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Story</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/" aria-current="location" class="page-link"><span>Diverse Abilities and Barriers</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/auditory/" class="page-link"><span>Auditory</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/cognitive/" class="page-link"><span>Cognitive and Learning</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/physical/" class="page-link"><span>Physical</span></a></li> <li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/speech/" aria-current="page" class="page-link"><span>Speech</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/visual/" class="page-link"><span>Visual</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/" class="page-link"><span>Tools and Techniques</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/perception/" class="page-link"><span>Perception</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/presentation/" class="page-link"><span>Presentation</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/input/" class="page-link"><span>Input</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/navigation/" class="page-link"><span>Interaction</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/" class="page-link"><span>Older Users and Accessibility</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/developing/" class="page-link"><span>How WCAG 2 Applies</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/literature/" class="page-link"><span>Literature Review</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-usability-inclusion/" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility, Usability, Inclusion</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/components/" class="page-link"><span>Components of Web Accessibility</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility Principles</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/" class="page-link"><span>Research</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/user-requirements/" class="page-link"><span>User Requirements</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/ai2023/" class="page-link"><span>AI and Accessibility</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/" class="page-link"><span>Digital Accessibility Courses</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/foundations-course/" class="page-link"><span>W3C Foundations Online Course</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/list/" class="page-link"><span>Course List</span></a></li></ul></li></ul></nav> </div> <main id="main" lang="en"> <header class="in-resource"> <h1> Speech <span class="in-resource-sub"> in <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/"><span>Diverse Abilities and Barriers</span></a>, <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/"><span>How People with Disabilities Use the Web</span></a></span> </h1> </header> <style> #introduction p { font-size:120%; margin: 0.5em 0 0 0; } #introduction .box-i { } #introduction nav { border: 0; margin-top: 0; } #introduction nav header { padding: 8px 16px; } #introduction .video-card { margin: 1em; float: none !important; max-width: inherit !important; min-width: 45% !important; } #introduction .video-card p { font-size: 90%; margin: 0; } #introduction .video-card p:first-child { height: 190px; } #introduction img.video { border-radius: 5px; width: 300px; max-width: 300px; } #introduction .video-card .play-button { position: relative; top: -55px; left: -185px; width: 60px; height: 60px; } @media all and (min-width: 576px) { #introduction .box-i { display: flex; flex: 0 1; } #introduction .video-card .play-button { position: relative; top: -120px; left: 120px; width: 60px; height: 60px; } } </style> <blockquote class="pull alt-2"> <p>Accessibility: It's about people</p></blockquote> <aside id="introduction" class="box"><div class="box-i"> <div> <p>Speech disabilities include difficulty producing speech that is recognizable by others or by speech recognition software. For example, the loudness or clarity of someone’s voice might be difficult to understand.</p> </div> <div class="video-card"> <video controls poster="/WAI/content-images/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/speech-video-frame.png"> <source src="//media.w3.org/wai/people-use-web/abilities-barriers_speech.mp4" type="video/mp4"><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/people-use-web/abilities-barriers_speech.en.vtt" label="English" kind="captions" srclang="en" ></video> <p>This video is available with more accessibility features: <a href="#accessible-video">Video: Diverse Abilities and Barriers - Speech</a>.</p> </div> </div> <nav class="box box-simple box-full" aria-labelledby="tocheading" id="toc"> <header id="tocheading" class="box-h box-h-simple box-h-full"> Page Contents</header> <div class="box-i"> <ul id="markdown-toc"> <li><a href="#introduction" id="markdown-toc-introduction">Introduction</a></li> <li><a href="#examples-of-speech-disabilities" id="markdown-toc-examples-of-speech-disabilities">Examples of speech disabilities</a></li> <li><a href="#examples-of-barriers-for-people-with-speech-disabilities" id="markdown-toc-examples-of-barriers-for-people-with-speech-disabilities">Examples of barriers for people with speech disabilities</a></li> <li><a href="#accessible-video" id="markdown-toc-accessible-video">Video: Diverse Abilities and Barriers - Speech</a></li> </ul> </div> </nav> </aside> <p><strong>Note:</strong> The examples given in this section are not a complete list of all disabilities or barriers.</p> <h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2> <p>People with speech disabilities encounter barriers with voice-based services, such as automated hotlines and applications that are operated using voice commands. To use services that rely on voice, people with speech disabilities need alternative modes of interaction such as text-based chat to interact with hotline representatives. Also, when the telephone numbers is the only means of communicating with an organization, it poses barriers for people with speech disabilities. Alternative means of communication include e-mail and feedback forms.</p> <h2 id="examples-of-speech-disabilities">Examples of speech disabilities</h2> <ul> <li><strong id="apraxia">Apraxia of speech (AOS)</strong> – includes inconsistent articulation and production of speech sounds, and errors producing sounds in the correct order so that spoken words or phrases become difficult to understand.</li> <li><strong id="cluttering">Cluttering</strong> (also called “tachyphemia”) – includes increased speaking rate, incorrect rhythm, intonation, and co-articulation of sounds, and other influent speech that is sometimes similar to <a href="#stuttering" class="termref">stuttering</a>.</li> <li><strong id="dysarthria">Dysarthria</strong> – involves weakness or complete paralysis of muscles that are necessary to produce speech, including lips, lungs, throat, tongue, and others.</li> <li><strong id="sound">Speech sound disorder</strong> – involves difficulty or inability to produce certain sounds or patterns of sound and sometimes results in addition, distortion, omission, or substitution of such sounds with others.</li> <li><strong id="stuttering">Stuttering</strong> – includes influent speech, repetition of individual sounds or entire words and phrases, and misplacement or prolongation of pauses and sounds while speaking that is different from <a href="#cluttering" class="termref">cluttering</a>.</li> <li><strong id="muteness">Muteness</strong> (also called “mutism”) – involves the inability to speak due to various reasons such as anxiety, brain injuries, or inability to hear and learn speech.</li> </ul> <h2 id="examples-of-barriers-for-people-with-speech-disabilities">Examples of barriers for people with speech disabilities</h2> <ul> <li>Web-based services, including web applications, that rely on interaction using voice only.</li> <li>Websites that offer phone numbers as the only way to communicate with the organizations.</li> </ul> <details id="video-transcript"><summary> <h2 id="accessible-video">Video: Diverse Abilities and Barriers - Speech</h2> </summary> <div> <div class="video-container" data-video-type="" dir="ltr"> <video preload="metadata" data-youtube-id="oFF0lbRskKg" data-youtube-nocookie="true" data-description-audible="false" playsinline=""><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/people-use-web/abilities-barriers_speech.en.vtt" label="English" kind="captions" srclang="en" default="" /></video> </div> <script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="//cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/js-cookie@3.0.1/dist/js.cookie.min.js"></script> <script src="/WAI/assets/ableplayer/build/ableplayer.min.js"></script> <script> var youTubeDataAPIKey = "AIzaSyBzq155tA3E3gaYlRdx2S9U9FM78U1-568"; var googleApiReady = false; function initGoogleClientApi() { googleApiReady = true; } </script> <script src="//apis.google.com/js/client.js?onload=initGoogleClientApi"></script> <script> (function () { 'use strict'; let player1 = new AblePlayer($('[data-video-type=""] video')); const audiodescribed = document.querySelectorAll('[data-video-type="audio-described"]'); const nonaudiodescribed = document.querySelectorAll('[data-video-type=""]'); if (audiodescribed.length > 0) { let player2 = new AblePlayer($('[data-video-type="audio-described"] video')); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); const adbutton = document.querySelector('#audio_description_button'); adbutton.addEventListener('click', function(e){ player1.pauseMedia(); player2.pauseMedia(); if (e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-status') === "audio-described") { Array.prototype.forEach.call(nonaudiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.removeAttribute("hidden"); }); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); e.currentTarget.setAttribute('data-status', 'non-audio-described'); e.currentTarget.querySelector('span').textContent = 'Enable Audio Description'; } else { Array.prototype.forEach.call(nonaudiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.removeAttribute("hidden"); }); e.currentTarget.setAttribute('data-status', 'audio-described'); e.currentTarget.querySelector('span').textContent = 'Disable Audio Description'; } }); } }()); </script> <p><em>This video is also available on a W3C server: <a href="https://media.w3.org/wai/people-use-web/abilities-barriers_speech.mp4">Video: Diverse Abilities and Barriers - Speech (file format: MP4, file size: 199MB)</a>.</em></p> <h3 id="transcript">Text Transcript with Description of Visuals</h3> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Audio</th> <th>Visual</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>How people with disabilities use digital technology: speech disabilities.</td> <td>How People with Disabilities Use Digital Technology: Speech Disabilities</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Speech disabilities affect how people speak, including not speaking, or speaking in a range of different patterns, pitches, and sounds.</td> <td>Collage of 4 people doing various activities on technology devices or with them nearby.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Some people do not speak at all. This can include people who are Deaf, autistic, have injured or no vocal organs, or have other conditions impacting physical or cognitive speech production.</td> <td>Deaf man signing to colleagues on a video conference call.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unfortunately, although it’s a common misperception, speaking differently is not an indication of a person’s intellectual capabilities. Many people stutter, pause, or pronounce words in a range of different patterns, pitches, and utterances due to various disabilities.</td> <td>Man speaks to phone laying on table beside him, but looks frustrated.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>While you might be able to understand me, automatic speech recognition systems often don’t.</td> <td>Man speaks to the camera.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Some people use a variety of different assistive technologies to generate speech.</td> <td>Man in wheelchair typing on large keyboard.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>I use software for generating speech, which is often not recognized by automatic speech recognition.</td> <td>The phrase is shown with each word highlighted as it is spoken by the computer.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Websites and apps that require speech input can be a barrier for people with speech disabilities, especially when they rely on automatic speech recognition.</td> <td>Man using laptop is frustrated. Website shows Customer Support that is only available by telelphone.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Instead, websites and apps, such as customer support systems, need to provide alternatives to voice calls, like chat or email.</td> <td>Man continues to use laptop at desk.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>You can help make technology accessible to me. Accessibility: It’s about people.</td> <td>Man speaks this phrase then pans to collage of 12 people with different colored backgrounds.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>For more information from the Web Accessibility Initiative on how people with disabilities use digital technology, visit w3.org/WAI/people</td> <td>Accessibility: It’s about people; w3.org/WAI/people</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </details> <nav class="pager" aria-label="Previous/Next Page" style="clear: both;"> <ul><li class="pager--item previous"> <a href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/physical/"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-left pager--item-icon"><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-left"></use></svg> <span class="pager--item-text"> <span class="pager--item-text-direction">Previous:</span> <span class="pager--item-text-target">Physical</span> </span> </a> </li><li class="pager--item next"> <a href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/visual/"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-right pager--item-icon"><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-right"></use></svg> <span class="pager--item-text"> <span class="pager--item-text-direction">Next:</span> <span class="pager--item-text-target">Visual</span> </span> </a> </li> </ul></nav><aside class="box box-icon box-space-above" id="helpimprove" aria-label="feedback"><header class="box-h box-h-icon box-h-space-above box-h-icon"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-comments "><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-comments"></use></svg> <h2> Help improve this page </h2></header><div class="box-i"><p>Please share your ideas, suggestions, or comments via e-mail to the publicly-archived list <a href="mailto:wai@w3.org?body=%5Binclude%20a%20relevant%20email%20Subject%5D%0A%0A%5Bput%20comment%20here...%5D%0A%0AI%20give%20permission%20to%20share%20this%20to%20a%20publicly-archived%20e-mail%20list.">wai@w3.org</a> or via GitHub.</p> <div class="button-group"> <a href="mailto:wai@w3.org?body=%5Binclude%20a%20relevant%20email%20Subject%5D%0A%0A%5Bput%20comment%20here...%5D%0A%0AI%20give%20permission%20to%20share%20this%20to%20a%20publicly-archived%20e-mail%20list." class="button"><span>E-mail</span></a><a href=" https://github.com/w3c/wai-website/edit/main/pages/fundamentals/people/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/speech.md " class="button"><span>Fork & Edit on GitHub</span></a><a href="https://github.com//issues/new?template=content-issue.yml&wai-resource-id=wai-people-use-web&wai-url=https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/speech/" class="button"><span>New GitHub Issue</span></a></div></div></aside> <a class="button button-backtotop" href="#top"><span><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-up "><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-up"></use></svg> Back to Top</span></a> </main> </div> <footer id="wai-site-footer" class="page-footer default-grid" aria-label="Page"> <div class="inner"><p><strong>Updated:</strong> 25 June 2024. <a href="/WAI/people-use-web/changelog/">Latest changes</a>.<br /> First published as a draft in 1999.</p><p>Note about video description: The video on this page does not include synchronized audio description because the visuals only illustrate the audio and do not provide additional information. In this case, audio description would be more distracting than useful to most people, including people who cannot see the visuals. Description of visual information is available in the Text Transcript with Description of Visuals (“descriptive transcript”).</p> <p><strong>Editor:</strong> Shadi Abou-Zahra. Previous editor: Judy Brewer. 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