844-897-3935Many people use the term captioning to describe what a TypeWell transcriber does: typing spoken content so that everyone has equal communication access. But technically, captioning and transcribing are different.
Captioning
- CART captioning: A trained provider produces a verbatim (word-for-word) transcript in real time.
- Media captioning: The term “captioning” also refers to text at the bottom of TV broadcasts, movies, and videos. Federal law (IDEA) has historically used captioning in this media-specific sense.
Transcribing
- TypeWell transcription: A trained professional produces a meaning-for-meaning transcript in real time, capturing the intent and full ideas of what is said. This allows readers to follow along during the event and review a clean transcript afterward.
- CART as transcription: CART is also considered a form of computer-aided transcription — it’s just verbatim instead of meaning-for-meaning.
Why the terminology matters
- The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lists computer-aided transcription services as a type of auxiliary aid for equal communication access. Both TypeWell and CART fall under this umbrella.
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004 revision) specifically included transcription services such as TypeWell in the definition of interpreting services [§300.34(c)(4)]. This confirms that meaning-for-meaning transcription is recognized as an appropriate accommodation in K–12 and higher education settings.
- Using “transcribing” instead of “captioning” helps avoid confusion between live classroom/workplace services and on-screen captions for media.
⚡ Sample language you can use
“TypeWell provides meaning-for-meaning transcribing — a live transcript that captures the full intent of what is said during classes or meetings. CART captioning is another form of transcription, but it is verbatim (word-for-word). Both are recognized under federal law as appropriate communication access services, while media captioning refers to on-screen text for videos.”
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Aug 23, 2025