Well, how much do you wish to spend, is the first point, and if about 
$1600, then the Kenwood 590S, is the most accessible rig there is 
going today, bar none.
I own one and am proud to say that in all of my 48 years of hamming 
from starting with practically no access to about complete access, 
being totally blind, myself, this rig has about everything you could want.

Curtis Delzer
W B 6 H E F
Fessenden, North Dakota; 58438-7300
At 07:36 AM 12/12/2011, you 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