Wanting to check the compatibility of Gazespeaker software on Windows 11, I might see that the download links were broken. Informed, the author reinstated them. Thanks to him !
Developed in 2015, Gazespeaker is still fully operational on Windows 11.
(important: display set to 100%).
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Gazespeaker is a free software to help with alphabetical, pictographic communication, allowing access to learning ludo activities using multimedia, and access to certain computer functions. Developed by Pirre Titeux, computer scientist and parent of a disabled child, Gazespeaker was one of the first software programs compatible with so-called low-cost eye controls (Tobii Eye Tracker 4 C and Eye Tracker 5).
Flashback: the CRNT technical sheet published in 2015 :
Download “04-193 Gazespeaker .pdf”
This focus concerns the “Keyboard” activity (help with alphabetic communication) because it is provided ready to use, unlike the pictographic communication activities which will be the subject of a separate post.
Alphabetical communication
The “Keyboard” activity allows you to compose text by clicking on the boxes of a keyboard displayed on the screen, assisted by a prediction mode, and to read the sentences by synthetic voice.
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| Keyboard page 2: numbers, special characters and punctuation |
– The second keyboard accessible from the “123” keys, includes numbers, special characters and punctuation marks, but does not include accented letters, these appearing in the predicted words with the exception of “à”, which does not interfere with voice reading.
– The settings menu is used to configure the voice reading of the letters or words in the prediction zone following selection. The sentence is read by clicking on the input zone.
– Voice : Gazespeaker uses the Hortense voice present on recent computers, the mobile Microsoft voices Julie and Paul, if they have been converted to Sapi 5 format:
(explained at the bottom of this TechLab page), other Sapi 5 voices if you have them.
– The Azerty keyboard has three erase keys: last letter, last word, the whole sentence.
– The activity does not allow the direct memorization of sentences categorized in thematic glossaries, but it is possible to program a cell, for example on the second keyboard, to navigate to a page where the messages will be grouped by theme, illustrated by pictograms or images, to which a frequently used sentence will be associated. From this page, it will be possible to create a custom tree.
(This solution requires the intervention of a helper to build the pages to be created, see second part of the downloadable sheet above).
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A second solution in autonomous use for the user, consists in combining the writing activity with the “Notes” activity, making it possible to save a written text, to vocalize it later.
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New words :
The settings menu allows you to authorize or not the learning of new words.
Customize the starting grid :
Here’s how to customize the starting grid to select only useful activities:
– From the grid editor, select the “Main” grid in the list of grids.
– In the central window, duplicate the grid (light blue key with a 2): the grid is renamed “Main two”.
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– In the central window, select the activities to be deleted, and click on the red cross in the “Cell” menu located on the right. Delete unused activities.
– Rearrange center window activities by click and hold moved.
– Click on the Home icon (yellow house at the top left).
– Select “Principal 2” in the start grid and click on start.
Access methods :
Mouse (and equivalents), timed mouse with an elegant incrementing cursor, head mouse, eye control. No scroll mode.
Running under Windows, this free solution that can be installed on computers larger than a tablet will be of interest to people with severe disabilities, who are in bed or in an armchair and who use a laptop or desktop computer.
Functional upon opening, this solution can be self-sufficient, or help out while waiting for more efficient software requiring funding.
A beautiful achievement, well thought out, functional, customizable, and offered free of charge by a developer concerned with the cause of disability.
