Overview-Captioning

Overview

Captions are invaluable for people with hearing loss. Captions provide visual accommodations to supplement the spoken word. There are two categories of captions, and both are covered on this website.

  1. Professional, human generated captions at high stakes meetings, such as legal settings and healthcare. 
  2. Automatic captions during lower stakes meetings such as virtual meetings (Zoom, WebEx) and one-on-one

Consumers with hearing loss can be hesitant to ask for accommodations, and these accommodations are rarely offered without requests. It is imperative that staff realize the high prevalence of hearing loss in all populations and proactively offer services that enable people with hearing loss to understand the information.

Telehealth

  • Both CART and speech-to-text captions can be integrated into telehealth platforms, or can be shown on a second device (more complex for the patient)
  • Telehealth platforms are required to have captions by the end of 2026, under the “interoperable video conferencing” section in the FCC.

These provide “auxiliary aids and services” under Effective Communication with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Below are some technological solutions for communicating effectively with people with hearing loss.