Teaching · Special Education

Run the computer by voice,
and pause it for group work

Choose the platform to see where its voice control lives and how to wake and pause it. Record the microphone, the room, how the person clicks things and how many of ten everyday commands worked, mark each step, then note how real tasks went.

Start a setupWhat you get

Setups

The worked example is made up: a school laptop with a headset where 8 of 10 commands worked and group time is still a problem, and a home iMac with a desk microphone at 6 of 10. Use initials or a code, not names.

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What you get

Teaching · Special EducationFree

What you finish with
A setup record per person and device: microphone, room, how they click things, dictation and how many of ten everyday commands worked; eight steps marked done, to try or not needed, from the tutorial to a backup way in; real tasks tried; and what to try next. The flags show where voice control lives on that platform, how to wake and pause it, and advice when the command count is low or the room is noisy. A large-print setup card prints for the device.
Who it is for
Assistive technology specialists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, families and students who find a keyboard, mouse or touch screen hard to use.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per person and device. Prints a large-print setup card, the full record, every setup in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Special Education space in Caveat Teaching.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Choose the platform and set up the microphone.
  2. Work through the built-in tutorial.
  3. Count how many of ten everyday commands work.
  4. Add names and subject words.
  5. Print the setup card.

Start a setup

Where voice control lives

Hands-free voice control on four platformsWindows 11Settings > Accessibility > Speech >Voice accessSay "Voice access wake up" to startlistening and "Voice access sleep" topauseMacSystem Settings > Accessibility >Voice ControlSay "Go to sleep" to pause and "Wakeup" to resumeiPhone or iPadSettings > Accessibility > VoiceControlSay "Go to sleep" and "Wake up"; VoiceControl can also be added to theAccessibility ShortcutAndroidSettings > Accessibility > VoiceAccessSay "Hey Google, Voice Access", or tapthe Voice Access notification orshortcut, to start listeningHands-free voice control on four platformsWindows 11Settings > Accessibility > Speech > VoiceaccessSay "Voice access wake up" to startlistening and "Voice access sleep" topauseMacSystem Settings > Accessibility > VoiceControlSay "Go to sleep" to pause and "Wake up"to resumeiPhone or iPadSettings > Accessibility > Voice ControlSay "Go to sleep" and "Wake up"; VoiceControl can also be added to theAccessibility ShortcutAndroidSettings > Accessibility > Voice AccessSay "Hey Google, Voice Access", or tap theVoice Access notification or shortcut, tostart listening
Every platform labels what can be clicked with numbers or a grid, so a person never has to know a button’s name.

The ten-command check

Say ten everyday commands and count how many work the first time: open an app, scroll down, click a link, go back, show numbers, say a number, select a word, delete it, start a new line, and pause. Below seven, look at the microphone and the room before anything else.

Voice control is tiring too

Talking all day strains the voice, and some days a cold or a noisy room makes speech unreliable. Keep a second way in, such as a keyboard, a switch or touch, and plan quiet times for voice-heavy work. Writing tasks may need dictation plus correction practice before they are faster than before.

Sources

  1. Microsoft Support. Get started with voice access (support.microsoft.com).
  2. Apple Support. Use Voice Control on your Mac (support.apple.com/guide/mac-help).
  3. Apple Support. Use Voice Control on iPhone (support.apple.com/guide/iphone).
  4. Android Accessibility Help. Get started with Voice Access (support.google.com/accessibility/android).

The worked example is made up. Menu paths, commands and language support are from current versions of each platform in general terms and can change after an update. The ten-command count is an informal check, not an assessment. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat, and this page never listens to audio. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.