After a unique 2020, the world continues to be held in the clutches of the pandemic and the need to work from home. Businesses that once worked from the office are now working from home, and business meetings with clients in-person are currently a thing of the past. Many of these tasks have to be replicated online. But how? Among some of the struggles is accessibility. So how can you ensure your business meetings, events, or day to day running are accessible to everyone? These are several accessibilities questions to answer too: What about those with bad internet connection? Are you using technology that requires people to sign up for an account? How will employees or clients with disabilities access the information?
Real-time captioning holds the answer. This advanced set up means you no longer have to stay totally on the script; you’re free to answer questions as you go along, make side points, and steer a meeting or event in a different direction. Captioning also makes events more inclusive and accessible for those with disabilities or hearing problems.
What is real-time captioning?
Real-time captioning has previously required a speed typist to use a stenotype machine with a phonetic keyboard. The typist will transcribe speech into readable captions while the presentation is live. By using a phonetic keyboard, the typist can write more in less time.
Now, with the help of AI technology, this process can be even faster. First, the speech will be audited by technology and transcribed. Then, real typists will check through to correct any errors for higher accuracy.
Captioning and transcribing are beneficial for businesses and educational establishments alike. CART transcription with Verbit has already helped hundreds of students reach their academic goals by offering note-taking capabilities that allow them to read along with presentations rather than missing out on important information.
How can it help your business?
After a full year of Zoom calls and shared screen presentations, it’s time to bring back some level of the in-person experience. It’s much easier to zone out of a staff meeting or e-Learning course if the host simply talks through a PowerPoint. But by using real-time captions, presenters can take back control and add personality into their events.
Present with personality
Rather than just setting up a shared screen, presenters can talk passionately about their topic and engage the audience much better.
Improve e-Learning completion
If it’s your job to teach people e-Learning course on health and safety or workplace management, using real-time captions will help everyone absorb information quicker and easier. Learning can be done in three ways: Visual (reading or seeing), auditory (hearing), and kinesthetic (doing). Staff should be able to access learning materials in any way they prefer.
Broaden the recruitment field
When your business can accommodate those with disabilities, you have a much broader recruitment field. Therefore, by providing things like real-time captioning, you can make sure you find the best fit for the job – no matter how they need information formatted.
With real-time captioning, virtual event and meeting accessibility are much easier. There are still several other ways to improve inclusivity. But by ensuring everyone can see or hear information, you’re one step closer.
