Scheduling Real-Time Captioners

Check to be sure the CART writer is a Certified Realtime Captioner with this certification: CRC. People who pass the CRC skills test provided by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) will have the high level of skill and accuracy needed to provide real-time, professional CART writing specifically designed to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have a full understanding of the event or proceeding. Also, be sure to check the CART writer’s resume to determine whether the individual has a background and experience adequate to match the demands of the job.

For City and County of San Francisco events, select the vendor from the City Approved Vendor Information on the Mayor's Office on Disability (MOD) website. Request a Quote/Rate Sheet from the City Approved Vendor to set up a Purchase Order for service and contact your accounting representative for assistance.

Some individuals might have unique communication styles and communicate best with specific captioners. We should attempt to meet these requests whenever possible to ensure the most effective interaction. 

Send an email to the City Approved Captioner that you have chosen; the email should include the following information:

• Request Captioning Services. Real-time Captioners typically have a 2 to 3-hour minimum for payment; keep this in mind when scheduling. Some captioners also charge extra for a copy of the transcript. Specify if a transcript is requested when scheduling.
• Confirm the date, location, and time of the requested interpretation. We recommend requesting that the captioner come at least 20 minutes before the meeting/event time to allow enough time for briefing and set-up.
• Provide information about what type of meeting or event the captioning will be for. Specify if the captioning is for a one-on-one meeting or a group.  
• Specify if the captioning will be projected.  If the captioning will be projected onto a screen, you may need to coordinate with the captioner about the logistics and availability of equipment. If the meeting/event is taking place in City Hall, you may choose to contact media services for technical assistance.  
• Provide the captioner with key terms and names. The captioner will need to input keywords into their captioning equipment to help ensure the accuracy of the service delivered.
• Identify the point of contact for the captioner to check in with or to request additional information about the assignment.  You should provide an email and telephone number that the individual can be reached on the day of the meeting/event.
• Include additional information about the meeting/event such as agendas, programs, brochures, etc. The captioner will use this information to prepare for the assignment.
• Inform the captioner if they will be televised or photographed and what they will be used for. Providing this information ahead of time will ensure that the captioner is comfortable with the assignment.    

Note: For City events, don’t forget to include the purchase order number and the address or email that the invoice should be sent to process the payment. 

If for any reason the captioner scheduled for the meeting/event did not provide adequate service or behaved unprofessionally, this information should be recorded for quality assurance. Additionally, please contact the Mayor’s Office on Disability and provide your feedback at MOD@sfgov.org.