Nuance Introduces Speak & See Accessibility Suite With Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Powerful Accessibility Tools Combine with Dragon to Allow Students to Reach their Full Potential; Reading, Writing, Language Learning and General Interaction with the PC Now Easier Than Ever

Burlington, MA – April 21, 2010 – Nuance Communications, Inc. today introduced Nuance Speak & See, a suite of powerful tools designed to provide unparalleled support for reading, writing and accessibility on the PC.  The Nuance Speak & See suite combines speech recognition, a screen reader and magnifier, a reading and writing toolbar, and a language learning assistant to make it easier than ever for students with physical disabilities and learning challenges to work with a PC.

VIDEO: Speak & See in action.

Nuance’s Speak & See suite allows students with learning challenges to see the relationship between the spoken and written word through a combination of speech recognition and text-to-speech. Students who have other physical challenges or who generally struggle with using a keyboard and mouse can take advantage of Speak & See to more clearly view their screen and navigate their PC quickly and easily. Speak & See is also a useful solution for students who are learning English as a second language. Through its text-to-speech capability and bilingual dictionaries, Speak & See allows people to hear spoken words, helping to distinguish between different pronunciations and meanings, depending on context, making it even easier to learn English.

A suite of powerful accessibility tools in one software package, Nuance Speak & See makes it easier to use a PC, with greater independence:

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking – Create notes, e-mail or documents, launch applications, manage files and work on the Web – all by voice. Dragon NaturallySpeaking eliminates the manual task of typing so that people can quickly and easily capture thoughts and work with the PC with greater independence.
• Reading and Writing Support Toolbar – Nearly any on-screen text can be spoken aloud by the computer in a natural-sounding voice. The toolbar also combines a homophone dictionary, thesaurus, reference dictionary and spellchecker. It’s like having a built-in proof-reader to ensure the quality and accuracy of your documents.
• Screen Magnifier – Magnify all or part of the computer screen up to six times for easier viewing; smooth fonts to make them clearer at higher magnification.
• Reading Ruler – The horizontal highlighting and magnifying band of the Reading Ruler makes it easier to see and concentrate on text or objects on the computer screen. Viewing is further enhanced as the screen above and below the strip is dimmed out.
• Color Overlay – Change the color and tint of the computer screen to deliver a better view of the screen, with the potential to make browsing and reading easier.
• Language Learning Assistant – Ideal for English language learners, or those studying a foreign language, this tool speaks text aloud to demonstrate proper pronunciation and includes bilingual dictionaries in many languages.

“We’ve known for some time that technology solutions such as Dragon level the playing field for students with physical and learning challenges by making the PC more accessible,” said Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager for Dragon, Nuance Communications. “Dragon has proven to be invaluable on its own to so many people, and we hope that by folding in additional accessibility tools in our new suite, we can open the door for even more people to experience the freedom that Dragon can offer.”

Availability and Pricing
Nuance’s Speak & See suite is available immediately in the US and Canada through Nuance’s Web site as well as its global network of reseller partners, software retailers and professional sales organizations. Speak & See is priced at $249.99, and educational discounts are available for students and schools. For additional information on features and pricing, or to purchase Speak & See, please visit http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/bundles/speak-and-see.asp

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Nuance Communications, Inc.

Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

Trademark reference: Nuance, Dragon, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and the Nuance logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other company names or product names referenced herein may be the property of their respective owners.