What is it?
Voice control and voice access allow a person to navigate and operate a computer, tablet, or phone using spoken commands. Built-in tools such as Apple Voice Control, Android Voice Access, and Windows Voice Access can allow users to open applications, select buttons, navigate menus, scroll, edit text, and perform other actions without relying on touch, a mouse, or a physical keyboard.
How to use it?
Enable the device's voice access features and teach the commands needed for common activities. Tools may display numbers, labels, or grids so the user can verbally identify items that do not have an obvious command. Customize vocabulary and settings when available, and practice in the applications the learner regularly uses. Consider environmental noise, speech-recognition accuracy, fatigue, privacy, and the learner's ability to use speech reliably when determining where voice access is useful.
Why use it?
Voice access can reduce or eliminate the physical demands of reaching, pointing, clicking, and typing. For learners who can reliably use speech but have difficulty with standard physical access methods, it can provide a powerful way to independently navigate technology, write, communicate, create, and complete classroom tasks. Voice access can also be combined with other methods so learners can choose the most effective way to interact with technology in different situations.
