CART captioning and court reporting both rely on skilled stenographic writers. Still, they serve different purposes, and choosing the right service helps everyone in the room.
What CART captioning provides
CART stands for communication access realtime translation. A CART captioner turns speech into live text so that deaf and hard-of-hearing participants can follow a meeting, class or hearing as it happens. The text appears on a screen, a laptop or a mobile device, and the captioner also describes relevant sounds.
Organizations often provide real-time captioning as an auxiliary aid. The ADA effective communication guide explains when that duty applies.
What court reporting provides
Court reporting, on the other hand, creates the official verbatim record of a legal proceeding. The court reporter swears in witnesses, marks exhibits and then produces a certified transcript that attorneys can use in motions and at trial.
Because the transcript becomes evidence, the reporter also follows strict rules on certification, formatting and the handling of exhibits.
CART captioning and court reporting side by side
- Purpose: CART creates live access, while court reporting creates the official record.
- Output: CART displays text instantly, whereas a court reporter delivers a certified transcript later.
- Audience: CART serves the reader in the room. In contrast, court reporting serves the parties and the court.
- Editing: CART text appears as people speak, but court transcripts go through proofreading first.
When you need both CART captioning and court reporting
If the goal is accessibility, book CART. If the goal is an official record, book a court reporter. In some proceedings, you may need both. For instance, a deposition with a deaf witness may require a court reporter for the record and a CART provider for live access.
American Apex arranges deposition reporters and CART captioners nationwide, on site or remotely. So one call can cover CART captioning and court reporting for the same day.
