Various Uses for C-Print®

C-Print® is useful for a variety of accommodations, not just for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.  New uses are discovered every day. If you have a use not listed, please share by commenting below.

Options for someone who:

Is Deaf or hard-of-hearing:  

1.  Sit near a captionist and read the captioning on the captionist's laptop screen in real-time.  The captionist can adjust font type, size, color and background color to the viewer's liking, the angle of the screen to cut glare and reflections,  where he/she sits or the angle of the computer for the best view.

The captionist can type questions in the chat pane directly to the client on the sidebar rather than speaking directly, and the client can respond discretely in the chat pane, by writing on a notepad, by typing on a smartphone, or by using an assisted device.

If both the client and captionist use laptops that are not connected via the captioning software, and if both are online, communication can take place discretely through any online Instant Message program while the captionist captions.  The captioning can be viewed on the captionist's computer by the client who is seated nearby.

Take notes from the captioning, or later from the transcript.  The transcript can be used digitally on-screen or in print form. 

2.  The client can connect wirelessly to the captionist with a laptop, and take notes on the split screen provided in the C-Print® Software. Notes can be created on the side window or directly in the active captioning transcript, or the client can place markers in the transcript that are attached to note-cards in the software.

The font type, size and color, and background color can be controlled in the client version, and text can be highlighted in customized colors.

The client can send chat messages back and forth to the captionist/s in the chat pane of the software. 

The captionist can raise his/her hand and voice questions and comments for the client if the client wishes or if the client is not oral.  The captionist will appear to be a student in the class during the interaction, and will caption the responses for the client.

The client can split his desktop screen and open two or more windows:  open internet power points and other class lectures or materials online while viewing the captioning software and any related chat panes.

3.  Captioning can be projected on a wall for a group, or just for the client.  As an example, if the client is giving a presentation or functioning as a student teacher--  the captioning can be projected on a back wall behind the audience or class.  Only the client views it because it is on the back wall above the audience's heads.  Someone raises their hand to ask a question or make a comment.  The client sees what is being said via the captioning on the back wall and can respond to the group.  This is how I manage it:

If the client gives a presentation and has a captionist team, the client can take a receiving laptop up to the podium and place it where it is viewable.  Any audience interaction can be captioned during the presentation, and the client views the captioning on the screen while responding directly to the audience. 

Alternatively, when the client is giving a presentation, captioning can also be projected to the back wall near the ceiling with the use of a projector type device (This is not a product endorsement, but a description of a piece of equipment I use.  I connect an InFocus projector to my laptop and aim the projector at the top border of the back wall in the room.  I adjust the projector so that the last paragraph is visible and make sure to choose a font size/color that the client can read easily.  I do not caption what the client says, only any responses/questions from the audience.  http://www.infocus.com/projectors).  The client can give his/her presentation while seeing audience interaction captioned on the back wall above the audience's heads.  The only person aware of the captioning is the client.  Lags due to captioning and reading appear to be due to the client pausing to think of a response to the interaction.


 4.  The client can receive captioning remotely.  I have captioned for a client who was in another location watching the class I was captioning via a television in the client location.  There were seven classes from across the state viewable on a split screen.  My client elected to receive the transcripts after the class, but the client could have connected directly to us via the internet using an application or internet program that allows the client to view my active desktop.  This is not an endorsement of any single tool, but NetMeeting, which is now GoToMeeting, is one choice that some use.

5.  For indoor walking tours, the captionist can place the laptop on a high rolling cart and caption while the client visits various places.  Make sure you have a full charge and an extra battery.  Dim the screen just slightly to conserve battery and don't run any extra programs at the same time.  I've also just moved from place to place while my team held the laptop facing me.  We took turns captioning, one holding the laptop with it facing outward while the other typed.  I have seen something called Laptop Reins online that allows one to hold the laptop in a position for use while walking with the hands free to type.  The client would have to stand at an odd angle to see the screen.  The rolling cart provided us with the best option.  Use of a lapdesk with a nonslip pad allows one to sit and caption anywhere there is a chair nearby (one can roll a folding chair with the lapdesk jammed inside it as you walk along with the tour).  The client can look at your screen.  We do whatever we have to to provide services!

6.  Outdoors, a glare screen can be placed around and over the laptop so that viewers can see captioning, even in bright daylight.

7.  For classes involving progression tasks, like Math, the client has fewer information gaps when looking down to take notes, when the teacher has his/her back to the student, or when the teacher's mouth is hidden from view.  Anything said while the client looks down is in the captioning.  The live captioning can be scrolled back, or missed information can be looked at later in the transcript.

8.  In darkrooms, computer settings can be changed where EVERYTHING is red text on a black background, including the Windows operating screens and menu bars.  (Ask me how to do it if you need to know.)  A macro can be created to do it all quickly, and return to normal settings quickly, although I haven't had to do that yet.  I got good at doing it manually rather fast when we went between the darkroom and classroom repeatedly.

Is Blind or has Low-Vision:

1.  Captioning can be enlarged.  Font type, color and size as well as background color can be changed to suit vision needs.  Captioning pane can be condensed to remove a great deal of eye movement back and forth.  Captioning can be simplified to key information only so there is less to read.

2.  Transcripts are saved in .rtf (rich text format), which can be opened in Word and saved as a .txt (text file if needed).  The transcript can be played with an audio reader.

3.  Transcripts can be converted to Braille in print, or read with refreshable Braille display systems.  I haven't tested whether a system can read C-Print captioning live or not.

4.  Captioning can be scrolled at the speed the client needs if they connect wirelessly.

5.  Transcripts can be printed so that magnifiers, viewing windows, or overlays may be used.

6.  If client is viewing the captioning on a personal laptop, everything can be adjusted as it occurs so they can read at their comfort level.  The client can scroll back and read everything at his/her own pace using their vision or headphones with an audio reader.

Has Learning Challenges like LD, ADD, ADHD:


1.  Transcripts can allow students to take their time with material outside of the classroom setting.

2.  Live captioning, especially if received on a client's laptop, allows the client to control how they look at the information, how they use it, and how they process it.

3.  Captioning allows for scrolling back or later review when a client has difficulty staying on task or absorbing material in the classroom setting.  Transcripts allow for manipulation of the information for those who are auditory or hands-on learners.

Has Asperger, Autism or Other:

1.  Language -- Following a conversation can be complicated.  Language can be hard to understand or process.  Parsing words correctly and telling where they start and stop can be a challenge.  Remembering what is heard as one hears more can be a problem.  Understanding the social contexts of speech can be hard.  Understanding emotion in speech can be another challenge.  Seeing the language can help with all those things.  Adding whatever information or client cues to the live captioning to address those challenges can be an accommodation.  Being able to scroll back in the captioning as it takes place to read it at one's own pace, or re-read it if necessary, can be very helpful.  Having later access to the transcript allows for more leisurely processing of the information, and it can be provided digitally or in print, whichever mode is more helpful.  It can be used with auditory processors as well, if one is an auditory learner.

2.  Interactions -- Can be difficult.  Understanding the social context of interactions or making eye-contact can be hard. C-Print can allow for less direct interaction, and agreed-upon cues for emotional context can be included.  A captionist can voice for the client as well, or ask that eye contact and communications be directed to the captionist.  Communications can be typed out as they occur.  Whatever techniques allow the client to give/receive information effectively can be used.

Uses English as Second Language:

1. A language student can't always tell where some words begin and end because common usage slurs oral language together.  Seeing the words as they are spoken can help with comprehension as well as with learning fluent language.

2.  Having access to the captioned form or transcript allows a student to look up what they don't understand.  They can do so in real-time and then quickly catch back up to the class, or they can use the transcript later at their own leisurely pace.

New Uses and Technology Combined with C-Print:

New things are discovered every day, and captionists try to stay on the cutting edge of technology.  These are some things being discussed:

1.  One could caption, and have a teammate snap clear digital photos of all writing on the boards, or tape digital video of video clips played in the class, and these could be inserted into a digital transcript.  This would address visual and auditory gaps in the live class and transcript which occur due to individual learning challenges.  It would allow the student to re-experience the class without those experience gaps later.

2.  One could use a digital notepad or a digital tablet to copy written notes and drawings from on the board and insert them into the digital transcript.

3.  A smart pen could be combined with captioning.  Live Scribe is one that a few captionists told me they have used and recommend.

4.  Math Type can be combined with captioning.  Some captionists are currently quite skilled at using it.

5.  Some students use audio reader systems or tactile systems.

6.  Smartphones are allowing many new uses.

7.  The ability to write on a notepad laptop as well as use all the features of our captioning set-up has really expanded access.

8.  National Center for Technology Innovation's website states, "The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) advances learning opportunities for individuals with disabilities by fostering technology innovation. Specifically, we help researchers, product developers, manufacturers and publishers to create and commercialize products of value to students with special needs."

We are always studying ways various technologies could be used with C-Print.