Fact · Accessibility and health
7.5words per minute
In a longitudinal study with 12 blind participants, the dissertation reports an average entry speed of 7.5 words per minute on a QWERTY keyboard with VoiceOver.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“We evaluate the improved interface in a longitudinal study with 12 blind participants. On average, participants entered text at 8.2 words per minute using FlexType, 7.5 words per minute using a Qwerty keyboard with VoiceOver”
An Ambiguous Technique for Nonvisual Text Entry, Dylan C. Gaines, Michigan Technological University, Open Access Dissertation, 2023, Abstract.
Open the original- What it measures
- The 7.5 figure is the keyboard condition in a study whose main subject is a new technique called FlexType, which the dissertation reports at 8.2 words per minute. Dictation was not one of the methods compared.
- What it does not show
- A comparison of typing methods, not dictation. The sample is 12 people, and the speed is for entering text, not for finished, corrected text.