Re: Comments on min/max for speech synthesizer voice characteristics

I agree with Jon I think - the range of useful values is very very slow to
very very fast. I think for accessibility it is a clear P1 that it can go
slow enough, whatever that is, and I think it is probably an important P2
that it can go fast enough. I find, using the speech built into Macintosh,
that it is slower than I would like for real efficiency, but it does allow me
access to the content (and I am not accustomed to using it yet - I am aware
that for an expert user it would be like having a 300 baud telephone line -
posssible, but very unpleasant).

Charles McCN

On Wed, 5 Jul 2000, Jon Gunderson wrote:

  Responses in JRG:
  
  >Based on Jon's comments, I propose the following:
  >
  >  1) We do not put minimal requirements for speech parameters
  >     in the Guidelines, but instead state how the range of values for
  >     the parameters in question is determined. In Jon's email [2],
  >     for example, he lists the parameters available through the SAPI
  >     interface [3]. (Is there HTML documentation for SAPI on the Web,
  >     or do I have to download software or a big document to read
  >     about the interface?)
  >
  >     I do not have a proposal for how to express this communication,
  >     and welcome input from those versed in speech synthesizer
  >     technology.ww
  
  The documentation for SAPI is available in HTML, but it is a part of the 
  Software Development Kit (SDK)[1] as a local resource.  There does not 
  appear to be a similar resource for SAPI on the Web.
  
  The requirement should be to allow the user to user to set parameters 
  anywhere with in the range of the synthesizer and that the user agent 
  should provide information on the ranges available.
  
  Jon
  
  [1] http://www.microsoft.com/IIT/projects/SAPIsdk.htm
  Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
  Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
  Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
  MC-574
  College of Applied Life Studies
  University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
  1207 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL  61820
  
  Voice: (217) 244-5870
  Fax: (217) 333-0248
  
  E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
  
  WWW: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
  WWW: http://www.w3.org/wai/ua
  
  

--
Charles McCathieNevile    mailto:charles@w3.org    phone: +61 (0) 409 134 136
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative                      http://www.w3.org/WAI
Location: I-cubed, 110 Victoria Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Postal: GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne 3001,  Australia

Received on Wednesday, 5 July 2000 11:47:17 UTC