CART Captioning Services

CART stands for Communication Access Realtime Translation, the name of a process that is used to convert spoken word into readable text.  Total Access Captioning provides high-quality, cost-effective realtime translation services on-site and remote and for any size even, from a single person to large events.  CART allows all people to have immediate, full access to educational classes, to actively participate in meetings, or just to have a transcript of what was said – in other words, equal access.

Captions for Live Events.  Yes, we can provide CART Captions for large size venues and large audiences!  Give us a call to discuss the best setup and viewing options for your location.

• Classrooms (K-12, post-secondary and eLearning)

• Live events of any kind

• Corporate and government functions

• Civic events, such as town council meetings

• Conventions and conferences

• Business meetings and webinars

• Religious services

• Courtrooms

• Senior citizen meetings

• Doctor appointments

• Weddings, funerals, and other personal events

• Museums and theatrical events

• Entertainment and sporting events

• Anywhere communication access is needed

CART captioning allows for equal communication to all and allows schools to be in compliance with ADA mandates.  Although realtime speech to text is often utilized by people with some amount of hearing loss, many people without a hearing loss can benefit from captioning as well!!!  Hearing people often comment that captions help to fill in the blanks if they miss something a presenter said.  How handy to have a transcript of your business meeting or classroom lecture upon completion.  It is also useful for people whose first language is not English.  About 20 percent of Americans, 48 million, report some degree of hearing loss. At age 65, one out of three people has a hearing loss.  If you have an audience of any size, you are likely to have someone with a hearing loss.  We can help you reach your entire audience.  Let our experienced captioners make your presentations accessible for all participants, wherever they may be!

The words “CART” and “captioning” are sometimes used interchangeably or together.  CART captioning is a text-only display of the spoken word in real-time, but there not a video component; whereas broadcast captioning and offline captioning is the text displayed in conjunction with a video image.

CART captions may be displayed on a single computer, on multiple computers, on a smartphone or other mobile device, or projected to a screen or monitor for viewing by audiences, or it might be a window on a web meeting.  The text can generally be viewed several lines at a time or on an entire page.  Whether it’s in the same room or opposite sides of the world, if you have internet service, we can provide captioning!

CART allows students to participate and be successful alongside their peers in the educational environment and gives them confidence to join in conversations and participate fully in class. CART provides the most comprehensive, complete translation of the spoken word and can be provided to multiple students at the same time.  Aside from being inconspicuous, a remote captioner can be a cost savings to universities and schools, as there is no travel time required in order for someone to travel two and from classrooms.  Captioning isn’t just for the deaf or hard of hearing.  International students can benefit greatly by reading English in addition to hearing the spoken word.  It allows them to assimilate faster and become more fluent in reading, speaking and understanding the English language.

Benefits of CART over other educational services

CART is the most trusted form of communication access because of its accuracy and reliability. A note-taker creates a summary of what transpires in a classroom. C-Print and Typewell are meaning-for-meaning interpretations reflecting a synopsis of what is said.  Captions are a much more accurate reflection of what was spoken, allowing students to think independently and formulate their own conclusions rather than those of someone else. Students who utilize CART services know they will have the transcripts on hand for later review, which allows them to focus on listening to the instructor and actively participate during class time, where every word can be essential to understanding!  Not all deaf or hard-of-hearing students use American Sign Language.  Some students who are accustomed to ASL may actually prefer CART.  A single CART provider may also be a cost savings compared to multiple sign language providers.

Some events are better suited for an on-site captioner; for some events, a remote captioner may be the best option or the only option.  A remote captioner can transition quickly from one event to the next because there is no need to move equipment, and they can accommodate last-minute changes more easily than on-site.  Remote services do not draw as much attention to the consumer requesting the services.  Sometimes a speaker may be in one location, while participants are located in different locations.  We can discuss your needs and help you decide on the best options for your event.

If you are considering using remote captioning, please talk to us about your equipment needs.  You may already have the necessary equipment, or we can talk about purchasing equipment for long-term use. Temporary equipment is available for a demo, but your final setup may differ.

Internet.  A solid internet connection will be required.  A direct Ethernet cable is the most dependable, but a wireless connection with a strong signal can also be used.

Microphone.  The accuracy of captioning will be dependent upon the quality of the audio.  The presenter needs a good microphone.  A clip-on lavalier microphone is best, allowing for hands-free and no tethering with a cable.  Discussion groups may use a conference speakerphone or microphone. There may be AV equipment already set up in the presentation room.  For web meetings, a computer’s built-in microphone may be sufficient or a phone line.  Hearing all speakers in every corner of a large room can often prove to be tricky.  Let us help you to come up with the best possible solution.

Software for transmitting audio.  The audio can be sent to the captioner via a web conference platform, like Skype, Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, or an educational platform like Blackboard, Echo360, Elluminate, etc., or even by phone.  The sound conference will be set up on a student or client laptop.

Software for viewing the realtime text.  The captioner provides an IP link and password to view the streaming text on a computer or mobile device, or it may possibly also be viewed in the audio or meeting conference platform.

For on-site CART, there are several viewing options based on the parameters of your meeting.  If there are projectors and screens or large monitors on site, those may be the best option, or we can often provide a portable setup or computer(s).

Let us work with you to determine the best way to fulfill your viewing needs.