But as members of the Monticello Rotary club found out during their meeting Friday, communication now comes in all forms.

Jamie Hicks, Monticello, spoke to the club about her job at Purdue University with Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). A qualified court reporter, Hicks took her training in a different direction than most of her peers.

“I attend classes with my students and use the stenotype to type out what the professor is saying, and they can immediately see it pop up on the laptop screen,” said Hicks, who attends up to 11 classes a week with hearing-impaired students. “The way it works is really similar to closed captioning.”

CART is the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and realtime software. The text appears for the student to see on a computer monitor. The technology is primarily used by people who are late-deafened, oral deaf, hard-of-hearing or have cochlear implants.

“We don’t replace sign language interpreters with what we do; we really are an alternative,” said Hicks, who has been with the program for 10 years. “People that have become deaf later in life are usually the ones that come to us, and they are usually pretty good at lip reading. I probably only have one student that does sign language.”

Unlike computerized note-taking or abbreviation systems, which summarize information for the consumer, CART provides a complete translation of all spoken words and environmental sounds, empowering consumers to decide for themselves what information is important to them. According to Hicks, the realtime aspect of the program has Hicks, the realtime aspect of the program has proven to be intimidating for some court reporters.

“A lot of court reporters are afraid of doing this because they aren’t used to the realtime. They’re used to typing up what happens in court, and then editing it later on,” said Hicks, who recently began working as a court reporter during the summer months. “With what I’m doing, what I type immediately pops up on the screen for the student to see.”

Speed plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of the CART program for its students. The stenotype is a touch-driven printer about half the size of a typewriter on which any combination of its 22 keys can be struck simultaneously. The stenotype allows the user to press more than one key at a time, recording symbols that represent sounds, words and even phrases.

“Each spoken syllable is a stroke, and the stenotype works off of phonetics,” said Hicks. “I can type 225 words per minute, and most people speak at around 180 words per minute. It was difficult to get the hang of it at first, but I think now I’m on autopilot.”

Giving students with hearing loss access to assistive technology and providing them with the same opportunities to learn and grow as hearing students, CART allows them to take a more active role in the classroom. Though her work through CART is a paying job, seeing the immediate results from her labor has made it a fulfilling one for Hicks.

“I do get to know my students pretty well, and I really take an interest in how they’re doing in the classes, how they did on their test,” said Hicks. “I’m usually with them from their first year through graduation, and I really enjoy being able to help them better their education.”

By Katie Duffey
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