Journal of Special Education Technology JSET 2011 Volume 26, Number 4 1 Speaking Math – A Voice Input, Speech Output Calculator for Students with Visual Impairments Emily C. Bouck, Sara Flanagan, Gauri S. Joshi Purdue University Waseem Sheikh Landis & Gye Dave Schleppenbach gh, LLC Tis project explored a newly developed computer-based voice input, speech output (VISO) calculator. Tree high school students with visual impairments educated at a state school for the blind and visually impaired participated in the study. Te time they took to complete assessments and the average number of attempts per problem were recorded when they used the VISO calculator and their typical individualized method of calculation. Te results indicated that the time to complete assessments and the average number of attempts per problem decreased as the students continued to use the VISO calculator. Students reported positive perceptions of the calculator, particularly noting the independence it provided as compared to their typical means of calculation. Implications for practice, limitations of the study, and future research direc- tions are discussed. M athematics is a challenging yet critical con- tent area for students. Researchers have re- peatedly noted the struggle that students, both individually and collectively, face with diferent facets of mathematics (Hecht, Vagi, & Torgeson, 2007; Mazzocco & Devlin, 2008). Yet, success in mathematics is linked with the potential for success in college and/ or employment (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Society has placed an increased emphasis on mathemat- ics beyond its implications for students. For example, mathematics is currently one of the content areas in which all students are tested yearly from Grades 3–8, and once again in high school under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) legislation. Further, much discussion has focused on the collective success, or lack thereof, of the mathematics performance of stu- dents in the United States as compared to other countries (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS], National Center for Education Statistics, 2007). Concern also has been expressed that as a nation we are losing our leadership in this domain (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Mathematics education for students with disabilities warrants special consideration. Tere is less research on mathematics and students with disabilities than there is on literacy issues (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2005; Fuchs et al., 2007); yet, the value of a mathematics education is no less for students with disabilities than it is for students without disabilities. Students with disabilities histori- cally have performed worse than their peers without disabilities when considering multiple aspects of math- ematics (Calhoon, Emerson, Flores, & Houchins, 2007; Parmar, Cawley, & Frazita, 1996), and, under NCLB, students with disabilities may be blamed when schools do not make Adequate Yearly Progress in mathematics