Wanting to hear back every keystroke made

[djclntn10]

Hi. Since birth, I've been physically disabled/quadriplegic; having Cerebral Palsy. Going on now for nearly 45-years I type with a head stick/pointer. I’m pretty fast, but not always accurate & often am required to look up at the screen & make typing corrections. BTW, I’m typing on my computer on average for 8-hours a day. Take an ordinarily person maybe like yourself, as your typing your looking at the screen & seeing what keys you’re typing. Whereas with me, having to use my head stick/pointer I’m looking at the keyboard keys & not the screen. So, often times I’ll be pecking away writing a sentence & when I look up at the screen I’ll see that I missed a few keystrokes (or made too many keystrokes) & I constantly need to go back & make corrections. Thankfully Microsoft Word/Outlook show where/where a word is misspelled or I would be in big trouble. I don’t have very good skills in proof-reading. Microsoft Windows comes with some neat/useful adaptions for the disabled under ‘Ease Of Access.’ For one, if it wasn’t for Sticky Keys I really don’t know how I could be able to use a computer!

Although this might not make sense to many, given my situation, I wish Microsoft made an app that repeated back each keystroke you made. Meaning, that when I typed the letter, “T” immediately after my computer would say back the letter, “T” or for that matter any/every keystroke I hit. Granted, to the average person this would be quite annoying, but I always wished Microsoft developed this feature under, ‘Ease Of Access.” Or, for that matter developed an app for what I’m describing. I hesitate to mention this because I could never get the program to work right for me. When I first started computer school I got involved with a program called, ‘Window-Eyes.’ Window-Eyes was supposed to repeat back every keystroke you made, but I was very disappointed that I could never get it up & working for me. This was back in the late 90’s

If anyone can somewhat understand what I’m talking about I would greatly appreciate any feedback you can provide.

Thanks in advance!

 

[dustywoodworker]

I think I understand and I can certainly see how/why such a feature would be useful for you. I am somewhat in the same boat. I do not watch the screen as I type. I "hunt and peck". I have done this since I was in boot camp some 6o+ years ago. They made me Squadron Secretary.

Hopefully, Microsoft is aware of your need. It does not seem like it would be a difficult feature to implement.

Incidently, the text that you presented here is awsome.

 

[Trouble]

I wish Microsoft made an app that repeated back each keystroke you made. Meaning, that when I typed the letter, “T” immediately after my computer would say back the letter, “T” or for that matter any/every keystroke I hit.

I believe (in fact I just tried it) Windows Narrator (a sub component of the Ease of Access features) does pretty much exactly that.

 

[djclntn10]

I think I understand and I can certainly see how/why such a feature would be useful for you. I am somewhat in the same boat. I do not watch the screen as I type. I "hunt and peck". I have done this since I was in boot camp some 6o+ years ago. They made me Squadron Secretary.

Hopefully, Microsoft is aware of your need. It does not seem like it would be a difficult feature to implement.

Incidently, the text that you presented here is awsome.

Hi, I wanted to thank you & expressed my appreciations your understand. If you wish, I could keep you apprized on whatever I shall learn.

 

[dustywoodworker]

Hi, I wanted to thank you & expressed my appreciations your understand. If you wish, I could keep you apprized on whatever I shall learn.

Please do that.

 

[djclntn10]

I believe (in fact I just tried it) Windows Narrator (a sub component of the Ease of Access features) does pretty much exactly that.

I believe (in fact I just tried it) Windows Narrator (a sub component of the Ease of Access features) does pretty much exactly that.

Hi, I wanted to first thank you for replying to my post. Second, I had hopes that you were my hero & had a simple solution for me. No, I'm sorry I mean no disrespect nor here placing any blame. If I may tell you the steps I took in trying the Narrator.

1. In the Ease of Access I went into the Narrator section & Tuned on, 'Narrator."
2. Scrolled down to 'Change how much content you hear' & I uncheck all of the selections except, 'Hear
characters as you type.' At first it was working (repeating every characters I type), but it was still reading
things on the screen which I don't want to hear. I then went back into the Narrator settings & tried making a
few changes, but that only that only through everything out off whack & I ended up turning Narrator off. I'm sorry for repeating myself, but I only am interested in Hearing characters as I type; nothing else! I
would hope to be proofing wrong, but I believe the precise/unique feature isn't available though, Narrator. Of course, that would be too simple.

In any event, I you care to I would like to hear what experiences you had with Narrator & what steps you took. Were you just able to have the Narrator repeat/hear the characters as you type?

 

[Trouble]

Were you just able to have the Narrator repeat/hear the characters as you type?

Yep..... if I typed a "t" into notepad narrator would say tee, if I typed a "T" into notepad narrator would say capital tee.
BUT
As you said I was unable to filter out all the other stuff that you apparently don't need or want.
AND
I can't seem to find any stripped down version that only does text, so you may be left with a compromise as happens sometimes in life we learn to take the good with the bad the thorns with the roses.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi djclntn10,

also make sure that all the language packs you need are installed, there may/might be something missing?:

Settings > Time & Language > Language.

 

[djclntn10]

Hi djclntn10,

also make sure that all the language packs you need are installed, there may/might be something missing?:

Settings > Time & Language > Language.

View attachment 9483

Hi, I wanted to thank you for replying as well as comment on your suggestion. Here’s the situation, I’m able to successfully use Narrator & can hear back the letter I typed, which was what I was looking for. However, the problem is, I cannot switch off or filtered out all of the other features (or operations) which happens when the Narrator is open. E.g. If I’m typing in Word with the Narrator open, say I wanted to switch to another Window, e.g. Google, the Narrator will read everything on that Google website. I’ve talked to others & it seems that unfortunately Microsoft/Windows won’t let you have the option to ONLY hear the letter/characters repeated back to you. I work a lot in Access & Excel, but it would be very complicated to use Narrator in those apps I believe. For now, I utilize the Narrator for writing things in Word, Outlook, & on the Net. I’m still going to pursue this with Microsoft & see if I can find out why I can’t just use the Narrator just to hear the characters/letters. Please, I’m no fool, I’m really not expecting to get much back from Microsoft, but let’s say I’m on a little mission.

I hoped not to have bored you, but with the information, I just provided do you think your suggestion above still applies to me? I don’t want to make any unnecessarily changes to my PC.

Hope to hear back from you, Dave

 

[Trouble]

As I have already mentioned and as your research thus far has proven, I know of no way to filter out the other output from narrator and I can't seem to find any other third party product that produces your desired results.
I'd be interested in hearing how your quest turns out and no...… I'm not bored. These types of things interest me.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Dave,

just a thought, what about the "On-screen keyboard"?, would that help you in any way at all if you combine it with the narrator?.

And like @Trouble am not bored, I would say that all the people on this forum are here to help in any way we can so post away, it only matters that we help solve your problem if we can.