Hardware, software and services producers hesitate to invest more in the field of the applications of voice to text recognition for the deaf, since the user needs are not translated into technical specifications and are sometimes not even known. On the other hand, the associations of the disabled have a limited overview of possible technical new solutions and rarely have the opportunity to participate in the feasibility studies of new projects. What lacks is essentially a better definition, from a technical point of view, of the needs of the disabled to enhance collaborative work between technicians and non-technicians. A broader co-operation and a European dimension are of great importance, allowing a scale factor for the study and the development of technical aids and ensuring a large impact of the results. Also the care of multilingual aspects should be considered at an EU level, since most of the concerned associations are only at a national level.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the EC own research centre. It was created to share the large investments needed to carry out research on nuclear energy. Over time its tasks have developed into other areas in which a common approach on European level is necessary. JRC provides neutral and independent advice in support of the formulation and implementation of the EU policies. In addition, it offers unique training services and organises workshops in advanced sectors of science.

The activity areas of the Institute for Systems, Informatics and Safety (ISIS) and of its Unit for Software Technologies and Automation (STA) include the innovative application of information and communication technology, dependable software, animation in medical imaging, network multimedia techniques in training and education.

ISIS's role in 1996 in regard to the above-mentioned themes was oriented towards the provision of scientific and technical support to the EU services and initiatives. Moreover, a levy of 6% of the institutional budget was used to finance Exploratory Research. In 1996 the scientific staff of ISIS made a total of 65 proposals. The ISIS Scientific Committee judged the proposals on originality, appropriateness, soundness and cost, and produced a shortlist of 16 proposals, 12 of which were then funded. In particular, two projects are carried out by the STA Unit concerning the interface between Life Science and information technology to provide help for the disabled and the elderly:

A VOICE Laboratory, provided with the necessary software, hardware and network capabilities, was set up at the beginning of 1996. This allowed developing a cluster of demonstrator applications related to voice to text recognition for conferences subtitling. The system could be of use for conferences and live television transmissions subtitling. This operational capability involves the manipulation of the functions available on the commercial dictation packages and the conversion of strings of the generated text into groups of subtitles, displaying them with video signals and providing the user with various other options. The system will be of help for any user in producing at the same time a first draft of conferences' proceedings.

Contacts with producers of speech recognition systems, research centres, telecommunications firms and television broadcasters, created a coherent overview of the state of art. Regular contacts with the associations of the deaf gave the opportunity of analysing the special needs, resulting from difficulties in hearing and in speech, in many aspects of the everyday life.

With the aim of facilitating the contacts and establishing a common goal, JRC-ISIS gave some associations the opportunity of creating a VOICE Forum on the Internet, by allocating space for them on a Web server and providing technical assistance. Since then, the associations have shown great interest in participating to the Project. The VOICE Forum begins to be a known Internet site and several associations of the deaf are adding information to it or communicate their interest in testing the demonstrator and participating to the foreseen meetings and workshops. The Forum is an important part of the Project itself, since it demonstrates, to all those who are involved, the effectiveness of this means of communication for the deaf community.

• The Netd@ys VOICE Project;
• Annex 1: Applications of voice to text recognition for the deaf:
  User needs and state of the art;
• Annex 2: European dimension: the JRC-ISIS Exploratory Research VOICE Project;
• Annex 3: The VOICE Project - a Telematics Applications' Accompanying Measure;
• Annex 4: The VOICE-Schools Project;
• Annex 5: Partners and activities of the Netd@ys VOICE Project;
• Annex 6: Tasks of the Netd@ys VOICE Project;