What is Instant
Captioning?
Instant
Captioning is a new technology, currently under development, which will
enable people who have difficulty hearing to receive live captions of what
is being said during their conversations and interactions with others.
Instant Captioning provides the user with written captions of everything
the other person(s) in the conversation says, for the Instant Captioning
user to read along.How does Instant
Captioning work?To
get captions, the user presses a key on the Instant Captioning device
which dials the captioning service center. A specially-trained operator,
or Captionist, at the center listens to the conversation through the Instant
Captioning device's built-in microphone. The operator transcribes everything
that the other party says into text, using extremely powerful, customized
voice recognition technology. The text is then transmitted back to the
user's Instant Captioning device over the telephone connection, appearing
in the form of written captions on the device's screen. The transcription
occurs at virtually real-time speed, enabling the written text to appear
on the user's screen very closely to the speed at which it is spoken.What equipment
do I need?The
new Instant Captioning service is designed to work with a variety of devices,
such as laptop or notebook computers, cellular phones with alphanumeric
displays, or small hand-held captioning devices. The captions are displayed
on the device's screen so the user can simply read the words while listening
to what is spoken by the other party. Access to the Captioning Service
is via a cellular connection or a standard telephone line. In all cases,
special software and a user account number are necessary to access the
service.When will Instant
Captioning be available?Ultratec
will be demonstrating Instant Captioning technology over the next several
months in North America and in Great Britain, and consumer trials are already
under way. How is Instant
Captioning service going to be provided?Initially
there will be a central service center which will provide the service.
As the demand grows, other service centers will come on-line. Service
will be available through cellular and land-line telephone connections
and some specialized Internet connections.
How much will
it cost?The
service will be offered on a per unit of time basis just like cellular
or long distance telephone service. The schedule of rates has not yet been
established. However, the Instant Captioning service is expected to be
a cost effective alternative to stenographers, palantypists or sign language
interpreters.Where can I
find out more information?Please
visit this website for further information and the latest updates.
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