Did you know that the term CART stands for Communication Access Real-Time Translation? It is a service that provides real-time transcripts of spoken events for the hearing impaired. It is especially useful in conferences, classes, meetings, and other types of live events.

But how does CART or live captioning work?

First, a steno typist or transcriber listens to the speech or presentation and uses a special keyboard of an instrument called a steno machine or stenographer to write down what is being said at the same speed as the sounds are emitted by pressing keys that print shorthand signs or a small number of alphanumeric characters.

The generated text is transmitted in real-time through technologies such as the Internet to the client, who can view the transcript in real-time on a screen, mobile device, or computer and project it on the event's screens. CART is a support system for the hearing impaired. Still, it can also be helpful for those who need written information in real-time, such as language learners or people who have difficulty processing oral information. It is also used as a different and efficient way to do language translation and, when dealing with events of more than 1,000 people or online events, has many logistical and cost advantages over traditional audio simultaneous interpretation services.

In short, CART, or live captioning, helps make live events more accessible to a broader audience. It is important to note that, although real-time translation is accurate, there may be a slight delay in the presentation of the text to allow for better transcription.

At ATmedios, we make every event accessible to all attendees, as we did for an event in Mexico: for 2 hours, we were able to remotely connect more than 500 people in one of the conferences of Deepak Chopra, Indian American physician, writer, and motivational speaker known for his contributions in the field of alternative medicine and spirituality. Deepak Chopra has gained popularity and influenced how many people approach health and wellness; his views and approaches have also been controversial and criticized, especially by the mainstream scientific community. In this way, ATmedios connects people worldwide, like a conference, so that people enjoy and feel comfortable participating on equal terms.