phrases and Sentences for Speech Voice Recognition Training Use these common phrases and sentences to build your speech voice r
98. lary Editor p Tip Because the microphone is live it is important that you do not speak until it is time to train words otherwise you will find unwanted letters in the text box along with the word you wish to add and train 101 iCommunicator System User Training 4 From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Vocabulary Builder Vocabulary Editor Refer to the figure under Starting Vocabulary Builder page 96 5 A red warning screen displays Click Yes to proceed When Vocabulary Editor opens you can scroll through the entire vocabulary To determine if a word is included in the vocabulary simply type the word When the program finds the word it displays in the list highlighted If it 1s not in the program s vocabulary it does not appear in the list Adding and Training Words 1 Type a word such as otoacoustic to see if it is in the vocabulary 2 If the word does not display in the vocabulary list choose Add The word then appears in the list Vocabulary Editor Written form Spoken form if different otoacoustic Close Written form Spoken form OTOH otolaryngologist otolaryngologists Add otolaryngology otologist otology otorhinolaryngologist Train otosclerosis otoscope Properties OTR Otros Display fan words Delete 3 Click Train The Train Words dialog opens You then train the program to recognize the word s pronunciation 102 Modu
99. le 4 Vocabulary Building The following procedures are the same in both Vocabulary Editor and Vocabulary Builder l Choose Train The Train Words dialog opens Train Words Click Go to begin recording your speech otoacoustic O Turn on the microphone Say Go and then say the word that appears in the text box Use your presentation voice Choose Done when you finish training the last word Turn off the microphone Save your speech files From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Save Speech Files 103 iCommunicator System User Training Correcting Errors Using Correct That Purpose Sometimes the ICommunicator program is unable to translate a word or phrase correctly especially technical vocabulary or uniquely spelled names The word must be included in the program s vocabulary in order for accurate translation to occur You must add unfamiliar words using Vocabulary Editor or Vocabulary Builder or by using the Spell dialog box You can choose the Correct That feature to correct a word or phrase that translates incorrectly We do not recommend using Correct That to add vocabulary Use Vocabulary Builder or Vocabulary Editor to add new words New words can be added using Spell That which is available through the Correct That process however there are some limitations For instance you cannot use the Spell That dialog box to add a word that has hyphens or spaces such as
100. lear input signal is required for the ICommunicator software program to achieve accurate speech translation The iCommunicator V 3 0 Professional Kit includes the LightSPEED LES 360 wireless RF system which includes the 360R receiver 360T transmitter and TK 150 microphone BC 4 battery charger and cables and two NiMH rechargeable batteries The speaker wears a battery operated transmitter and headset microphone that allows the speaker to transmit from anywhere in the classroom workplace or other environment Speech broadcasts Module 1 ICommunicator Overview from the transmitter over a designated frequency to the receiver which is connected to the computer with the color coded audio connector cord The iCommunicator V 3 0 Standard Kit includes the Parrott Bermuda microphone which is connected directly to the computer using the microphone jack ISI will take no responsibility for product failure if the purchaser uses an alternative microphone LightSPEED LES 360 System The LightSPEED LES 360 system has two operating frequencies which are designated on the back of the receiver and transmitter The LES 360R receiver and the LES 360T transmitter must be operating on the same channel frequency The Channel Selector Switch is used to select the operating frequency Connect the 360R receiver to the computer s microphone jack using the color coded audio connector cord Before shipping the LightSPEED system is professionally calibrated to op
101. llion children with disabilities and bridges the gap that has too often existed between what children with disabilities learn and what is required in regular curriculum IDEA requires public school systems to develop appropriate Individualized Education Programs IEPs for each child The specific special education and related services outlined in each IEP reflect the individualized needs of each student IDEA also mandates that particular procedures be followed in the development of the IEP Each student s IEP must be developed by a team of knowledgeable persons and must be at least reviewed annually The team includes the child s teacher the parents subject to certain limited exceptions the child if determined appropriate an agency representative who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education and other individuals at the parents or agency s discretion Among the significant changes in the revision of the IDEA 1s the focus on student s accessibility to education in the regular 135 iCommunicator System User Training education curriculum and access to participation in general assessments that are provided to all other students Another key feature of the IDEA is that assistive technology must be considered for every student for whom an IEP is developed The final amendments were published in the Federal Register on March 12 1999 For further information www edu gov IDEA Rehabilitation Act 1
102. n screen of the iCommunicator program Speak the word in a few sentences or phrases to confirm that the program recognizes it in context Then save this correctly translated text to your speech voice file 107 iCommunicator System User Training Continuing to Fine tune the Speech Voice Recognition File 108 Continue building your speech voice recognition file until you achieve 90 or better accuracy Most ICommunicator users achieve 90 accuracy with the recommended phonetically balanced paragraphs they use to complete the Accuracy Checks Improvement beyond that usually requires additional dictation The more you dictate the more opportunities the program has to listen to your speech and voice characteristics and to fine tune the acoustical linguistic and lexical model The following summarizes speech voice recognition activities that aid in building your speech voice file and help you achieve good translation accuracy Use the common phrase and sentence lists in Appendix B Record a set of ten then make corrections and save Repeat with additional sets of ten Also add colloquial expressions Analyze documents you have available on disk or CD Take the time to add words that are specific to the vocabulary you use in the classroom or workplace Examples include names of students and co workers technical vocabulary and phraseology commonly used acronyms and colloquialisms If you notice problems with translation accuracy
103. ne p Tip Remember to use the same presentation voice that you used while reading the first selection 3 Read the second selection Accuracy Check The iCommunicator program now has approximately a 15 20 minute sample of your speech and voice patterns You will now complete an Accuracy Check to determine how well the program is able to translate your speech Return to the main screen of the 1Communicator program to complete the Accuracy Check The Accuracy Check prepared script is provided in Appendix B The Accuracy Check contains two phonetically balanced paragraphs The Rainbow Passage and My Grandfather Follow the directions and read the two paragraphs including the titles 232 words 86 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training 1 Turn on your microphone 2 Use your presentation voice and read the paragraphs 3 Compute your accuracy using the chart at the bottom of the page 9 Tip Expect some inaccuracies at this point since the iCommunicator program has only a small sample of your speech and voice characteristics You will see your accuracy improve after reading the second selection You should read a third story and complete another Accuracy Check if your accuracy is below 90 You may also choose to read a third selection to give the speech recognition engine Dragon NaturallySpeaking a broader sample of your speech voice patterns You have now completed the initial speech voice recogni
104. ng each additional reading p Tip Remember to use the Pause and Skip buttons as needed during this dictation process 1 From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Run General Training 2 A red warning screen appears Select Yes to proceed 3 The Select Text window displays There are 17 selections ranging from easy to difficult reading and covering various topics such as adventure humor science fiction historical speeches and classic literature 85 iCommunicator System User Training Select Text Please select the text that you would like to read Sales Letters Easier Reading Business Employment Request Letter Easier Reading Business Product Manager s Mail Messages Easier Reading Business Success is a Journey Medium Reading Business Philosophy Mark Twain Speech about Stage Fright Medium Reading Speech Kennedy s Inaugural Address Medium Reading Historical Speech Dave Barry in Cyberspace Medium Reading Humor Dogbert s Top Secret Management Handbook Harder Reading Humor Reading Selection 1 Highlight and select a story from those displayed y Tip Some selections contain humor The speech recognition engine will attempt to translate laughter as speech You will read two introductory screens Welcome to General Training and Training is about to begin before reading your selection It will take about ten minutes to read the story 2 Turn on your micropho
105. ng the speech and voice recognition training process Follow the basic guidelines in this module to establish your speech voice recognition file and achieve accurate speech translation Speech and Voice Recognition Training System Check Refer to the System Check on page 31 Check the following key points e system connections power audio connector cord and microphone e power computer receiver and transmitter e battery status computer receiver and transmitter e receiver and transmitter frequency and channel settings e correct microphone placement e mute switch e close all other programs when using the 1Communicator program 67 iCommunicator System User Training Overview of Continuous Speech Recognition 68 The 1Communicator program uses continuous recognition of natural speech to translate what a speaker is saying into text and or sign in real time Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 Preferred is the speech recognition engine that underlies the ICommunicator Version 3 0 software program The speech recognition engine tries to match the speaker s oral speech and language patterns with its own built in oral speech and language model The speech recognition engine relies on three information sources to achieve translation accuracy e Acoustic what a typical voice sounds like The speech recognition engine creates a mathematical model of the sound patterns used by each speaker e Linguistic how a typical
106. nges apply only to the current speaker If several speakers have speech voice files that will be used with the 1Communicator program and each uses a specialized vocabulary then each speaker must add the vocabulary to his or her speech voice recognition file Begin to make a list of words and phrases that are unique to your use of the 1Communicator program For example iCommunicator is a word that is not in the program s dictionary and each speaker must add this word You will note that iCommunicator is on the vocabulary list in the text file you downloaded from the ISI website Analyze Documents By Analyzing documents you have the opportunity to personalize a vocabulary to more closely match your writing style which typically reflects your speaking style particularly in the area of vocabulary usage and phrases Analyze existing documents or manuscripts electronic forms of textbooks or reference documents word lists class or employee lists 93 iCommunicator System User Training glossaries and similar materials to build and customize your speech voice recognition file p Tip Analyze a word list as a document rather than as a list You will then have the opportunity to train the program for words that it does not recognize Saving Speech Voice Files 9 Tip Always save your speech files after making vocabulary changes If you forget to do this the program prompts you to do so the next time you change speakers or exit
107. ning The Impact of Literacy Deprivation Concern about the literacy levels of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing was the inspiration for developing the 1Communicator software program Often students with hearing loss do not progress at the same rate as their hearing peers More often they only achieve only one third of a grade advancement during an academic year Wolk amp Allen 1984 The cumulative effect of this underachievement is that many deaf or hard of hearing students graduate from high school with a fourth grade reading comprehension level Holt Traxler amp Allen 1997 These lower literacy levels present barriers to post secondary education While 53 7 of high school graduates attend college only 33 4 of students who are deaf pursue post secondary education Fairweather amp Shaver 1991 Other Persons with Special Communication Needs The 1Communicator program was initially developed as a solution for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing giving them opportunities to achieve communication independence However the program has applications for many individuals who face unique communication challenges For example those with an auditory processing disorder learning disability and or severe language impairment or who experience difficulty with multitasking may benefit from the 1Communicator program with its sophisticated note taking technology Persons with a specific learning disability known as dysgraphia an
108. ning overview 72 L LightSPEED LES 360 System 7 18 Literacy Deprivation impact of 3 Lock Signing 42 Menu font 48 help 49 signing options 47 views 36 Menus options 39 Microphone Status color codes 53 144 Microphone Status Bar 53 on off 53 Module Review answer key 147 N New User create 73 New User Wizard 81 Note This 52 O Open text window 57 Options signing window 59 Options Menu 39 Overview continuous speech recognition 68 initial speech Voice Recognition Training 72 P Parrot Microphone 8 23 Phonetically Balanced Paragraphs accuracy checks 125 Q Quick Say Keys editing 42 R Rehabilitation Act 135 Rerun Audio Wizard 70 Resizing text window 57 Retrieving a Sign for a Word 58 Return to Defaults 38 Run General Training 84 S Saving speech voice files 92 text window contents 55 Saving speech voice files 92 Say This Note This 52 Scanning Documents for vocabulary building 93 Select current speaker 51 Set Talking Voice 40 Sign Language availability in U S 4 Signing enable disable 47 words in text window 58 Signing Locked 42 Signing Options Menu 47 Signing Window increase decrease size 62 options 59 Speak Incoming Words 40 Special Communication Needs 3 Speech and Voice Recognition training tips 69 107 Speech and Voice Recognition Training 67 Speech voice File fine tuning 71 S
109. ning will help you to identify the ICommunicator program s capabilities and who will benefit from them identify specific features and enhancements set up the system components and perform a System Check understand the speech and voice recognition training process perform speech voice recognition training achieve at least 90 accuracy using the speech voice training process analyze text documents and build vocabulary fine tune the speaker s speech voice recognition file demonstrate the ICommunicator program when delivering on line text and other data streams with at least 90 accuracy demonstrate knowledge of the troubleshooting tips 13 iCommunicator System User Training Using the iCommunicator Training Manual 14 This manual assists end users speakers and managers to learn and use the unique features of the ICommunicator V 3 0 software program and introduces related concepts and program functions It includes four modules 1Communicator Program Overview Menus and Windows Speech and Voice Recognition Training and Vocabulary Building Each module begins with a preview that covers concepts and objectives Each module includes procedures explanations demonstrations illustrations and exercises A brief review and practice session conclude each module to help reinforce understanding of the information presented Useful iTips and reference materials are provided at the end of the modules and in the Appendices Durin
110. olumn l If you want to change the default settings select options using the radio buttons and checkboxes on the right of the screen Most users find that the default settings are adequate Check each word you want to add to your vocabulary If you wish to add all the words simply click the Check All button Correct misspelled words using the Edit button Module 4 Vocabulary Building Add New Words Welcome Please press the Help button for more information on how to add new words from this list to the vocabulary m Sort Order Frequency C Alphabetical Word Frequency Add words from a EZ iCommunicator 98 list optional ET acoustical O dropdown C endeavour Analyze E fingerspelled documents at headworn Filters M Show unknown words TO Show known words with capitalizations that do not exist in the vocabulary Add new words Display Include words added in this session 6 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 4 Adaptto document style Edit Check All Clear All 4 word s out of 45 displayed words are checked 4 out of 176 total words are checked lt Back Add Checked Words to Vocabulary Cancel Help Finish 5 Use the Edit button to add a word or abbreviation that has a different spelling than the written form For example to say IRS but have the program display Internal Revenue Service use the Edit button to make the appropriate changes 6
111. onal Kennedy s Inaugural Address Medium Reading Historical Speech Dave Barry in Cyberspace Medium Reading Humor Dogbert s Top Secret Management Handbook Harder Reading Humor Stories Written by Children Reading for Children Alice s Adventures in Wonderland Reading for Teens Fantasy 2 Click OK after you select the story New User Wizard Train Dragon NaturallyS peaking Talking to your Computer Easier Reading Instructional Read the following paragraph We d like you to read aloud for a few minutes while the computer listens to you and learns how you speak When you ve finished reading well make some adjustments and then you ll be able to talk to your computer and see the words appear on your screen In the meantime we d like to explain why talking to a computer is not the same as talking to a person and then give you a few tps about how to speak when dictating Start San Finish soo 3 Read the story aloud using your presentation voice As you read a yellow arrow advances and after you complete a word the text changes from blue to black If the program does not understand a word you read it will either ignore the mistake or display the yellow arrow pointing to the word it did not understand This indicates that you should repeat the word in order to advance the arrow and add to your speech and voice file 83 iCommunicator System User Training y Tips Use the Pause button if you ne
112. ore detailed flowchart may be found in Appendix B Follow these steps to build your speech voice recognition file The program will remind you at strategic points to complete various exercises 1 Read Create a New User page 73 through Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training page 81 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training 2 Return to Create a New User page 73 and then continue to Calibrating the Microphone on page 75 and Initial Speech Voice Recognition Training on page 81 3 Read Run General Training on page 85 and then read a second selection 4 Complete the Accuracy Check as described on page 86 Create a New User Creating your speech and voice file is a systematic process First you must provide the ICommunicator program with your name the speech model and your vocabulary choice when you begin to create your speech voice recognition file as a new user It is important to select the BestMatch III speech model The BestMatch II technology takes full advantage of the powerful CPU in your computer The vocabulary size should be Large User friendly prompts on the New User Wizard screen will guide you through this process When the 1Communicator program has the necessary information it generates your speech voice recognition file loads the files and loads a basic vocabulary to support your use of the ICommunicator program 1 From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Create New Speaker 2
113. oud for about 15 seconds Make sure your microphone is plugged in and positioned correctly then press Start Yolume Check For assistance on connecting or positioning your microphone press Help Start Volume Check Finished crea Heb The New User Wizard advances to the quality check dialog box You will read aloud again while the computer checks the quality of your audio input sound Quality Check 1 Verify that your microphone is ON 2 Click the Start Quality Check button and read aloud the paragraph in the middle of the screen A green and yellow graph displays as you speak Keep reading until the computer beeps p Tip Wait a few seconds for the yellow and green graph to diminish in size before you read the text that displays T1 iCommunicator System User Training New User Wizard Checking Sound Quality Please read this text aloud In this step the computer checks the audio input from your sound system Having high quality audio input is very important for good speech recognition Poor audio input will make it difficult or impossible for the program to recognize your speech accurately When the computer has finished checking the audio quality it beeps to signal that the test is complete If you reach the end of this text but you have not heard a beep start reading the text again from the beginning You should only have to read for about fifteen seconds 78 Module 3 Speech an
114. peech Voice Recognition File fine tuning 107 Speech Voice Recognition Training common phrases amp sentences 127 Speech Voice Training common phrases and sentences 127 Status bar microphone 53 System Check 67 T Talking Voice choosing 40 setting pitch and rate 41 Text Window 54 clearing 56 close 57 features 54 opening 57 Glossary resizing 57 saving the contents 55 Train Words vocabulary builder 98 Training Tips speech voice recognition 69 Troubleshooting computer stops working 71 U Using correct that 103 Using Electronic Dictionary 57 V View current speaker list 51 Views Menu 36 Vocabulary Builder adapting vocabulary 99 add new words 97 Analyzing Documents 93 train words 98 vocabulary building analyze documents 91 Vocabulary Building general tips 91 preview 90 scan documents 93 Vocabulary Editor adding and training words 101 getting ready 100 purpose 100 W Windows control 50 text window 54 signing window 59 Windows Theme changing 57 145 iCommunicator System User Training Notes 146 Module Review Answer Key Module 1 False False True True True False False YHA Vi I WN FR Module 2 True True False True False d d YO MN BW NF Module 3 True True True False False d d c COND Vi DS WN Module 4 False True False True true a d YO MN B WN FR 147
115. raining Module 3 Objectives In this module you will learn the skills necessary for e using the New User Wizard e creating a Speech Voice Recognition file e calibrating the microphone e initial speech voice training Preview Speech and Voice Recognition Training 66 When the 1Communicator Version 3 0 software installation is completed a speech and voice S V recognition file must be created before anyone can speak into the microphone and have their speech translated to text Creating a new user is a simple and systematic process You must provide the computer your name and the speech and vocabulary models needed for iCommunicator You will train the computer to recognize your unique speech and voice patterns Initial S V training is not difficult taking only 10 to 15 minutes To assist you the 1Communicator software program provides an easy to use interface called the New User Wizard You will read a short instructive selection entitled Talking to Your Computer You will continue the training by reading one or possibly two more short selection From the Options menu choose Speech Recognition Run General Training The selections available in this section take about ten minutes to read Complete an Accuracy Check following the second story using a prescribed protocol This evaluates how well the 1ICommunicator program is translating your speech When you achieve 90 or better accuracy you can proceed to Vocabulary
116. rating the Microphone The headset noise canceling microphone is a critical component in the accurate translation of speech when using the 1Communicator program The microphone s placement and performance directly affect the program s ability to recognize and translate speech The New User Wizard includes a simple process to calibrate microphone volume input level and check the audio quality This is the same simple procedure you will use when you run the Audio Wizard as you use the 1Communicator program Several factors can affect the calibration process Before you run the calibration always complete a System Check with attention to the following e LightSPEED transmitter and receiver are set to the same frequency e LightSPEED transmitter and receiver powered ON and batteries fully charged e microphone switch is in the ON position e microphone is positioned along the jaw line and slightly away from the mouth LightSPEED rounded portion of microphone toward the jaw line Parrott Bermuda flat side of microphone toward the jaw line If you receive an error message during audio calibration investigate other factors Consult the Dragon NaturallySpeaking help files for additional information Simply click the New User Wizard Help button Position Your Microphone The first screen you will see again stresses the importance of microphone position For additional information regarding your specific microphone professional or standard
117. rds window displays both the correct and incorrect word s Train Words Click Go to begin recording your speech did she say ice cream or I scream V ritten form Spoken form did she say ice cream or scream did she say ice cream or ice cream Done Cancel Help Teach the program how each word sounds as you record them It is very important to distinctly note the pronunciation differences between the two written texts Sometimes two or three bubbles will show on the right and this means the program wants you to repeat the word one or two more times In this example the speaker initiates the Go command and then repeats both sentences This teaches the program to differentiate between the two sentences 7 Click or say Go 8 Speak the first word or phrase as it appears in the top box 9 Speak the second word or phrase when it appears 10 Click or say Done The Train Words window closes 11 Say the word or sentence again to confirm that the program now recognizes it 12 Save your speech voice files From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Save Speech Files Module 4 Vocabulary Building You can also correct words or phrases by saying Correct x where x is the targeted word or phrase This correction method 1s useful when you review your translations and find a conversion error The training process is the same as Correct That After correcting a word or phrase return to the mai
118. re that you run this option when you have time available for the computer to be unoccupied with other programs running The Acoustic Optimizer dialog box will display the amount of time to finish adapting your user files and display a progress bar to indicate how much of the Job 1s complete 109 iCommunicator System User Training Top Ten Tips for Successful iCommunicator Program Use 110 End user needs and program features match A match must exist between the end user s communication access needs and the 1Communicator features It must be the right technology for the right end user for the right application and implemented in the right way for maximum potential Refer to Appendix A iCommunicator Candidacy Criteria Considerations for further infor mation Train end users and speakers End users and speakers need thorough training Training opportunities are available on line Contact Interactive Solutions for details Implementation Managers Identify implementation managers and train them in all aspects of the program from training to troubleshooting These individuals serve an important role in successfully implementing the program Consistency consistency consistency Successful speech translation requires consistent vocal effort speech and vocal patterns and microphone placement Judicious use of the mute switch Using the transmitter s mute switch enhances translation accuracy The mute capabilit
119. refer to pages 20 23 75 iCommunicator System User Training New User Wizard Position your microphone Correct positioning of your microphone is one of the most important factors in getting good dictation accuracy Use the pictures below as a guideline for positioning your microphone For more information on connecting or positioning your microphone press Help Cancel Help Volume Check 76 The program will test and adjust the volume of your sound system during the Volume Check You will read some text aloud for about 15 seconds and then move on to the Audio Quality Check Follow these steps to complete the Volume Check 1 Set the Mic switch to the ON position 2 Click the Start Volume Check button 3 Begin reading the text aloud using the same vocal effort you use in your classroom or workplace A black meter moves downward in the blue scale as you read The computer beeps when the volume check is finished Finished displays at the bottom of the screen Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training 4 Ifthe volume indicator remains at the top of the scale the volume test is not acceptable You must recheck equipment settings and reread the passage This typically occurs when the speaker forgets to turn on the microphone 5 When the volume level has adjusted successfully choose Next to continue New User Wizard Adjust your volume The computer needs to listen to you read some text al
120. require a need for accessible communication devices The ICommunicator provides assistance through the developmental or recovery process Persons with visual acuity and visual perceptual deficits have special communication needs such visual display size and background foreground contrast The ICommunicator can accommodate these needs Another very large group with special communication needs is those whose native language is not English The following table lists these special populations and the ICommunicator features that could match their unique communication challenges Refer to the preceding Candidacy Criteria Considerations for additional information about factors to consider in evaluating the iCommunicator as an assistive technology for a specific end user 121 iCommunicator System User Training Target Popilation Needs and Opportunities Related to iCommunicator Capabilities Auditory Processing Disorders e need for note taking assistance due to difficulty multitasking e need for text display due to difficulty applying meta linguistic and metacognitive skills necessary for message comprehension Deaf and Hard of Hearing e need for sign language to augment oral communication in various settings e need to improve literacy skills e need for voice output to communicate in one on one or group settings e need for note taking assistance due to difficulty multitasking e opportunity to improve speech recognition and speech
121. res in Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 such as the Accuracy Center and the Acoustic Optimizer e directly communicate with persons who have special communication needs iCommunicator Training Overview Assistive technology AT service as specified in the Individuals with Disabilities in Education IDEA 1997 Amendments 300 6 requires that training or technical assistance be provided for a child with a disability and if appropriate the child s family This would apply to the iCommunicator software program if it 1s recommended by the evaluation planning team as an appropriate AT The IDEA also requires AT training be provided for professionals delivering educational or rehabilitation services employers or other individuals who provide services to employ or are in any other way substantially involved in the child s major life functions As such local education agencies LEAs have a responsibility to remove barriers to the use of AT to enable a student to have independence in major life functions one of which 1s communication For applications in the workplace higher education public access venues and other sites systematic training 1s encouraged to maximize the potential of the ICommunicator program for both end users and speakers Accessibility in workplace environments and public venues is addressed in other regulatory authorities described in Appendix C 11 iCommunicator System User Training Purpose and Value of Train
122. rity with navigating windows activate move resize minimize maximize restore e familiarity with opening closing and saving simple documents e ability to navigate to and select folders sub folders and the documents contained within Training Delivery Model 12 Online training is available to allow individuals to more easily engage in the training process The User Guide Training Manual and Tutorial CD support documentation provide owners speakers and end users with useful print and media presentation of information pertinent to the effective use of the software program and peripherals Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge Master Inservice Component iCommunicator Training The master inservice training component meets professional continuing education activity requirements The training module includes goals objectives and a training activity description General Objectives The 1Communicator training helps the participant Goals understand the basics of the ICommunicator program understand the program applications navigate the program accomplish speech and voice recognition training Training helps you achieve the following goals demonstrate the 1ICommunicator features and capabilities present the user and speaker features determine if the iCommunicator program is the right technology for an end user describe applications for all users Learner Objectives The 1ICommunicator trai
123. rom the Views menu In the Custom mode the end user has the opportunity to customize the appearance of the 1Communicator windows by moving closing and resizing the windows to meet individual viewing needs and preferences This virtual docking feature allows the end user to use the right mouse and move all of the windows as one unit Key Differences from the Standard Mode The Font menu moved from the menu bar to the Text window and the Signing Options menu moved from the menu bar to the Signing window You can resize and reposition windows Moving the Windows 1 Move your mouse pointer over the window you want to move 2 Hold down the left mouse button and drag to the window 3 Click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the window to the desired location 4 Release the mouse button 62 Module 2 Menus and Windows Minimizing and Restoring Windows in the Custom Mode Close windows by clicking on the X in the upper right hand corner of the window Icons in the upper right corner of the Control window provide a quick and easy way to minimize restore resize and exit the 1Communicator program Use To a Reduce minimize the 1Communicator program to a button on the task bar Click the taskbar button to open iCommunicator again V Decrease the Control window size A Increase the Control window Size X Exit the ICommunicator program and return to your desktop Use the magnifiers on the Signing window
124. rrent speaker easily To delete a speaker s S V file 1 From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Delete Speaker 2 From the Speaker list box select the name you want to remove 3 Click Delete and answer Yes to the prompt confirming that you wish to delete the speaker 4 When the Done window appears click OK P Are you sure that you want to delete user nt GGR Yes No Show Results Box The Show Results Box is a small floating text box that displays the results of the speech voice analysis as it occurs When the red square appears in the upper left hand corner of the text box this is an indication that speech recognition is occurring The Show Results Box functions somewhat like a notepad where you jot down ideas and later formulate the precise sentence you wish to write the show results box is a helpful tool because it displays translated text almost immediately although some of the words may not appear in the text window because the system is using contextual information to determine the most appropriate words it also is helpful when the speaker talks a long time before taking a pause It is not uncommon for words in the Show Results Box to change while a speaker is talking This occurs because the speech recognition engine 1s taking a little time to make decisions about which words to translate It does this by considering contextual and speech model information 1 e acoustical
125. rt correct ed passages to your speech voice file b Correct as needed Use Correct Correct That Feature c Save Speech Files Options gt Speech Recognition gt Save Speech Files Deliver content specific and casual speech a Use presentation voice b Correct as needed Use Correct Correct That Feature c Save Speech Files Options gt Speech Recognition gt Save Speech Files Talk to Your iCommunicator 124 Appendix B Speech and Voice Recognition Training mit comm fficator Accuracy Check Using Phonetically Balanced Paragraphs Read these two phonetically balanced paragraphs including the titles and then check your accuracy using the chart on the next page The Rainbow Passage When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air they act like a prism and form a rainbow The rainbow 1s a division of white light into many beautiful colors These take the shape of a long round arch with its path high above and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon There is according to legend a boiling pot of gold at one end People look but no one ever finds it When a man looks for something beyond his reach his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow My Grandfather You wish to know all about my grandfather Well he 1s nearly ninety three years old yet he still thinks as swiftly as ever He dresses himself in an old black frock coat usually several buttons m
126. s serial number and other program information You will need this information if you contact Customer Service for support The iCommunicator program contains three windows the Control window the Text window and the Signing window All display on the iCommunicator s main screen Control Window _ a iCommunicato OX Fie Views Options Actions Soning Options Font Helo R Signing Window Text Window The standard window display is used for training purposes Refer to the Custom Mode Viewing Options iTip on page 62 for information about customizing the window arrangement and minimizing and restoring the iCommunicator windows Control Window 50 The Control window lets you to manage the program s functions The Control window has four components 1 Say This Note This text box Module 2 Menus and Windows 2 Current Speaker indicator 3 Microphone Status Bar 4 Microphone ON OFF Button Control Window Cancel a List of Speakers IC Princess Current Speaker GailGR The Control window features combined with the menus let you manage how the program functions Do not close the Control window until you are ready to stop using the 1Communicator application Closing the Control window exits the ICommunicator program select the Current Speaker Use this feature to change the speaker you want the 1Communicator program to recognize After a speaker completes initial speech voic
127. s recommends that you use the Analyze Documents feature to analyze word lists so that you will have the opportunity to train unfamiliar words Analyze Documents To analyze a document 1 Click Next The Analyze Documents dialog box appears Analyze Documents osc Add documents that represent your dictation style to the list below by clicking Add When you click Analyze Documents this tool will search the files for words that are new to the vocabulary This might take several minutes Add words from a Unless you added words from a list in the previous step you need to add and analyze at ist optional least one document before you can proceed by pressing the Next button Document Size Modified Analyz 4 2h test files iCom text files wvocab rtf BKB 04 08 02 15 42 No a 4 MCom text files ancient Research rtf BKB 08 05 01 17 13 No Analyze 2 VCom text filestkennedy inaugural rtf 15KB 08 05 01 17 14 No documents A MCom text files Paul Revere rtf SKB 08 05 01 17 15 No Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe rtf 35KB 12 05 01 10 59 No A MCom text files S ecretG arden rtf 21KB 10 17 01 00 49 No ees 4 ASeven Wonders of the Modem Wo 8KB 12 11 0113 35 No A MCom text files System Features rtf 28KB 08 31 01 12 46 No A MCom text files Teddy Roosevelt rt BKB 12 11 01 09 30 No oo aan man mi IAA AG st LLL daptto lt document style Remove Finish 13 document s to analyze To
128. s that of traffic coughing distant conversation or equipment noise ASL An acronym for American Sign Language American Sign Language The native language of many individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing ASL is a visual language characterized by facial expression lip movement and hand gestures close button The small X in the top right corner of each Communicator Window Click the close button to close that specific window Clicking the Control windows close button exits the ICommunicator program Cochlear implant An electronic device surgically implanted into the inner ear that enables a person who 1s deaf hear sound when using an external speech processor Control window The portion of the Communicator interface that allows you to manage the three windows and their functions CPU Central Processing Unit The part of the computer that processes information input custom words Subject specific vocabulary added to the program by the user indicated by a red star 139 iCommunicator System User Training 140 defaults A program s original settings and configurations filename extension The suffix at the end of a filename that includes a period and up to three characters The filename extension usually describes the file type floating window In the Windows 98 and 2000 environments floating windows are rectangular containers that can be dragged to a different portion of the computer screen
129. stance and check for update information Contact Interactive Solutions Inc at 888 463 0474 for technical assistance Visit our website at www isi icommunicator com for periodic updates Use the website and our toll free number to share your comments and ideas with us Interactive Solutions strives to improve the iCommunicator software program so that it meets its customer s communication access needs 111 iCommunicator System User Training Module 4 Review True or False 1 You type new vocabulary words into the Vocabulary Builder 2 You can display the entire vocabulary in the Vocabulary Editor 3 The Vocabulary Builder can analyze a text file saved in doc rtf xls or txt file formats 4 You should train any new words you add to your vocabulary 5 You should repeat a mistranslated word a second time before using the Correct That command Multiple Choice 6 Which is not correct regarding the Correct That command a You select the Correct That command from the menu in the Dragon NaturallySpeaking dialog box b You verbally speak the Correct That command Issuing the command opens the Correction dialog box d Possible replacement words are listed in the Correction dialog box o 7 The Vocabulary Editor is an appropriate tool for quickly adding a large number of vocabulary words analyzes a text file for unknown words is used to save your speech files lets you type in and train new vocabulary words
130. store defaults Cancel Apply Help Follow these steps to make the adjustment 1 Open the Start menu on the taskbar Select Programs _ Dragon NaturallySpeaking 2 The Manage Users screen appears Select your speech voice file and click Open 3 The Dragon Menu Bar appears From the Tools Menu select Options _ Miscellaneous 4 Move the Speed Vs Accuracy slider one or two graticals to the right Click Apply and then click OK 5 Close the Dragon program and return to the ICommunicator main screen 6 Run Audio Wizard again after changing this setting 7 Complete another Accuracy Check Then speak into your microphone and determine if this adjustment has made an improvement in translation accuracy Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training Module 3 Review True or False 1 For speech voice recognition to work properly you must select BestMatch III as the speech model 2 You must perform every step in the New User Wizard to create a new user 3 Proper use of the microphone and careful calibration of the system s audio quality are two factors that significantly affect the accuracy of speech voice recognition 4 The speech recognition engine will perform accurately even if you train the program using your reading voice and dictate into the computer using your speaking voice 5 Rerun Audio Wizard every day before you use 1Communicator Multiple Choice 6 Which should you always check before cr
131. t the appropriate user information that accompanies your computer Information in the 1Communicator User s Guide the Install Guide and product literature for your specific microphone should be consulted for details regarding use of the iCommunicator software and peripherals Before you power on the computer connect all hardware and verify that all cables are secure The Computer The 1Communicator V 3 0 software program operates on a high end laptop or desktop PC platform using a Pentium II based multimedia computing system that meets the minimum hardware specifications When you operate the laptop on battery power the battery should last for about two hours Connect the power cord to the laptop computer If your computer is a desktop PC connect the keyboard mouse and monitor before you turn it on You may need a power strip or appropriate extension cord if the computer is not close to an electrical outlet Processor Pentium III 800MHz Memory 256 MB RAM E Drive DEI SEMI have 2 GB of available space on Drive C Video Display pi meme mne 800x600 screen area capability high quality Sound Speakers _ SoundBlaster Pro SoundBlaster Pro Compatible i sstitsi i sS CD ROM 24x or DVD ROM Software Software Word Processing Program Owai Microsoft Windows XP Windows 2000 or Windows 98SE S di ni 5 Interactive Solutions recommends Windows XP or 2000 for gt maximum performance Microphone 20 A c
132. tal of 905K lt Back Analyze Documents Next Cancel Help 2 Click Add 3 Click Browse to locate your text file s 4 Select one or more text files to analyze 9 Tip You can select multiple documents to analyze by holding down the Control key while you click to select files 97 iCommunicator System User Training 5 Click Open The file path name then appears on the Vocabulary Builder screen Choose the Analyze Documents button This process 1s very quick You will notice that as document analysis completes the comment in the Analyzed column changes from No to Yes 7 When the program is finished processing all of your text files click Next Exercise l From the File menu select Open and then select the Temp File or another file where you stored text files Click on the first file Press and hold down the Control key while you click on all of the other files in the folder Click Open All of the files now appear in the Analyze Documents window Choose Analyze Documents Observe as the No changes to Yes in the Analyzed column Add New Words 98 Review the steps in this process and then complete the exercise After the program finishes analyzing your text documents and you choose Next the Add New Words screen appears Words that the program does not recognize appear here The number of times each unfamiliar word appears in the file analysis displays in the Frequency c
133. ter installation you will be directed to immediately Create a New User that is build a speech voice recognition file This is necessary so that you will be able to speak to your computer and have it recognize your S V characteristics Refer to Modules 3 and 4 in the Training Manual for directions If you currently have the ICommunicator software V 2 1 1 installed you will follow the 1Communicator V 3 0 Upgrade Procedure This allows each speaker with a speech voice recognition file to continue using their speaker file with the new software In addition to installing the iCommunicator software you will be upgrading Dragon NaturallySpeaking from Version 5 0 to Version 6 0 After you have completed the upgrade open the 1Communicator program Each speaker must run the Audio Setup after the upgrade in order for the program to recognize his her speech voice file The User Guide and Training Manual are excellent references that will guide you through this process These documents also contain additional information to benefit end users speakers and implementation managers Coupling Peripheral Hearing Devices with the iCommunicator You can couple peripheral hearing devices with the 1Communicator to clearly hear the computer generated voice Coupling options vary depending upon the specific peripheral device Contact the audiologist at Interactive Solutions for information about specific coupling options 25 iCommunicator System User Trainin
134. the microphone status area changes to a colored speaking indicator This lets users who are deaf or hard of hearing know when iCommunicator is finished speaking When transmission is complete the speaking status bar disappears Demonstration 1 Type a statement into the text box 2 Press enter The computer generated voice delivers the text The answer to the question is the polio vaccine z Note This Add notes to the Text window by typing in the Say This Note This text box and then pressing Control Enter The text appears in the Text window enclosed with arrows If you choose not to type use Control Enter to place the arrows in the text box For example use the double arrows to indicate important information Module 2 Menus and Windows The last 10 entries placed in the Say This Note This text box can be displayed by clicking the down arrow on the right hand side of the text box This is useful if the end user wishes to repeat a comment The Note This function does not generate voice output think it is an obtuse angle Will this label design be adequate for the customer When is the science project due May have a copy of the notes from this discussion The report will be on your desk by 5 00 have a severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears The answer to the question is the polio vaccine Please repeat that want to become an environmental engineer Pull down window displays the last
135. timal settings to support maximum performance and translation accuracy The lightweight wireless transmitter lets the speaker move about freely while transmitting speech The transmission range 1s approximately 300 feet The transmitter does not connect to the computer Locate the Mic Switch on the transmitter Use this control as the mute switch to prevent transmitting unwanted verbiage or other sounds It is important to become very familiar with using the mute switch while transmitting speech ISI selected the TK 150 noise canceling headset microphone for its ease of use comfort and ability to capture speech elements necessary to support translation accuracy The headset microphone must be worn on the head to obtain the very best signal Insert the microphone plug into the mic jack on the top of the transmitter Place the headset so that the arms of the headband are above the ears and the headband around the back of the head The headband may be resized to accommodate different head sizes by stretching it farther apart or rolling the loop into a tighter circle LightSPEED TK 150 microphone worn in the correct position Illustration courtesy of LightSPEED Technologies 21 iCommunicator System User Training 22 The boom microphone should be positioned along the left jaw line about an inch from the left corner of the mouth For maximum performance the rounded portion of the microphone element should be positioned
136. tion challenges While the 1Communicator software program promotes independent communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing it 1s offered as an alternative rather than a replacement for sign language interpreters iComenumicate tJ DI Fle Views Opos Actors Sigg Options Fort Hep iCommunicator Real time Translation This advanced speech to text technology is the first of its kind to enter the marketplace It allows effective communication to occur in most natural environments Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred Version 6 0 the underlying speech recognition engine offers many features to personalize a speaker s speech and voice recognition S VR file and enhance translation accuracy The ICommunicator program efficiently converts in real time e speech to text e speech to video sign language e speech to computer generated voice e text to computer generated voice or video sign language Getting Started The Communication Accessibility Challenge End User Benefits The 1Communicator program s unique technological features provide end users with unparalleled opportunities to achieve efficient effective communication in most natural environments End users have the chance to e increase spoken language comprehension e achieve two way communication e improve reading and language skills e increase independence and self confidence and improve quality of life e increase opportunities for advancement and s
137. tion training In the next module you will begin to customize your speech voice recognition file using vocabulary building activities Speed Vs Accuracy Adjustment Sometimes the speech recognition engine requires a little fine tuning if you find it is mistranslating words There is an adjustment within Dragon NaturallySpeaking called Speed Vs Accuracy which adjusts how much processing time it uses for speech voice recognition The default setting is for the fastest response You can make an adjustment so that the program will take just a little more time as it makes the decision about what words to translate This change will only apply to your speech voice file Other speakers may choose to make this adjustment to their file later It is unnecessary to make an adjustment to the Pause setting 87 iCommunicator System User Training 88 Options Correction Startup Shutdown View Hot keys Miscellaneous Formatting Move the Pause Required Before Commands slider for t Page A 9 Speed Vs 0 on Long Accuracy 1 or 0 1 sec A 1 sec 2 graticals to the right to Speed vs pis allow tHe Fastest EN Most program Response VE Accurate slightly more time to make gt i translation Disk space reserved for recording 40 MB AnS Automatically back up user files every 5 H saves l Store corrections in archive Archi Il Use Active Accessibility for menu and dialog control T Require Click to select menu or control Re
138. tions and non speech sounds such as a cough e The computer tries to analyze all sounds and may translate environmental sounds as unfamiliar words Rerun Audio Wizard e If you train the program in an acoustical environment that is different from the one where you plan to use the 1Communicator program rerun the Audio Wizard in the planned environment before you use it to translate your speech 70 Module 3 Speech and Voice Recognition Training From the Options menu select Speech Recognition Audio Wizard A red warning screen displays to ensure that you are performing this action on the correct speech voice file Rerun Audio Wizard whenever any of the following conditions occur noticeable change in the speaker s voice the acoustical environment changes adifferent microphone is used the sound card in the computer has been changed translation accuracy is degraded red appears on the iCommunicator s microphone status indicator sometimes referred to as redlining Dictating or Speaking in Your Own Speech Voice File When dictating or speaking using the 1Communicator always be sure that you select your own speech voice file from the Current Speaker drop down list A red speaker verification screen appears at specific points to remind speakers when they are about to take action on the selected speaker s speech voice file Accuracy Checks Use the prepared materials in Appendix B Calculate your accura
139. to find the information you need contact Abort Customer Service at Interactive Solutions 888 463 0474 for assistance Contents Contents When you select Contents the iCommunicator Help System opens KL Contents KS Index d Search with the Table of Contents tab m ita active The left pane of the Help H Using Your iCommunicator System window displays the system F AD Speech Recognition hierarchy from which you can select B Poo EA EON e POAN a topic The right pane displays the 3 a tl selected topic explanation Use the B Calibrating your Microphone s Volt Contents Search or Index tabs to E Checking Audio Quality find additional information to assist General Voice Training you The Search tab lets you locate E Vocabulary Builder help by performing a key word B Adding Additional Users B Opening Speech Files search Use the Index tab to select a B Deleting a Speaker help topic from an alphabetical list Hot Keys This option displays a list of iCommunicator program hot keys and their function Hot keys can be used to quickly execute 1Communicator menu commands by using keyboard combinations The list of hot keys can be accessed with the Control H keyboard command A listing of the hot keys is available on page 64 49 iCommunicator System User Training About Windows About displays license information about the 1Communicator program such as the version and build number
140. uccess in education employment personal relationships and public access venues Version 3 0 Software and Peripheral Kit The 1Communicator software program Version 3 0 runs on a high end laptop or desktop computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements Refer to the minimum hardware requirements on page 20 Version 3 0 offers an enhanced sign language presentation easy autoload self installation and major code changes to ensure a more reliable and efficient program Owners can easily install the software on their own computer using the autoload installation guide The 3 0 software and peripheral kit includes e Communicator Software Kit V 3 0 Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 0 Preferred e iCommunicator User Guide Training Manual and Tutorial CD e Hardware security key dongle e Audio Cables connector cable Y cable e Microphone options wireless or wired Professional LightSPEED LES 360 wireless RF system with TK 150 noise canceling microphone LightSPEED system includes 360R receiver 360T transmitter and TK 150 microphone BC 4 battery charger amp cables 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries Standard Parrott Bermuda direct connect microphone iCommunicator System User Training Interactive Solutions has qualified the LightSPEED and Parrott units as the only high quality microphones that are compatible with the iCommunicator software in order to achieve maximum translation accuracy Prior to shipping the Lig
141. ulary Editor type the words you wish to add to the program s vocabulary Vocabulary Editor lets you specify one form of the word for its spoken form e g Doctor and another form of Module 4 Vocabulary Building the word for its written translation e g Dr Another example is the use of acronyms such as IRS and its written counterpart Internal Revenue Service After you enter new vocabulary words and train the program to recognize the words errors sometimes occur The speech recognition engine lets you correct such errors using a simple voice activated command known as Correct That Building and refining your vocabulary and training the program to recognize new words will improve your accuracy and the iCommunicator program s effectiveness as a communication access tool Vocabulary Building Overview Vocabulary Builder analyzes documents that already exist The vocabulary building process gathers information about your specific writing style and identifies unfamiliar words so you can add them to customize your speech voice file After you add and train new words you will need to save your speech file by accessing the Options Menu _ Speech Recognition Save Speech File The greatest advantage of adding vocabulary in this manner is speed The iCommunicator program can analyze a document and add a large number of words to your vocabulary far quicker than you can by individually entering each word Vocabulary cha
142. unicator BG File Views Options Actions Signing Options Font Help You can enter keyboarded text directly into the text window or use the Say This Note This feature From the Actions menu you can choose to have the 1Communicator program sign speak or simultaneously speak and sign text that displays in the Text window Three actions 1 e Reset Pause Show may be activated easily by clicking the appropriate button on the border of the Text window These actions also may be initiated by using the Actions menu Change the Font Use the Font menu to change the font size Click on the Font menu and then select a font size that allows for comfortable viewing of the computer screen Save the Text Window Contents Use this option to save the contents of the Text window for later use The program saves the text in Rich Text Format rtf 55 iCommunicator System User Training E New Folder x e EJ M Teddy Roosevelk rtf My Recent Documents Rich Text Format rtf File name Teddy Roosevelt ttt My Network Files of type Text rtf txt aces Open as read only Demonstration 1 Type a few sentences in the Text window From the File menu select Save As The Save As window appears Type a name for your file in the file name text box Click Save AR V N From the File menu select Open and select your File s Name Note that it has been saved in Rich Text Format rtf 6
143. ur speech efficiently and accurately In real life we seldom restrict our speech to basic vocabulary alone Names places and unique terminology are essential to conveying our messages It is very likely that some of the terminology that speakers use will exceed the basic vocabulary assembled by the 1Communicator program during speech voice recognition training When the program attempts to recognize these unfamiliar words its translation falls to guess work Mistranslations may also occur if the spoken word or phrase sounds very similar to the word or phrase that the 1Communicator program translated Fortunately the 1Communicator program offers several ways to add specialized terminology using the Vocabulary Builder and the Vocabulary Editor The Vocabulary Builder analyzes the contents of a document file and identifies words not included the 1Communicator program s lexicon Vocabulary Builder invites you to select and train unfamiliar words so that the speech recognition engine will recognize the words when you speak them The Vocabulary Builder can analyze text in list form or as a normal text passage Words saved in list format one word or phrase per line add to the vocabulary in batch You can also analyze documents such as a technical article chapter summary or glossary of terms and add the unknown words at your discretion The Vocabulary Editor provides an interactive way to add new words to your vocabulary Using the Vocab
144. wrong He s right See you later No I didn t say that I just barely made it What s up Hang in there What s the rush Time to line up Go wash your hands It s a fire drill My goodness Holy cow What do you think about that Help me please No gum chewing May I have your attention What does this mean Tell me about it Turn it on now Be quick about it 129 iCommunicator System User Training 224 227 225 224 225 226 22 1 228 229 230 2531 232 2535 234 239 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 292 2353 254 293 256 25 258 259 260 130 What 1s it made out of That will be fine Take care of it right away Take a break Oh good What 1s that Here we go Where are you going Everything s all right It s time to go PIH think it over Call me later What s new It s nice and quiet in here How are you doing How s it going Time s up How do you know Do you have change What time is it Where s your paper How much time do we have Where do you work What time did you go to bed School is over at What s your address How is your family My watch is slow Did you tell him about it Good bye All right Look out How have you been Neatness counts How much was 1t Excuse me Pardon me Where are you going When will you
145. ws menu select Themes Allow Themes 2 Select other themes to view those available Return to Defaults custom mode only Use this option to return the window arrangement and theme to the manufacturer s default settings which are the standard viewing mode and the blue theme Return to Defaults can only be selected from the Custom Views Menu Options Menu Microphone On Ctrl M Autosave is off Speak Incoming Words Ctri I The Options Menu allows end P l gt Set Talking Voice users to access unique i1ICommunicator features such as Speak Incoming Words Set Edit Quick Say Keys v Clear Text Window when starting Speech Recagnition 38 Module 2 Menus and Windows Talking Voice and Edit Quick Say Keys Speakers use the Options Menu to access speech and voice recognition training Microphone On Off Use this option to turn the microphone ON or OFF The microphone can also be turned ON or OFF by clicking the microphone button in the Control Window by toggling the Microphone Status Bar in the Control Window or by using the Control M hotkey End users need to monitor the microphone status as the following actions disable the microphone After any of these actions the end user must make certain that the microphone is turned ON in order to receive speech to text translation Opening or closing the Communicator program Selecting any signing or speaking action Selecting reset Selecting a new file Cli
146. y prevents the program from processing unwanted verbiage and sounds Routine System Check This becomes a shared responsibility between the end user speakers and the implementation manager Translation accuracy degrades when the program and its peripherals are not performing optimally Rerun Audio Wizard Run Audio Wizard any time there 1s a change in the speaker s voice the acoustical environment the microphone or the computer s sound card You should also rerun Audio Wizard when you notice degradation in translation accuracy or when the 1Communicator s 10 Module 4 Vocabulary Building microphone status bar shows red redlining while speaking Audio Wizard completes in less than a minute Add New Vocabulary Speakers should add new vocabulary as necessary to ensure that new technical terms names of colleagues and other such terminology are input to the program to enhance translation accuracy Not a replacement for sign language interpreters an alternative The 1Communicator is not intended to replace sign language interpreters but is an alternative for situations where its capabilities meet the end user s needs and or specific application Due to the concern about literacy levels of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing ICommunicator delivers American Sign Language ASL signs in English word order The 1Communicator has applications for others who face communication access challenges Call for assi
147. ys happens I believe so He knows better Just between you and me Bring it here I m glad to meet you Can you do this I don t care Did you know that I don t know about that Turn the page please Can you find it He s feeling fine I have to go Can you hear me What did I say What did I tell you Hello there Happy birthday Are you interested This is very important How are you feeling How did this happen Wait just a minute Just a second Do you have time to do this What time is it That didn t work I can t find it Where is your assignment I need to call your parents What s the matter What s wrong That s too bad You re in trouble now Turn on the lights Put away your books 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 Appendix B Speech and Voice Recognition Training We will have a test on Where did you get that That s cute That s funny That s hilarious She was first You need to study See me after class What s the score Who won the game Please erase the board Turn on your computers No school tomorrow Don t interrupt now Where did he go What did you find What time is 1t Yes I can Yes you may That s

V.3.0 The iCommunicator Training Manual

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