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A publication of the CARTWheel HUB, Journal for CART Providers, September 1998 through April 2007
A CART Provider doesn't write articles for a newspaper. A journalist does that.
You're invited to visit websites http://cart.ncraonline.org/Articles/ and www.CARTinfo.org for consumers, to learn more about our fascinating profession.
If you are facile with English, have computer agility and wish to earn decent money in a high- tech wordsmith profession, consider a career in Court or CART or Captioning.
Watch TV?
You may have seen lines of captioning on your television screen or on screens in a courtroom, or even in a restaurant or bar. While the process may appear effortless, even magical, each word or phrase that the reporter writes must be preprogrammed into his/ her database so that it will translate perfectly into English.
Who reads our screen most? CART is used mostly by hard- of- hearing or late- deafened people, although folks with learning disabilities or with English as their second language use CART services also.
Generally speaking, those born deaf communicate by American Sign Language (ASL), and folks who have lost hearing after they've acquired language, late- deafened, prefer CART, and often learn Signed Exact English (SEE) and lip-reading.
CART is considered "an auxiliary aid for effective communications access" -- accommodated under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, just like curbcuts, wheelchair ramps, wide bathroom doors, lower sinks, water fountains and phone booths, and, of course, text telephones or TTYs.
HOW DOES THAT LITTLE MACHINE WORK?
The Stenotype machine, patented in 1911 by Ward Stone Ireland, has 24 keys plus a number bar. These days, there are also ergonomic laser- touch machines and machines with notebook computers attached. No letters are printed on the keys. You memorize easily their locations.
Basic machine shorthand theory
Ready to play a cryptogram? Here’s the code. The most frequent initial consonants, S- T- K- P- W- H- R, are on the left.
The most frequent final consonants, F- R- P- B- L- G- T- S- D- Z, are on the right. The double asterisk key is in the middle for corrections and homophone resolutions. The vowels, A- O- E- U and I, formed by striking EU together, form the bottom row and are operated by the thumbs. Numbers are written by word briefs or by stroking the number bar on the crack of the top keys. Punctuation, speaker identification, or letters not listed above are rendered by hitting keys in combination. For example, TKPW on the left is the "hard G" initial sound. STPH is the question mark. PL on the right is “M”. PB on the right is “N”. TP on the left is “F”. So what's this? TKPW U PL Right! It's "gum." Are you having TP U PB/ STPH W A EU/T O /TKPW O Writing on a steno machine is like playing a piano -- a word or phrase in one chord, not one key at a time as on a typewriter. Words are written syllable by syllable. “Briefs” are used, like KROPBG for "correct me if I'm wrong." CART Providers devise their own abbreviations. That's why databases or dictionaries are reporter- specific. It usually takes two years for an adept student to graduate from reporting school. Some schools offer 4- year degrees - a requirement for reporters by 2005.
On the job, the CART Provider takes down each word spoken, speaker identification, punctuation, meaningful gestures, and environmental sounds such as applause, laughter, bells, or even the screech from the gal who just saw a bug on her desk! A complete media machine in very human form.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q Why not just use a tape recorder?
A Can the tape recorder display simultaneous text? No. Can a deaf person hear the tape? No.
Q What about voice recognition?
A Voice recognition is improving all the time, but until accuracy reaches 99.5%, it won't be usable for CART.
Q Can you get credit for those college classes you realtime?
A No. We cannot participate if we are hired as a voice- to- text interpreter. This would be against the impartiality required by our Code of Ethics. Furthermore, even though we review your materials and textbooks to input hundreds of words into our database, we don't do the homework or take the tests.
Q Who pays for your services, and how much do you get paid?
A The university, company or agency who hires us is required to provide equal communications access under the ADA. We are paid hourly, usually gauged to about twice the rate for sign interpreters, as we are able to do most jobs alone, and our equipment and software costs us $10,000, plus.
Q But don't you get tired?
A Yes, our backs, wrists and brains tire by the end of a fast or long session, especially if we must strain to hear soft voices or interpret accents. It helps us a lot if you speak up, because we must write every word. If you make a presentation or show an uncaptioned video to the group, it would be very helpful to give the CART Provider, in advance, spellings of words and names to be pre- programmed for translation; alternatively, provide an extra copy to him/ her before you speak.
Q Can I get a copy of the disk?
A Sorry, but no. In cases where a disk is given, it contains 30 pages/ hour of speech and is used later to make notes of the lecture -- something the consumer can't do while reading our screen. The disk is for the consumer who has the disability. The consumer signs an agreement of confidentiality. For conferences, sometimes the disks are used to create transcripts of proceedings, and the rate for that additional service is negotiated with the hiring agency.
For more information or to schedule a CART Provider please contact: Monette Benoit
WHAT’S THAT CART Provider DOING?
What’s CART, anyway ?
She/he is a Communications Access Realtime Translator -- CART Provider, for short. Also known as a Computer- Aided Realtime Translator, or, if the captions are input live onto video, a Realtime Captioner, such as you see on the evening news, or even live on the Internet! A CART Provider or Realtime Captioner is a machine- shorthand verbatim reporter. Required to be a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) at speeds to 225 words per minute, a CART Provider has received additional training, conquered speeds to 260 w. p. m., (RMR) and achieved accuracy of 99 percent plus for CART. A Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) has passed NCRA's test of realtime-writing skills, in addition. An RMR may take an intense written exam, to become an elite RDR (Registered Diplomate Reporter). In addition, some states have Certified Shorthand Reporter exams (CSR or CCR). Now you know some more alphabet soup!:)
April 2007
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