David,

I'm prejudiced towards Kenwood, and currently have 3 in the shack. 
For my money they offer the most in speech output and good performance.

Folks on this list have a wide variety of rigs: some with full speech, 
some with minimal speech, and some with no speech.   Part of your choice 
will depend on  how much effort you want to put into making something 
suit your particular needs.   If you have sighted help, or want to use 
the pc to do things, it will widen your options.   Most modern rigs are 
menu intensive, and while many are set and forget types, you need to 
keep  that in mind.

For what it's worth, the term "speech processing" refers to adding some 
punch to your transmit audio so it sounds louder to the other station. 
  So if you see "speech processor in the specs for a rig, it has nothing 
to do with accessibility.   "Speech output", "voice output", etc.  are 
what refer to  the radio's ability to speak and tell you what is going on.

73,  good luck on HF, Steve KW3A"

On 12/12/2011 8:36 AM, David thurmond wrote:
> All,
>
> I expect that this topic has been discussed over and over, so my
> apologies in advance.  I am looking to buy my first HF rig, but I have
> no idea what the best way to access the equipment is, and what
> features on a particular model would be best.
>
> I have seen that speech processing is available on some higher-end
> models, but is this really the way to go?  Is it just as good to
> purchase a lower-end model that works with Ham Radio Deluxe, or will
> any software available to control the rig through the PC work with a
> screen reader?  I hate the thought that I am dependent on my PC to
> access my rig, but if that makes operating more enjoyable, then that's
> what I'll do!
>
> Lots of rigs seem to offer very basic speech capabilities, such as
> parroting back frequency selection, but I think I want something much
> more comprehensive than that.  So, what are experienced folks in the
> real world using to make their equipment accessible for a blind user,
> and how?
>
> Many thanks!
>
> David Thurmond, KK4ADV
>
>
>