Making Meetings Accessible 



Captioning technology was developed specifically to 

make television accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing 

people. There has been widespread interest in using 

this technology to provide similar access to meetings, 

classroom teaching, and conferences. Deaf and hard-of-

hearing organizations around the country are 

experimenting with different methods to achieve this. 



Some organizations and institutions have developed 

relationships with courtroom reporters and use 

equipment and methods designed for broadcast 

stenocaptioning to make meetings fully accessible. 

Other less expensive methods rely on volunteers and use 

computers to display text on overhead projectors or 

individual computer screens. Let us know if your 

community has developed other ways to provide access to 

meetings which should be included in this summary. 





Stenographic Captioning  



Stenographic captioning (real-time captioning) provides 

simultaneous, word-for-word transcription of a 

speaker's words. This method requires the highly 

developed skills of court reporters who have been 

trained to use specially developed software to create 

captions. 





Process/equipment 



Court reporters type the speaker's words as phonetic 

symbols on a stenographic keyboard which is attached to 

a computer. The symbols are converted into English 

words by translation software. Simultaneously, a video 

camera projects the image of the speaker onto a viewing 

screen or wall. The captions are inserted into the 

video signal through an encoder and appear on the 

screen beneath the speaker. (Alternately, the real-time 

text alone without the video can be projected onto a 

viewing screen using projection devices outlined in 

computer-assisted notetaking below.)  





Software 



The software used is similar to programs developed for 

real-time captioning of television programs. Some of 

the software packages available include Instatext, 

Digitext, Xscribe, Captivator, and BOLT. 





Personnel 



This process requires the skills of court reporters who 

have been trained to use a stenographic keyboard and 

computer. Some court reporters offer their services on 

a volunteer basis, while others work for a fee. The 

National Court Reporters Association can provide 

referrals. 





Strengths/weaknesses 



This method provides accurate and complete information 

if fully trained and highly skilled court reporters, 

who can achieve a 250 word-per-minute reporting speed, 

are involved. Words are transcribed with few errors, 

after a short delay, and are easily visible to large 

audiences. The equipment and software are expensive.  



For more information, call or write: 



National Court Reporters Association 

8224 Old Courthouse Road Vienna, VA 22182-3808 

(703) 556-6272 voice 

(703) 556-6289 TTY 





Computer-Assisted Notetaking 



Many people have begun experimenting with different 

versions of computer-assisted notetaking. Most methods 

utilize volunteer typists and rely heavily on 

abbreviation and summary phrases. Various combinations 

of hardware and software are possible. 





Process/equipment 



Volunteer typists enter a summary of the speaker's 

words on a computer. The typist's notes from the 

computer can be displayed in a variety of ways as they 

are entered: the text can be projected onto a wall or 

viewing screen by connecting the typist's computer to a 

liquid crystal device (LCD) panel and then placing the 

LCD on top of an overhead projector. The typist's 

computer can also be connected to other computers or 

television monitors and displayed on individual 

screens.  





Software 



Any inexpensive word processing program on the market 

can be used, but it is ideal to use a software package 

which can display large type for low-vision viewers. 

Software recommendations from Self Help for Hard of 

Hearing People, Inc., include BEDIT, Eye Relief by 

Skiware, and a program called Word Processor for Kids. 

A number of LCD panels are available on the market 

ranging from $500 to $2000. Units manufactured by Sharp 

and Telex are recommended. 





Personnel 



Typists should be fairly skilled at speed and accuracy. 

A team of volunteer typists is recommended for lengthy 

meetings or discussions involving technical 

information. 





Strengths/weaknesses 



Equipment, software, and personnel are relatively 

inexpensive. Typographic mistakes and incomplete 

information are the norm and somewhat unavoidable. Even 

the most skilled typists cannot type 250 words per 

minute the average rate of spoken conversation. 

Reading text from a computer or TV screen can be 

difficult for large groups. 



The organizations below offer specific information 

about methods in use by their staff and/or members:  



Technology Assessment Program 

Gallaudet University 

MSSD 2000 

800 Florida Avenue, NE 

Washington, DC 20002  

(202) 651-5257 voice/TTY 



Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. 

7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200 

Bethesda, MD 20814 

(301) 657-2248 voice 

(301) 657-2249 TTY 



Association of Late-Deafened Adults 

P.O. Box 641763 

Chicago, IL 60664-1763 

(815) 459-5741 TTY 





Or contact us for more information about captioning. 



The Caption Center 

125 Western Avenue 

Boston, MA 02134 

(617) 492-9225 V/TTY



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