Preparing a job-specific shorthand dictionary before an assignment is essential to delivering accurate, professional CART captioning.
CART providers write in shorthand, and captioning software searches a vast dictionary database to find a matching translation for each word. Common, everyday words already exist in the main dictionary and typically translate correctly. However, proper nouns and specialized terminology do not.
This includes:
Unless these items are entered in advance into a job-specific dictionary, they will not translate correctly in real time.
A person who is Deaf or hard of hearing relies almost entirely on the captions displayed on the screen. When a CART provider attends a highly technical conference without preparing a job dictionary, the result is predictable: captions filled with errors, mistranslations, and “gibberish.”
Without proper preparation, the captioner must work significantly harder to produce a far inferior product. Our professional reputation depends on accuracy, and accuracy depends on preparation. No one would attempt to run a marathon or perform a recital without training. CART captioning is similar—it is a live performance that requires advance preparation to succeed.
Many people do not realize that reading captions for hours at a time is mentally exhausting for individuals with hearing loss. That fatigue is dramatically increased when the captions are cluttered with errors caused by unprepared terminology.
When captions are inaccurate:
By contrast, well-prepared CART captioning ensures clear, accurate communication. This allows participants to feel fully included and reflects positively on event organizers as responsible and accessibility-conscious professionals.
Some organizations assume that if a job-specific dictionary is not prepared, no time or effort was expended and therefore no fee should apply. In reality, the opposite is true.
The more technical the assignment, the harder it is to caption accurately without preparation. Attempting to gather information on the fly—guessing spellings, finger-spelling terms, or reacting to slides in real time—always produces inferior results. Even if presentation slides are visible during the event, that information arrives too late to be entered into the captioning dictionary. Preparing a job dictionary requires hours of focused work and must be done in advance.
We understand that speakers may not be required to submit their presentations ahead of time. However, most events still have materials that are extremely valuable for CART preparation, including:
Access to this information allows us to build an accurate job dictionary and deliver high-quality captions.
We respectfully request that these materials be provided as soon as they are available. If you are unsure who is responsible for compiling them, please direct us to the appropriate contact. If helpful, we are also happy to attend in person to collect the necessary materials.