Using Real Time Captioning in a Meeting
Real time captioning (RTC) is an accommodation that provides a visual
display of spoken language (voice-to-text) for someone who is deaf
or hard of hearing. The captioner transcribes the speaker's words onto
either a monitor (TV) or a computer screen for the deaf person to read.
The voice-to-text program DSS uses is C-Print. C-Print is an abbreviation
software program that reduces keystrokes and allows the captioner to
keep up with spoken language. It delivers a meaning-for-meaning visual
representation of the conversation on the monitor - not a verbatim transcript.
Equipment and Room Arrangement
The captioner will bring a laptop computer and stand, a monitor and
in some situations, an extra laptop for the deaf person.
The captioner does not have to be introduced as a part of the group.
She/He is there to provide an accommodation and will not participate
in the meeting in any way. You can help the captioner do their job
by not engaging them during the meeting.
The deaf person will need to be seated so he/she can view the monitor
comfortably. The monitor should not be placed in front of a bright window.
Glare can be visually fatiguing.
Arrange the group in a circle/semi-circle or around a large table to
assure that everyone can see the person talking.
Group Leader's Responsibilities
It is the group leader's responsibility to manage the meeting in such
a way that the accommodation of realtime captioning can be used effectively.
Managing a group's communication in the following way increases the
captioner's accuracy and insures better access for the deaf person:
- Require participants to be recognized by the leader before they
begin to speak (e.g. raise their hands).
- After being recognized, the person will say their name and then
make their comments.
- Only one person should be speaking at a time.
- After about an hour, the captioner will require a 10 minute
break. The meeting should be suspended during this time.
Captioner's Responsibilities
The captioner will type everything s/he hears. The captioner will
not edit or omit anything heard. This includes environmental sounds that
other participants can hear, i.e. sounds outside the room or a cell
phone ringing and any comments between group members that the
captioner can hear.
If the deaf person has requested a voice interpreter, the captioner
will voice whatever the person types on his/her laptop computer exactly
as it has been typed. It is socially appropriate to wait quietly and
attentively while the deaf person is typing their response, as one does
when another is talking.
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