What is CART captioning? How it works and what it costs

CART, short for Communication Access Realtime Translation, is live captioning typed by a trained person: a captioner listens to speech and turns it into text within moments, so a deaf or hard of hearing person reads what is said while it is still being said. The ADA.gov page on effective communication describes it as a transcriber typing speech into a computer that shows the words on a screen⁸. Price sheets on the US state of Maine's procurement site, seen in October 2026, list remote CART at $125 to $130 an hour³⁴.

How does CART work?

CART works by a captioner typing what they hear while software shows the words on a screen. It can be delivered on site or remotely¹⁸. In remote CART, the captioner listens through a phone or video call and sends the text to a screen in real time⁹.

The text can appear on your own monitor, be projected on a screen for a room, or be added to a video as captions¹.

Who provides CART?

CART providers usually train in court reporting. A college program such as Anoka Technical College's sets a goal of 98.5% verbatim accuracy at 180 to 200 words per minute⁵. Rutgers University says certified CART specialists can reach up to 260 words per minute at 98% accuracy and above⁶. These are one college's training goal and one university's description, not a guarantee from every provider.

Who uses CART?

CART suits people who cannot hear well enough even with hearing assistive technology, including some who also use American Sign Language, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services². ADA.gov adds that real-time captioning is especially useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and do not use sign language⁸. Typical settings are lectures, conferences, workplace meetings and public events.

How much does CART cost?

CART costs $125 to $130 an hour for remote service on two price sheets listed on Maine's procurement site in October 2026, in US dollars³⁴. The table shows what one of those sheets lists.

These are one state's contract rates, not a market average, and neither sheet shows an effective date. Other providers charge more or less. Ask for a quote that states the minimum booking and the notice period.

How is CART different from automatic captions?

CART is typed by a human, while automatic captions are produced by speech recognition software. A Massachusetts state page describes CART as more accurate and consistent, and says automatic captions work best at very close distances or when everyone uses their own microphone⁷.

What should you ask a CART provider?

Ask five things before you book. What is the hourly rate, and is there a minimum number of hours? How much notice do you need to give, and is there a surcharge for short notice? Is the captioner certified or trained for this kind of content, such as medical or technical talks? Can the transcript be sent to you afterwards? And what happens if the audio is poor: who checks the microphones, and can the captioner ask a speaker to repeat? The answers decide whether the booking works in a noisy room or a large hall, and they cost nothing to ask.

When should you use CART, and when is an app enough?

Use CART when the situation is planned and important to follow in full: a university course, a conference, a job interview panel, a hospital procedure. In the US, ADA.gov lists real-time captioning among the auxiliary aids and services used to communicate with people who are deaf or hard of hearing⁸. The host of a class, event or workplace is the first person to ask. This is legal information, not legal advice; ADA.gov and JAN explain the rules.

An app fits the moments no one books a captioner for: the pharmacy counter, a family dinner, a chat after class. Captio AI, a live captioning app for deaf and hard of hearing people, captions in-person speech through your phone's microphone, needs an internet connection, and has a free plan of 10 minutes of live captions a day. It sits beside CART and interpreters, not in place of them. See Live Captions, and for numbers on who needs this access, hearing loss statistics in the US.