Interviewing a CART Provider

  I decided to interview a CART provider for students with hearing impairment. She was also my CART provider several times in the past three years. 

  I chose her because she was in school studying to become a court reporter. She was not deeply familiar with the deaf community, but she became influenced by an instructor who recommended her to be a translator for the hearing impaired.

CART Provider Takes Action

 

Q: How did you get involve with the deaf community?

A: When I was a pre-teen, I wanted to grow up to be a marine biologist. While on that kick, I discovered that the dolphin trainers at Sea World used sign language to communicate with the dolphins. That fascinated me.  

  Upon entering high school, I had to sign up for a foreign language. While all of my friends signed up for Spanish, I knew I wanted to learn ASL. I found that I had to justify my reasons for going with ASL to everyone I knew. “You will not wake up one day in Mexico needing Spanish to communicate. You can wake up one day without your hearing. By taking ASL, I’ll be prepared for that.” Of course they all thought I was crazy.

  While being drawn to take sign language because of dolphins is quite silly, once there I learned many things about the deaf and hard-of-hearing population and culture that demanded my respect. Fast forward eight years and I’m in court reporting school (the marine biology plan didn’t pan out).  

  While nearing the end of my schooling, an instructor began telling stories about providing CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services to college students, which entailed writing everything that is said in a college classroom for a single, hearing impaired consumer reading along on a laptop as it’s said. I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to do.  

  Though at a very different point in my life, once again, I have my run-in with the deaf population. I knew then it was in my cards. So I inquired, researched, and worked to get to a point to where I could be a facilitator of language between the “hearing world” and the hearing impaired.

Q: What service do you provide for the deaf?

A: I provide CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services in a variety of situations including for students in college classes, professionals at work or in training, and at group events and meetings, including church. I am also employed as a broadcast captioner.

Q: What type of skills do you use to communicate with the deaf?

A: I use direct eye contact when I voice in a one-on-one setting. I also rephrase if what I have said seems to not be understood. I know some sign, but I do not assume that the deaf people I come across know ASL.

Q: The majority of deaf children lack the same education level as their hearing peers. What do you intend to do to help deaf children get a better education?

A: I would like to make CART services more known all around, but especially for kids in primary schools. By having to read and follow along all that is being said, I feel as though CART services may help to increase the reading level and vocabulary of those who take advantage of it. Understandably, there can’t be a sign for every word in the English language.

  With CART services, words can be translated as they are said so as to not use a more generic substitute word, thereby potentially increasing the recipient’s vocabulary. If started at an early, but appropriate, age, I think this method could increase the reading level of students with hearing impairment.  

  While I can agree learning ASL is appropriate in certain situations, I don’t believe it’s as much the cure-all for those with hearing impairment as is led on. (To expound, I have found that people who are unfamiliar with deaf culture assume all deaf people know sign language.)

Q: What legal issues do you assist deaf people with?

A: While not versed enough to assist anyone legally, I do try to encourage people who receive CART services to advocate for the services and quality they are entitled to receive.

Q: What concern do you have with the deaf education?

A: I am concerned about the overall quality of education, especially the low reading level of hearing impaired students upon high school graduation. With ASL and English being two different languages grammatically, it stands to reason that part of where this lower academic achievement could be stemming from is the fact that while ASL is the standard taught for deaf students to communicate; books are not written in ASL.  

  They are getting two different languages at once. These students are communicating with their peers in ASL, but having to read the same textbooks English speaking students are. While I certainly haven’t the slightest clue as to a solution, that is my concern.

Q: What is your goal to ensure better service for the deaf?

A: I would like to continue to encourage recipients of CART and captioning services to advocate for the services they are entitled to. I also intend to stay on top of all continuing education so I can to keep myself abreast of the latest in technology in order to best assist the hearing impaired people I may encounter in my career.