Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) services provide transcription services for individuals who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing. Often used in place of or in combination with sign language interpretation, CART displays written text, transcribed directly from spoken English. Some businesses, companies, and schools know they need to provide CART as part of their reasonable accommodation services. However, others may not be aware of the benefits a professional CART translator can provide. Here are four reasons your company needs CART services.

You know you have Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing employees, students, or clients who need CART services.

Many companies, government offices, and universities may already know that they need to provide CART services. CART can help people who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing understand what others are saying, especially at large events or in a classroom. In these situations, spoken English is transcribed on site in real time and displayed on a monitor or screen. At a workplace, CART can also help during a meeting, webinar, or online meeting. In this case, a translator may be on site or remote, and text is directly displayed on an employee’s screen or monitor.

Not providing reasonable accommodations can be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures the ability for Americans who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing the ability to communicate effectively. For government services and public accommodations, the U.S. Department of Justice specifies that one of those reasonable accommodations can be, “computer-aided transcription services,” or CART services. Not providing reasonable accommodations like CART transcription can be a violation of the ADA.

Sometimes, you cannot provide a Sign Language Interpreter for everyone.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters can work in the same capacity as a CART translator. At both large and small events and meetings, interpreters translate spoken English into ASL. Although researchers have a hard time determining a firm number of ASL users in the United States, they estimate that anywhere between 500,000 and 2 million people can use ASL to communicate. However, the Centers for Disease Control determined that 15% of Americans, or nearly 5 million people, suffer some sort of hearing loss. This means that having an ASL interpreter might not meet the needs of all people. CART transcription provides an alternative for many situations.

Professional CART Transcription is a high-quality service.

Recently technology developments increase access to transcription services for many people. Apps for phones, computer plug-ins, and automated captioning on websites provide those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing text to read in place of audio. While these are a great start to increased access for people of different abilities, they are not always the highest-quality service. Professional CART transcription is done by a person who holds a specialized certificate from organizations like National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Certified CART Provider (CCP), Certified Real-time Reporter (CRR), or Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC). The professional providing the service knows the context of the spoken English and can properly transcribe it into text.

Applied Development provides CART services remotely or in-person in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. across the country. Contact us today to find out more about our CART services.

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