30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 11: How Does Using Dragon Dictation HelpMe?

Today's post is about software I have used for years , and in fact I'm using it to dictate this post. That software is called Dragon Dictation Home Edition. So how did I start using it? Well, when I was assessed by my occupational therapist and also teachers at my school when I was five years old, they realised that I could write for a very short while, but that writing is difficult, and very painful, for me. Originally, I had a typewriter but that was difficult for me to use as well, so then when I was given more homework at school, it was suggested that I always use a computer for my homework, as doing my homework would take so long because I would need to rest a lot when I was writing some of my teachers would write for me, as well as draw  maps and diagrams, and my dad would often help me out with long assignments. 

 The occupational therapist knew about this, and she suggested I use Dragon Dictation. At the time, I started off with version 10, but I bought version  11 in 2010 from Amazon.co.uk, and quickly installed it onto my computer.

Just before I went to university, I went up to London with my dad where I had an assessment for computer equipment in preparation for my studies there. The man who assessed me said that  they would provide computer equipment for me, but that they would provide a desktop computer, as we agreed that a laptop would not be good enough for me, as I would not be able to take it from place to place. The county council ended up giving me a 17 inch computer monitor with a keyboard, and also a scanner and an HP printer. This was in 2000, and I know that computers are much smaller and less bulky now, but that equipment really helped me get through my university studies .

I was given an iPad 2  by my parents for my 30th birthday two years ago, and as soon as I could after receiving it, I downloaded the Dragon Dictation app. This is what I  now use for practically all  of my computer work, as I use my iPad more than my computer. Laptops are very hard for me to use because of the small size of the keys, the glare of the screen, and the contrast on the keyboard as well as my coordination, so Dragon Dictation is a lifesaver for me. Not only is it much quicker, but using Dragon Dictation also allows me to spend my time on other things during the day. I have even dictated three novels using it! 

I would recommend Dragon Dictation to anybody, in fact, my dad even uses it for reports he has to do for work.

You can find out more about it here http://www.nuance.co.uk/dragon/index.htm. the US website is http://www.nuance.com/index.htm. 

Nuance is available  in computer stores or on the AppStore. worldwide. In another blog post, I'll show you how I use it. 

Dragon Dictation iPad app (above) 

and Dragon Dictation Home eddition PC) (below) . Therre are also versions for Mac,  business, and medical purposes