Birnbaum Interpreting Services: Captioning & CART Services in Washington D.C.
Remote Captioning & CART in Washington, DC
Birnbaum Interpreting Services grew exponentially over the course of 2022. Our biggest area of growth took place in the Captioning department—specifically, Remote CART. Though most of our work takes place in the Washington, D.C. area, still, Remote CART requests have dwarfed our those for Onsite services.
Birnbaum Interpreting Services Remote CART
CART stands for Communications Access Real-time Translation. CART allows Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing folks to access captioning services for live meetings, conferences, townhalls, or any other work event one might imagine. Birnbaum Interpreting Services provides CART services via Streamtext, which is basically a separate window for the real-time captions. Or, using an API token, we provide captions right there within your videoconferencing platform—whether it’s Zoom, Teams, or any of the other popular platforms that bloomed during the pandemic.
Here’s a list of Remote Deaf access services Birnbaum Interpreting Services provides both here in Washington, D.C. and nationwide:
Remote CART
Transcription & Translation
Post-Production (Closed and Open Captions
Deaf Culture & Access Awareness Consulting & Training
Continuing Education (CEUs) for Interpreters
Agencies throughout Washington, D.C. provide both Onsite and Remote CART. However, as has been the case with Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), over the past few years, Remote CART has become far more appealing than Onsite CART. The reasons for this are sometimes obvious. However, some of the reasons aren’t so readily apparent.
The Switch: Onsite to Remote CART
From Washington D.C. to Beijing, the pandemic sent the world inside. COVID-19 was therefore responsible for a mass transition to remote work, or work-from-home. WFH forced us to rely on budding technologies that hadn’t wrapped its tendrils around every industry. Suddenly, every business became a technology business, insofar as it relied, at the very least, upon Zoom, Teams, or any of the myriad videoconference platforms. For Deaf folks, WFH meant relying on VRI—and Remote CART.
But the pandemic isn’t the only reason Remote CART has become more popular than Onsite CART. In fact, it’s not even the biggest reason, which is far simpler than the complicated web of effects emanating from the pandemic. Remote CART has become the overwhelmingly dominant choice because Onsite CART no longer offers any further benefits; Remote CART can do everything Onsite CART can, and in most cases, more.
In years past, Deaf and HH users and other requestors favored Onsite CART for the fear that Remote service risked various issues such as bad connection or poor sound quality. But technology has progressed a great deal since those days. Remote services work as efficiently and effectively—and in many cases more so—than their Onsite counterparts. Furthermore, Birnbaum Interpreting Services provides Remote CART services for less than half the price.
Remote CART: from Washington D.C. to Seattle, Washington
Through Federal Relay services (FedRelay), Birnbaum Interpreting Services has become one of the Federal Government’s premier Remote CART providers. In late 2021, the Federal Government began divesting its FedRelay contract with Sprint/T-Mobile. With prices for Remote services coming down across the board, FedRelay services, including both VRI and Remote CART, were now up for bid. Shortly thereafter, BIS won a dozen contracts with Federal agencies such as:
Department of Justice
Department of the Interior
General Services Administration
Food & Drug Administration
Small Business Association
Transportation Security Administration
Birnbaum Interpreting Services has won several more contracts that include Remote CART requirements. Because of Remote CART’s efficiency, we can provide Remote CART for Federal employees not only in Washington, D.C., but those working abroad as well. We deploy trained, certified, and experienced captioners with extremely short lead times while retaining the highest quality in the industry.
These days, Birnbaum Interpreting Services is expanding its services to other industries outside Federal Government. With our extensive experience serving everything from education to private industry, we expect our services to continue spreading into 2023!
Contact Birnbaum Interpreting Services for Remote CART Services
Birnbaum Interpreting Services has provided quality Remote CART services for over two decades. No other access agency is Deaf-owned and -operated while employing only Deaf or CODA individuals. BIS’s holistic approach means we’re more than just a referral agency. That’s why so many well-known institutions in Washington, DC and beyond rely on us for VRI services.
Give us a call at (301) 587-8885 or visit our website today to find out more about how we can help you with Remote CART for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.