CART provider Nicole Dory at work at CSI.

Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) services have been available at CSI for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing for ten years. The program, operated through the Office of Disability Services (ODS), has recently been recognized by the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA), allowing CSI’s CART providers to be nationally certified. This is a significant achievement for the CART program, which was created at CSI, as well as for the ODS.

CART Service at CUNY is the instant transcription of a professor’s spoken word, as well as classroom dialogue, into printed text. Using notebook computers, mask-microphones used by providers in students’ classrooms, and speech-to-text software, the spoken word appears instantly on a laptop screen.

The provider listens to what is said and voices the spoken word into a mask-microphone. Students can see the text on a laptop screen in real time if they sit near the provider. CART providers can move from room to room, or event to event, and operate in almost any classroom environment. Remote CART service provides the same service for students, but the provider is facilitating the service from a remote location through a microphone that a student attaches to a laptop.

The student is able to see the text of the class on his or her laptop screen.

“This service is not only cost-effective in comparison to national costs regarding service to students who are hard of hearing, it also empowers students and significantly improves their achievement,” commented Chris Cruz Cullari, Director of the Office of Disability Services.

Founded in 1967, the NVRA is the only national professional organization dedicated to the practice of voice writing, offering support and benefits to its members, certification, conferences, and newsletters. The NVRA advances the understanding, practice, education, and professional standards of verbatim reporters and related reporting professionals by promoting ethical behavior, professional development, educational opportunities, and support of individual reporters.

The Office of Disability Services is a part of the Division of Student Affairs. For more information regarding the diverse and comprehensive services available to CSI students, please visit the Student Affairs website.