C-PRINT
Primarily used in educational settings, C-Print® was developed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) to convert spoken messages into text. A C-Print® typist, specially trained in text-condensing strategies types on a laptop computer using an abbreviation system. The text is displayed on one or more student computer (laptop) monitors. The transcriber does not provide a verbatim transcript but does provide a “meaning-for-meaning” rendition of the spoken English content.
TYPEWELL
TypeWell is a communication method to provide a “meaning-for-meaning” form of spoken English into English printed text. A trained TypeWell transcriber synthesizes the essence of the discussion and captures it using advanced abbreviation software. The recipient simultaneously sees the transcript using a standard Web browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. The captions can also be integrated into Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms. TypeWell was developed for classroom use but is also used in community settings, corporate meetings, webinars, and conferences.
RELAY CONFERENCE CAPTIONING (RCC)
Relay Conference Captioning is not a replacement for CART, C-Print, or TypeWell. Relay Conference Captioning is provided through the state-funded Arizona Relay Service and is to be used for teleconference calls when the user is an Arizona resident with an Arizona phone number. It is offered Monday-Friday from 8am-8pm and Saturday 8am-2pm AZ time and must be booked in advance. Please visit www.arizonarcc.com for more info, or reach out to Hard of Hearing Program Manager Michele Michaels at [email protected] for any questions or needed clarification.
AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION (ASR)
ASR is a method of creating captions of what is heard via computers using artificial intelligence. ASR is currently being developed and used by a great many companies, but the product is not yet as accurate as a human captioner.
ASR is also being used in apps on smartphones, however there may not be a guarantee of confidentiality and privacy, so consumers should be very aware of that.
Your smartphone has a built-in microphone and free ASR which enables you to convert speech-to-text. Tap the microphone and speak into it, or have someone else speak into it, and try it out.
Dr. Tina Childress, Au.D., has an excellent Google spreadsheet grid outlining the various resources for automatic (not human-generated) speech-to-text here.
Here is a speech-to-text app for Apple products that has privacy considerations built into it and is free to use: https://www.nal.gov.au/nal_products/nalscribe/.
The Hearing Loss Association of America has an excellent webpage on Captions.
ADDING CAPTIONS TO A VIDEO FOR USE IN HIGHER EDUCATION?
Here is guidance from the ADA National Network.
ADDING AUTO CAPTIONS TO A YOUTUBE VIDEO?
Here are directions about how to add and edit auto captions on YouTube videos.
Here are some more instructions on how to caption You Tube videos.
TELEVISION (Broadcast) CAPTIONING
The FCC regulates broadcast captioning. This link explains the rules (captions must be accurate, synchronous, complete, and properly placed) and describes the programming exempt from captioning, and what to do if you have a complaint. See more information below under Television Captioning.
