Continuous speech recognition is a technology that has been sought after by many including people with disabilities. In the recent past, users had only one choice and that was discrete speech recognition to enter information using a computer. The discrete speech systems make you put a definite break between each word and command. This unnatural way of speaking can at times be frustrating and time consuming. The advent of continuous speech by Dragon Systems for the general population in April of 1997 has changed speech recognition and is the future of further development.
People can be more natural when they are dictating into a computer word processor.
Dragon Systems claims that a user can dictate 160 words per minute with their product. Even if it is actually a fraction of that speed, it is obvious that it could assist many individuals with disabilities who are used to very slow input of text. One doesn't have to put a definite break between words for this high speed of dictation, but there are still problems with the continuous speech technology for certain people with disabilities. Continuous speech works the best only within certain computer programs and relies on the user to enunciate very clearly. Continuous speech systems do not work well with the complete hands-free control of a computer and within the many programs available for a computer.