Being heard is paramount for your messages to be understood, and captioning serves as a crucial tool for ensuring inclusivity across various platforms.
Whether you're pre-recording your messages or performing live, providing captions means that your important messages can be understood and felt by more people.
Captioning plays a vital role in promoting inclusivity and accessibility by breaking down communication barriers and providing access to spoken language and sounds that make experience whole.
Creating the text:
Displaying the text:
Delivering the text:
Discover the diverse range of captioning solutions available to find your fit, and empower yourself to engage further instantaneously .
Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) is a professional service designed to provide real-time translation of spoken language into text.
Here's how it typically works: a trained stenographer, using a shorthand machine and specialised software, listens to the spoken dialogue and sounds in real-time, they rapidly transcribe what is being said to create captions. Other captioning providers use software and then “re-speak” the words of the presenter. In each case, the captions are then projected on a screen for an individual or audience to read. This instantaneous translation allows readers to follow along with the conversation or presentation at the same time as everyone else, providing them with access to auditory information.
CART can be delivered onsite, where the CART provider is physically present at the event, or remotely, where the provider listens to the audio feed and transcribes from a remote location. This flexibility makes CART a versatile and effective tool for ensuring communication access in various settings. CART is also sometimes called open captioning, real-time stenography, or real-time captioning. Suppliers typically include confidentiality clauses to protect your privacy.
Audiovisual media and their inclusion as a teaching and communication aid presents another platform for access to visual and auditory information. When the audio and/or visual quality is poor, participants struggle to understand. This is exacerbated for people with hearing loss, audio processing disorders, dyslexia, attention and focus issues, with a different native language.
Some mobiles, audiovisual media, video streaming and business communication platforms have built-in captions, or cater for the external supply of captions, as a functionality for content creators and/or users. Captions may be supplied:
Some platforms may also provide customisation options for how users view captions. In addition to the size, format and colour composition, placement can vary from a few lines of rolling text at the top or bottom of the screen to several paragraphs of rolling text on the sidebar of the screen. Here are some platforms:
There are limitations with the automatic speech recognition technologies to consistently deliver the quality of captioning necessary for comprehension, especially in business. Lack of or inaccurate captions can be harmful to your brand, driving away and preventing people from understanding your message.
There may be times where mobile applications (apps) may be more suited to your needs to access audio and video content in various situations. These are often cheaper, more widely available and a great option to increase accessibility.
There are speech-to-text apps available that can provide real-time captioning for various audio and video content - live conversations, online meetings, sound event notifications and phone calls. Here are a few popular captioning apps:
Captioning apps currently unavailable to users outside of the United States of America:
The features and functionalities of captioning apps vary, including what's available for free or a fee. Most captioning apps cannot translate while telephone calls are in progress on the same mobile phone.
Generally, captioned telephones provide the user with the best equivalent of a standard desktop telephone – with the aid of captions. These phones work by displaying written captions of what the other party is saying during a phone call in real-time. This allows the user to simultaneously read along while listening, which can greatly enhance comprehension and ensure full access to the conversation. Captioned telephones do not operate on mobile phones and as such are designed for fixed place use. Consequently, they are ideal for the elderly and aged care environment and for the workplace as a substitute for a desktop phone.
The useability and capabilities of captioned telephones vary, providing different user experiences and quality of captioning. Their suitability to enable you to carry on your business and/or personal telephone calls lies with understanding your needs and the benefits and limitations of the device and service. These complexities underpin our advocacy for access to captioned telephony services under the Australian National Relay Service.
Here are a few types of captioned telephones:
CapTel Phones: CapTel phones are a desktop telephone with captions available at the press of a button, provided by a relay service operator. Multiple lines of captions are viewed on a built-in screen and can be customised by size, colour, and contrast. Voicemail messages can also be read with captions. These phones feature a built-in screen and can be customised by size, colour and contrast. Voicemail messages can also be read with captions. CapTel phones use your existing standard landline telephone number with captioning provided through a separate internet (IP) connection. CapTel phones are currently not serviced by the Australian National Relay Service.
Konnekt captioning phones: Konnekt captioning videophones are an integrated PC touch screen with captioning provided by Skype’s automatic speech recognition technology. Multiple lines of captions are viewed on the screen and can be customized by size. Voicemail messages can also be read with captions. Konnekt phones use an internet (VOIP) connection and will be assigned its own phone number.
TTY handsets: TTY (Teletypewriter) handsets, also known as Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), are an integrated handset and keyboard device with captions available when a relay officer operator answers the button or placed call. Two lines of captions are displayed on a built-in LCD screen. Ultratec Uniphone TTY devices provide for users to simultaneously speak and listen to the caller while reading the captions. Ultratec Superprint TTY devices provide for users to type their message and read the response (no audio). Captioning to TTY handsets are provided by the Australian National Relay Service.
CaptionCall Phones: CaptionCall phones are currently unavailable to users outside of the United States of America.
Hamilton CapTel Phones: Hamilton CapTel phones are currently unavailable to users outside of the United States of America.
Overall, captioned telephones play a crucial role in bridging the communication gap for individuals who rely upon captioning and callers, allowing for business to be conducted and staying connected with friends, and family.