Captioning and real time services

 

SLP works with captioners who in addition to having years of experience as court reporters, captioners, and medical transcriptionist, are also members of the National Court Reporters Association. Captioners operate at speeds of up to 200 words per minute with accuracy rates in the 98th percentile. In situations where every word counts, it is often desirable to utilize a captioner rather than ASL with a consumer whose preferences may lean towards English as opposed to ASL.

 

Many Deaf consumers utilize C.A.R.T. services when the information is highly technical or legal. Another purpose for captioning services is when your Deaf consumer is not as fluent in ASL as they are in English. Many late-deafened individuals are more comfortable communicating and receiving information utilizing captioning at conferences and in meetings where the Deaf or Hard of Hearing Consumer is not as fluent in American Sign Language as they are in English. While Deaf individuals are often proficient in multiple forms of communication, it is important that as a provider you ask them to specify a preferred method of communication rather than choose for them.