Remote Transcription Services

Not every Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing person uses sign language. Late-Deafened adults, cochlear implant users, people with progressive hearing loss — many of them read English faster than they sign, and professional real-time transcription is the right accommodation for them. Which means the first question isn't whether to hire a captioner. It's which kind.

SLIS staffs three: CART for the verbatim record, TypeWell for post-secondary education, C-Print for institutions that have standardized on it. Few agencies staff all three. We do, which means we recommend the modality that fits the setting rather than the one we happen to have on the bench.

What Real-Time Transcription Is

Real-time transcription converts spoken language into written text as it happens — displayed on a screen, laptop, tablet, or projection for an audience. Three professional methods cover the field. CART produces a verbatim, word-for-word transcript using stenographic equipment at speeds exceeding 200 words per minute. TypeWell and C-Print produce meaning-for-meaning transcripts using abbreviation-expansion software, capturing the substance and intent of spoken language in a condensed, readable format. Each method has settings where it's the right answer and settings where it isn't.

CART — The Verbatim Record

CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is the method to reach for when verbatim matters. A trained stenographer uses a stenotype machine and specialized software to transcribe every spoken word — including false starts, filler language, and speaker identification — at 200 to 260 words per minute with accuracy of 98 percent or higher. Text appears in real time on the consumer's screen, a projected display, or a dedicated caption URL that attendees access from their own devices.

We provide remote CART across the settings that require a verbatim record. In legal environments, CART delivers the transcript needed for depositions, administrative hearings, arbitration, and courtroom proceedings. At conferences and corporate events, it lets attendees follow keynotes, panels, and breakouts in real time. In higher education, students with documented accommodations receive CART during lectures, seminars, and lab sections. Government agencies rely on CART for public hearings, city council meetings, and legislative sessions to satisfy ADA Title II and Section 504.

Remote CART works inside the platforms our clients already use. Stenographers join through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, or Google Meet and stream the caption text through a dedicated URL or the platform's integrated caption feed. After the session, SLIS can, for an additional fee, provide a cleaned transcript for compliance, study, or records — a meaningful advantage over sign language interpreting, which produces no written record by default.

TypeWell — Meaning for Meaning in Higher Ed

TypeWell is a meaning-for-meaning transcription method that uses proprietary abbreviation-expansion software to produce clean, readable text at conversational speed. Unlike CART's verbatim output, TypeWell captures the substance, structure, and intent of spoken communication — condensing filler, false starts, and redundancies while preserving the essential content, technical terms, and logical flow. Many students find the result easier to follow than a verbatim word-for-word stream.

Federal law explicitly recognizes TypeWell as a qualifying service. IDEA 2004 § 300.34(c)(4) names "real-time transcription services such as… TypeWell" among the interpreting services schools and post-secondary institutions may provide to meet their obligations. Few accommodation technologies enjoy that level of direct statutory recognition.

TypeWell's natural habitat is post-secondary education, and post-secondary is where our transcription expertise runs deepest. College lectures move fast, shift between technical vocabulary and casual discussion, and involve multiple speakers in seminar formats. A TypeWell transcriber trained in the subject area produces a focused, coherent text stream — the professor's points, the student questions, the class discussion — without the noise of verbatim filler. Our TypeWell providers cover STEM, humanities, social sciences, business, and professional programs.

Remote TypeWell delivery works the same way CART does. The transcriber joins the class or meeting via video conferencing, listens to the audio, and streams the TypeWell text to the student's laptop or tablet through a dedicated link. Students receive the post-session transcript as a study resource — particularly valuable for content-dense lectures that demand review.

C-Print — The Other Meaning-for-Meaning Standard

C-Print is a meaning-for-meaning transcription system developed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology. Like TypeWell, C-Print produces condensed, readable text that captures the meaning of spoken communication rather than a verbatim record. C-Print operators use a standard QWERTY keyboard with specialized abbreviation software to reach the speed real-time classroom and meeting transcription requires.

C-Print is also explicitly named in IDEA 2004 § 300.34(c)(4) as a qualifying interpreting service alongside TypeWell. Institutions providing C-Print as an accommodation are meeting a recognized legal obligation — not offering an informal workaround.

The distinction between C-Print and TypeWell is the software platform and training pathway, not the underlying philosophy. Both produce meaning-for-meaning output; both serve predominantly educational settings; both deliver real-time text to the student's device with a post-session transcript available, for an additional fee. Some institutions standardize on C-Print because of historical NTID relationships or internal training infrastructure; others standardize on TypeWell. We provide both, and we match whichever standard the disability services office has established.

Choosing Which

Quick rules of thumb:

Choose CART when the setting requires a verbatim record — legal proceedings, board meetings, shareholder calls, government hearings, large conferences, or any ADA / Section 504 context where word-for-word transcription is expected. Choose CART also when the consumer has asked for verbatim. Under ADA Title II and III, the individual's preference for a particular auxiliary aid deserves primary consideration.

Choose TypeWell for post-secondary lectures and seminars, particularly when the disability services office has determined that meaning-for-meaning supports learning more effectively than verbatim text.

Choose C-Print when the institution has standardized on it or the student's accommodation plan specifies C-Print. Otherwise default to TypeWell in educational settings.

Not sure which? We consult with disability services coordinators, event planners, legal teams, and HR departments to match the right modality to each need. Contact us for a recommendation — the consultation is free, and we'd rather tell you to book less than sell you something that won't serve you well.

Human Transcription vs. AI Auto-Captions

The rise of AI-generated captions in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and tools like Otter.ai has created a misconception with real legal consequences: that automated captions are "good enough" to satisfy an ADA accommodation. They are not.

AI auto-captioning typically achieves 70 to 85 percent accuracy under ideal conditions — a single speaker, clear audio, standard accent, common vocabulary. In real-world conditions with technical terminology, overlapping speakers, accented English, proper nouns, discipline-specific jargon, or imperfect audio, accuracy drops further. A 15 to 30 percent error rate in a medical appointment, legal proceeding, or college lecture isn't a minor inconvenience. It's a fundamental failure of communication access.

Human CART, TypeWell, and C-Print transcription achieves 98 percent accuracy or higher because a trained professional is processing the content, applying context, and correcting errors as they go. A human transcriber knows the professor said "mitochondria," not "my to country a." A human identifies speakers, handles crosstalk, and flags inaudible segments rather than producing gibberish in confident-looking text.

Organizations that substitute AI auto-captions for qualified human transcription face real legal exposure. DOJ and federal courts have consistently held that effective communication under the ADA requires accommodations that actually work — not the cheapest technology available. Offering a Deaf employee AI captions with a 20 percent error rate for a performance review isn't a reasonable accommodation. It's an invitation to a complaint.

Remote Delivery and Platform Compatibility

All three modalities are available via remote delivery nationwide. Our transcribers join sessions through the video conferencing platform the client already uses — Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco WebEx, Google Meet, or custom institutional platforms. No proprietary software installation required on the client side.

For remote CART, the text stream is delivered via a dedicated caption URL, the meeting platform's integrated caption feed, or a projected display for in-room audiences. For TypeWell and C-Print, the student or consumer accesses the text stream through a browser-based viewer on a laptop, tablet, or phone. We provide setup guidance and technical support before the session so the text delivery works the first time.

Clients need a stable internet connection and a device with a screen. Our transcribers handle everything on their end — professional audio monitoring, calibrated transcription software, backup connectivity. SLIS has delivered remote transcription since 2016 and refined the workflow through thousands of sessions across education, corporate, and legal settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between CART and TypeWell?

CART produces a verbatim transcript using a stenotype machine at 200+ words per minute — every word, including filler and false starts. TypeWell produces a meaning-for-meaning transcript using abbreviation-expansion software on a standard keyboard, capturing substance and intent in a condensed, readable format. CART is right for legal, corporate, and compliance settings requiring verbatim. TypeWell is right for educational settings where meaning capture supports learning more effectively than raw verbatim text.

Is CART the same as closed captioning?

No. Closed captioning usually refers to pre-produced captions on broadcast television or pre-recorded video. CART is live real-time transcription by a human stenographer for in-person or virtual events. CART is sometimes called "open captioning" or "realtime captioning" when the text is projected for an audience. The distinguishing point: CART is live, human-generated, and interactive — the stenographer adapts to actual spoken content in real time, rather than syncing pre-written text to a recording.

Does IDEA require TypeWell for college students?

IDEA 2004 § 300.34(c)(4) specifically names TypeWell (and C-Print and CART) as qualifying interpreting services. IDEA itself applies to K–12, but its recognition of TypeWell informs post-secondary practice under Section 504 and ADA Title II. College disability services offices routinely provide TypeWell as an approved accommodation for students who need real-time text access. The federal recognition gives institutions confidence TypeWell meets their legal obligations.

Can I get a transcript after the session?

Yes. All three modalities can produce a post-session transcript, for an additional fee. CART transcripts are verbatim records. TypeWell and C-Print transcripts are condensed meaning-for-meaning summaries that serve as study guides or meeting notes. Post-session transcripts are particularly valuable for students reviewing lecture content, attorneys documenting a hearing, and organizations maintaining compliance records. We deliver transcripts in the format and timeframe the client specifies.

How accurate is human CART vs. AI captioning?

Human CART reaches 98 percent or higher, produced by trained stenographers who understand context, technical vocabulary, speaker identification, and real-time error correction. AI auto-captioning typically hits 70 to 85 percent under ideal conditions, with significant degradation on accents, technical terminology, multiple speakers, or imperfect audio. That 15 to 30 point gap makes AI captions unreliable for medical, legal, and educational settings where accurate communication access is legally required and functionally essential.

What equipment do I need for remote CART?

A stable internet connection and a device with a screen to display the caption text — laptop, tablet, or phone for individual use. For group settings where captions need to be visible to an audience, a projector or large monitor. Our CART stenographer joins through your existing video platform (Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Google Meet) and streams text through a dedicated caption URL or the platform's integrated caption feed. No special software or hardware on your end. We provide technical setup support before the session.

How do I request CART or TypeWell services?

Submit through our online scheduling portal, by email, or by phone. Include date, time, duration, setting (educational, legal, corporate), platform, and any subject matter that helps us match the right transcriber. For recurring academic accommodations, we work directly with disability services offices to schedule semester-long coverage. For one-time events, 48 hours of notice is comfortable, though we accommodate shorter notice when transcriber availability allows. Of course, the more notice we have, the better we are able to match the provider to your meeting needs.

Is CART required under the ADA?

The ADA requires covered entities to provide effective communication through appropriate auxiliary aids. CART is one of several auxiliary aids recognized under the ADA, alongside sign language interpreting and assistive listening devices. Whether CART is specifically required depends on the individual's communication needs and preferences. A Deaf individual who doesn't use sign language and relies on written English has the right to request CART, and the covered entity must give primary consideration to that request under ADA Title II and Title III. Organizations cannot unilaterally substitute AI captions or a notepad when the individual's effective communication requires real-time professional transcription.

When Sign Language Interpretation Is the Right Call Instead

Transcription isn't the right accommodation for every Deaf consumer. The signals that point to sign language interpretation instead — either onsite or remote — are worth naming:

• The Deaf consumer's primary language is ASL, and English reading fluency isn't strong enough for dense real-time text.
• The setting is visual and fast-moving — surgical environments, theatrical performance, complex demonstrations — where reading a screen while watching the room isn't feasible.
• The encounter is emotionally intense and requires the presence and affect of a human interpreter, not a text feed.
• The Deaf individual is DeafBlind and requires tactile or pro-tactile interpreting.
• The individual has expressed a preference for sign language over text.

When any of these applies we route the request to onsite sign language interpreting or to our video remote interpreting service. The goal is communication access that works for the person in the room, not a service category that works for our scheduling spreadsheet.

Request CART, TypeWell, or C-Print

We're one of the few agencies in the country delivering all three real-time transcription modalities under one roof, with post-secondary expertise running deep and remote delivery covering all 50 states.

Contact us to discuss which service fits your needs, or schedule a session. For sign language interpreting, see our onsite or VRI services.

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