CART stands for Communication Access Real-Time Translation.  It may also be referred to as real-time captioning, real-time stenography, or live captioning and is used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals to allow them to interact in their environment in real-time.  Most often, CART is used in meetings, classrooms, or large events.

Captioners, or CART providers use either a court reporting stenography machine or voice writing, a computer, and specialized software to display everything that is being said, word for word with a high level of accuracy.  This specialized software allows captioning providers to type over 180 words per minute. The text is then displayed on a computer, monitor, or projection screen.  This service can be performed on-site, where a captioner will come to your location, or remotely where the captioner is offsite.  Using a remote captioner, the audio and captioning are broadcast over the internet to the captioner and the individual using the service.

This speech-to-text captioning service benefits people who are late-deafened, hard of hearing, culturally Deaf, who have cochlear implants, and those learning English as a second language.   It is used by speakers, presenters, organizations, or institutions concerned with ensuring they provide accessibility to their material to the widest audience.