How Do CART Services Work?

1 in 8 people in the United States ages 12 and over have hearing loss in both ears. Given this proportion of the overall population, Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) individuals should have access to the resources necessary to flourish in social settings. Yet many Deaf/HOH individuals report feeling ostracized in public. CART services help address this gap by accommodating Deaf/HOH people to involve them in presentations and well-attended events. Organizations and individuals planning public events can turn to a certified CART service provider for just such resources.

HIS Sign offers onsite and virtual ASL Interpreting and CART services throughout the DMV region. We have evolved from a small agency run out of a home to a recognized leader in providing communication access services to schools, businesses, government agencies, and more. We also actively promote the interests of the Deaf/HOH communities across the region. To learn more about our CART services, call (877) 458-7408 or visit our website.

Below, we describe how CART services work and outline their benefits:

How Do CART Services Work?

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services, also called live captions, provide instantaneous translation of dialogue and conversation into visual print displays. Specifically, a captioner uses a stenograph machine and specialized captioning software to deliver a verbatim speech translation.

CART service providers aim to help individuals who require accommodations for hearing or speech follow spoken conversations through words on a screen. It provides increased accessibility to spoken interactions in social settings: classrooms, business meetings, live entertainment venues, courtrooms, and much more.

As a comprehensive CART service provider, HIS Sign’s on-site and virtual services. Our captioners can generate their captions by sitting in or receiving audio feeds of presentations or lectures.

Is CART the Same as Automatic Captions or TypeWell?

We often hear questions about whether CART services are the same as automatic captions or TypeWell. Although they share goals with CART, the other options have critical differences. For instance, automatic captions—also called Automatic Speech Recognition—rely on a machine to recognize and write verbal utterances. Its transcriptions are only as good as its processing power.

TypeWell service providers, on the other hand, use an advanced abbreviation system to reproduce the meaning of verbal speech rather than a verbatim transcription. This option has become popular in classrooms nationwide and works well for not only Deaf/HOH folks but also those with autism spectrum disorder, auditory processing disorders, and others. Given these options, individuals or organizations hiring accommodation services should determine whether their Deaf/HOH audience prefers CART or TypeWell.

What Are the Benefits of CART Services?

CART services can supply numerous benefits, though these shift depending on the circumstances. Perks include:

• In classrooms, Deaf/HOH students can engage better with material
• At sporting events, they can follow the game’s action more closely
• During movies and plays, they receive increased entertainment value through accessibility
• In courtrooms, they can follow quick shifts in discussion
• In medical settings, they have increased access to diagnoses and recommendations as well as more opportunity for asking questions

Certified CART Service Providers Available for Events Throughout the DMV!

A certified CART service provider, HIS Sign Interpreting also offers ASL services on-site and remotely for classrooms, business meetings, public conferences, government functions, and more. Our team seeks to advance the interests of the Deaf and HOH communities, ensuring they have access to the resources they need. We offer competitive rates and 24/7 availability to fit your schedule. Visit our website or call (877) 458-7408 to learn more about our CART captioners.