Guide for Individuals with Language and Communication Impairments

About Language and Communication Impairments

Language and communication difficulties and impairments include conditions such as aphasia (loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words, often as a result of brain damage), delayed speech (a symptom of cognitive impairment), and other conditions resulting in difficulties remembering, solving problems, or perceiving sensory information. For people who have these difficulties and impairments, complex or inconsistent visual displays or word choices can make using computers more difficult.

Adjusting your PC

Many accessibility features are built into Windows and other Microsoft products that are useful to people with language and communication impairments.

• Find demos and tutorials to help you adjust your computer
• Learn how to make it easier to focus on tasks in Windows 7 and Windows Vista
• Learn how to personalize your computer in Windows 7 and Windows Vista

Assistive Technology

You can shop for assistive technology products compatible with Microsoft Windows made by independent assistive technology companies. People who have language or communication difficulties and impairments may be interested in the following assistive technology:

• Keyboard filters include typing aids such as word prediction utilities and add-on spelling checkers. These products reduce the required number of keystrokes. Certain keyboard filters enable users to quickly access the letters they need and to avoid inadvertently selecting keys they don't want.
• Speech recognition, (also called voice recognition), allows data entry by voice commands rather than a mouse or keyboard. Windows 7 and Windows Vista include speech recognition.
• Word prediction programs allow the user to select a desired word from an on-screen list located in the prediction window. This helps individuals increase written productivity and accuracy, and increase vocabulary skills through word prompting. See also text prediction available in Windows 7 On-Screen Keyboard.
• Screen review utilities make on-screen information available as synthesized speech and pairs the speech with a visual representation of a word, for example, highlighting a word as it is spoken. Screen review utilities convert the text that appears on screen into a computer voice. This helps some people with language difficulties and impairments by giving them information visually and aurally at the same time.
• Touch screens allow direct selection or activation of the computer by touching the screen. Learn about Touch technology in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
• Speech synthesizers (often referred to as text-to-speech (TTS) systems) receive information going to the screen in the form of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, and then "speak" it out loud.