5.1 What the Menu Is

The menu is where all Speaking Access commands are found.

It acts as a fully voice-controlled directory that lets users explore, learn, and use every feature of the program without touching the keyboard or mouse.

When a user says “Access Menu”, Speaking Access immediately comes to the front of the screen and opens the Main Menu. It announces the name of the list, tells the user how many items are in the list, and then begins reading the available commands.

5.2 Interrupting Speaking Access

Users can interrupt Speaking Access at any time.

They do not have to wait for menus or descriptions to finish speaking. As soon as the user hears what they want, they can simply say their next command.

This keeps Speaking Access fast, responsive, and frustration-free.

5.3 Using Menu Commands

5.3.1 Choosing Commands

Menu items are shown with numbers for visual clarity, but users do not speak the numbers to activate commands.

To select a command, users simply say the name of the command itself.

For example: “Access The Lesson Plan”

5.3.2 Focus and Command Execution

Commands selected from the menu are executed immediately after they are spoken.

When a user hears the command they want and says its name, the menu closes automatically, Speaking Access returns to the program the user was working in, and the command is performed.

Because of this, the correct program must already be in focus before opening the menu.

For example, if a user wants to use “Browser Address Bar”, the web browser must already be the active window before saying “Access Menu”. If the menu was opened while WordPad was in focus, the browser command would be sent to WordPad instead of the browser.

This focus-first design keeps commands predictable and safe.

5.4 The Menu Screen Layout

The menu screen is divided into three main areas:

• The Description Box at the top displays and speaks explanations
• The Loaded List Label shows the current menu list
• The Menu Box displays available commands and lists

Each time the user moves into a new list, the Loaded List Label updates automatically.

5.5 Using Descriptions

Menu numbers are used only when asking for descriptions.

To hear or view a description, say:

“Description One”
“Description Two”

Descriptions appear in the Description Box and are spoken aloud.

5.6 Menu Navigation

Many menu items lead to additional lists.

Each time a user enters a new list:

• The menu refreshes
• The Loaded List Label changes
• Speaking Access announces the new list name and item count

This keeps navigation structured and predictable.

5.7 The Search Menu

The Search Menu allows users to find commands from anywhere in the program—even when Speaking Access is not currently in focus.

To open the Search Menu, say: “Search Menu”

The program instantly changes shape into the Search Menu layout. At the top of the window, the black Description Box asks what the user wants to search for. The rest of the screen uses the same layout and visual style as the main menu.

Speaking Access then waits for the user to speak the word or phrase they want to search for.

Search Results

If fewer than 14 matching items are found, Speaking Access announces how many results were found and then reads the results out loud. The results are displayed as a numbered list and each result includes the command name and the menu list it belongs to.

If more than 14 items are found, the search is cancelled and the user is asked to refine their search.

Using Search Results

Search results follow the same rules as the main menu:

• Say the command name to execute it
• Say “Description One”, “Description Two”, and so on, to hear what an item does
• Selecting a command closes the menu and executes it immediately