A Love Letter to Dictation
The weekly round up
Typing with Parkinson’s
Hello lovelies,
Let’s talk about typing with Parkinson’s. It’s a stamp of frustration, dystonia, and the occasional accidental ALL-CAPS outburst because your finger decided to have a rave on the shift key. Typing with Parkinson’s can feel like trying to thread a needle while riding a rollercoaster—blindfolded, with someone occasionally jerking your arm for no goddamn reason. But fear not, because where there’s a will (and a smartphone), there’s a way.
First, arg to tremors and unexpected jerky movements. They’re like that uninvited guest who shows up to every party, spills red wine on your white couch, and then laughs about it. You can’t stop them, but you can work around them.
How I hear you ask?
Dictation software - the unsung hero of the Parkinson’s community. Why type when you can talk? Sure, your first attempts might sound like a cryptic message from a spy movie (“Dear… no, DELETE… dear… STOP… dear diary, today I… WAIT, DELETE ALL”), but with a little practice, you’ll be dictating like a pro.
Bonus points for strengthening our voices at the same time!
Here are a few tips to make dictation your new best friend:
Speak Slowly and Clearly: Pretend you’re narrating an audiobook for someone who’s half-asleep. Enunciate like you’re in a Shakespearean play.
Edit Later: Don’t stress about perfection on the first go. Dictation is like a rough draft—you can clean it up after.
Use Voice Commands: Most dictation apps let you add punctuation by saying “comma,” ‘“full-stop” to us Brits, “period,” or “exclamation mark” (which is great for when you’re feeling passive-aggressive).
There are some fantastic apps and tools out there designed to make life easier for those of us whose hands have a mind of their own. Here are a few gems:
Dragon Anywhere: This app is the Beyoncé of dictation software. It’s accurate, versatile, and works on your phone or tablet. (paid)
Otter.ai: Perfect for transcribing conversations or interviews. It’s like having a personal secretary who never judges your typos. (free & paid)
Grammarly: Not just for grammar nerds! It’s great for cleaning up those inevitable dictation bloopers. (free & paid)
Big Keys Keyboard: If you’re still a fan of typing, these oversized keyboards are a game-changer. They’re like the panda bears of tech—big, friendly, and hard to miss. (google search for other countries)
And don’t forget, Apple’s native Voice Memo app now has a transcribe feature. It’s not perfect, but it’s free and built into your phone, so why the hell not?
For those days when even dictation feels like too much effort, remember: it’s okay to take a break. Parkinson’s is a marathon, not a sprint (unless you’re chasing after a runaway shopping cart, in which case, good luck).
Remember, Parkinson’s might make typing a challenge, but it can’t take away your voice—literally or figuratively. So whether you’re dictating, typing, or just yelling at your smart speaker, keep sharing your story. The world needs your stories and wisdom.
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Your Turn
Got a blog, newsletter, video, or creative project about living with Parkinson’s? Share it! This community thrives on connection and collaboration, and your voice matters.
With love and a few too many exclamation marks,
Emma x
P.S. If you’ve got a favorite app, blog, or tip for typing with Parkinson’s, hit reply and share it. Let’s keep this community strong and connected.
Great post! I wrote about this on my sub stack as well: https://jeffgreenwald.substack.com/p/hunt-and-peck
Very useful information, I appreciate what you're doing.
Yes, when you're dealing with hands that want to do their own thing, typing is SO overrated. Here in the US, thanks to laws that make employers provide "reasonable accommodation", my employer ended up installing the desktop version of Dragon on my work PC. It ain't perfect, but as you noted, correcting words and capitalization is far easier than typing with manic hands.