What is CART? 

Quite literally, CART is an acronym for Communication Access Realtime Translation.  In practice, CART is a service provided to hard of hearing and Deaf clients wherein all spoken words are transcribed utlizing a stenotype machine and computer software which turns the shorthand into realtime captions that the client reads.

How is CART provided?

A CART provider hears the spoken word and types using his/her steno machine in a phonetic manner employing a special dictionary of strokes/briefs for the English equivalent.  The steno machine is connected to a laptop where computer software translates what was typed into English.  The English is displayed onscreen for the hard of hearing or Deaf participant to read.  This can be read directly from the laptop screen (common with 1 participant) or it can be projected onto a large screen for an entire audience to view. 

CART captions are also able to be provided through remote platforms such as Zoom with just a few easy steps.  There are external portals where captions can be streamed if your platform does not offer integrations.  Talk to us about your specific needs!

Is there a delay?

The short answer is no.

The long answer is maybe.

Since the average rate of English speech is around 180 words per minute and the requirement to graduate from most Court Reporting Programs (where CART Providers are trained) is 225 words per minute the provider can, in most cases, keep up with what is being said.  This varies based on the speaker (is he/she a native English speaker? or does he/she have an accent? is he/she reading from a slide/notes or speaking distinctly to the audience?), the topic (are we talking about everyday topics or neuroscience where a specialized vocabulary and thus steno dictonary & briefs are required?), the provider (has he/she worked with the speaker before? is he/she familiar with the topic?) -- all of these are reasons to work with CART Solutions -- we know the questions to ask and manage the intricacies of making sure the most qualified provider is assigned to your job.