A court reporter and a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) provider are both professionals who specialize in capturing and transcribing spoken words in real-time, but they serve distinct purposes and work in different settings.
Court Reporter
- Legal Setting: A court reporter primarily works in legal settings such as courtrooms, depositions, and other legal proceedings.
- Verbatim Transcription: The main responsibility of a court reporter is to create a verbatim and accurate record of spoken words during legal events. This includes capturing the dialogue between judges, attorneys, witnesses, and other participants.
- Stenographic or Voice Writing: Court reporters may use stenographic machines with specialized keyboards or voice writing technology to transcribe spoken words quickly and accurately.
- Legal Record Keeping: Their transcripts become an official part of the court record, serving as crucial documentation for legal proceedings, appeals, and other legal purposes.
CART Provider
- Accessibility Setting: A CART provider, on the other hand, typically works in non-legal settings to provide real-time captioning for individuals with hearing impairments.
- Communication Access: CART is often used in educational institutions, conferences, business meetings, or public events to ensure real-time access to spoken content for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Use of Technology: CART providers use stenographic machines, voice writing technology, or other methods to transcribe spoken words into text. The text is then displayed on a screen for the individual or audience to read.
- Not Part of Legal Record: Unlike court reporters whose transcripts are part of the official legal record, CART transcripts are generally not considered legal documents. They are produced to facilitate communication and accessibility.
- Educational and Corporate Settings: CART services are commonly employed in educational environments, providing real-time captioning for students with hearing impairments. They are also utilized in corporate settings to ensure accessibility during meetings or training sessions.
In summary, while both court reporters and CART providers specialize in real-time transcription, court reporters primarily work in legal settings, creating official records of legal proceedings, whereas CART providers focus on providing accessibility in diverse non-legal settings for individuals with hearing impairments.
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