Reduce screen time with the FREE Google Docs speech typing and editing tool.

Continuing with the tech for visual issues the RNIB tech guy suggested narrator for windows. This is where the software speaks to you and describes what is on the computer screen. Looks good if you are blind or severely visually impaired. You need to have windows 365 to use it meaning you have to buy it.

However, the visual issues after brain injury are very diverse and it is the screen time itself that causes the problem. As you know by now you need to use a computer to do most things and if you can reduce the time spent writing stuff out there is less visual stress and less fatigue.

Google Docs has a FREE tool where you can write a document, letter or anything down by just talking into your microphone.

There are other software packages and apps than can translate speech into text but these don't allow you to punctuate and edit the document or work with it dually by speech and keyboard at the same time.

I just tried it out and it works really well.

Here's a video with a demo

youtu.be/Unwa4fYxwJo?si=cFW...(Not working as expected?)

[Ideogram]

Hiya. I've just returned to work and am finding screen time very difficult, albeit for different reasons to you. Two things I've come across which I hadn't heard of before:

- The Read Write software has been recommended to me by the disability network (reads text, can dictate, and has screen tinting). It's not free so depends whether an employer will pay for it.

- My GP also recommended a Remarkable tablet - again sadly not free and my work won't pay for it, but apparently it may be available via Access to Work, for those for whom that applies. It allows you to handwrite on the tablet (I'm finding I'm doing a lot more writing notes by hand and printing things off to read them, as much kinder on my eyes and cognition, but then I can't save them nicely) - so the tablet also recognises handwriting and saves your text docs. I've not actually tested it and heaven help it with my writing...

- some simple things on Windows to adjust contrast which make the screen more orangey (a bit like flux, and I think you can set timings for it). I didn't massively get on with it personally and found I preferred using migraine/photophobia glasses but you've just reminded me that I might find something for my phone.

Welcome more of these tips from folk; going back to work/etc it seems people expect you to know what you need when we're of course all still learning this ourselves.

[Hidden in reply to Ideogram]

In addition to the speech text software video in the post here's another one that shows you how to use a free screen reader in google doc's.

This all means that if you use google doc's instead of microsoft 365 (which you have to buy) all the read/ write tools are totally free.

Not sure why disability services are recommending software that you have to pay for when it's all free. (maybe they get a kickback from microsoft for recommending the paid for software to use with 365)

youtu.be/LWvGUz2kTjA?si=4i1...(Not working as expected?)

[Dvorak in reply to Hidden]

The charity Abilitynet offers guidance and has helpsheets on this and they have volunteers who can come to your home too to help you set things up.abilitynet.org.uk/free-tech...

At work you can ask for reasonable adjustments, 2 and abilitynet also offer consultancy to organisations but maybe not exactly for this. I use their helpline during the lockdown for my friend who didn't know a lot about technology but needed to use email etc. They were very helpful.

Also, mobile phones have a dictation feature - on mine there's a little microphone icon on the keyboard you tap to activate and I find it very helpful and indeed I'm writing this with dictation.

[Hidden in reply to Dvorak]

Thanks for the info and link👍