CART, Remote CART and Live Captioning Terms and Conditions of Service

1. REQUESTS FOR SERVICE

1.1 Requests should be made to directly to your Business Coordinator.  Requests may be made by phone, email, fax or Skype.  We can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by calling 800-870-1795 x2.

1.2 The person requesting service shall provide the following information;

• Name and contact information of the person making the request;
• The date, time, and location of assignment;  
• Nature of service [CART, Remote CART, Webinar Captioning, Broadcast Captioning]
• Languages required
• Names of participants in the assignment;
• The type/details of assignment, including preparation material if available
• Whether a transcript (edited or unedited) is required for the request
• For CART service; Preferred service delivery method [Onsite or Remote service]; if any
• For remote CART service; the method by which (and relevant information related to how) audio will be transmitted to the captionist
• Name and contact information for any designated Audio/Video or Technical support person associated with the request; and/or Name and contact information for someone responsible for troubleshooting during the provision of service
• Name and contact information of the person who will receive the invoice;

1.3 All requests will be acknowledged (usually by email) within one (1) business day. If an acknowledgement is not received, the requester should contact us immediately.

1.4 The person making the request will be the sole contact person for the request unless a different contact person is assigned by the requester. If the requester is not directly associated with the agency, business, or service responsible for the cost of service, a representative from the applicable agency, business or service will be contacted to confirm service and be notified of the applicable terms.

1.5 Regardless of who initiates the request, the agency, business or service deemed to be the primary provider of service will be responsible for adhering to all CART and Broadcast Captioning Terms and Conditions and applicable rates. 

 

2.  SERVICE DELIVERY METHOD

2.1 Captioning service may be delivered through various methods;

• Remote CART service [when captioning is used directly for accessibly of one or more participants; captionist(s) are off site, providing captioning via a secured internet feed]
• On-site CART service [when captioning is used directly for accessibly of one or more participants; all participants and the captionist(s) are in one location] (availability of Onsite service may be limited in some regions)
• Webinar or Live Stream captioning [when captioning is used indirectly for accessibly of one or more participants; captionist(s) are off-site, providing captioning via internet which is embedded into the live video feed]

2.2 All options will be considered, in consultation with the participants, to determine which methods are viable and which is the most appropriate prior to confirming service. 

2.3 Regardless of the service delivery method, all Terms and Conditions of Service will apply. 

 

3. CONFIRMATION OF SERVICES

3.1 Requests will be received and processed by a designated Business Coordinator.

3.2 The Coordinator will confirm receipt of requests, typically within one business day.

3.3 The Coordinator will secure a captionist (subject to availability).

3.4 A confirmation email will be sent by the Coordinator when a captionist is secured. At this point, the event will be considered confirmed and all Terms and Conditions will apply (please note Section 7, Cancellations). 

3.5 A subsequent email will be sent to the requester 3 days prior to the event.  This email will contain all information regarding the assigned provider and  for accessing the caption feed.  The requester will be responsible for ensuring all parties needing access receive this information.

 

4. TECHNICAL & AUDIO CONNECTIONS

4.1 Remote CART, Webinar Captioning, and Broadcast Captioning each rely on audio and internet feeds to relay information in a secure and reliable manner

4.2 Audio can be provided through various means, including, but not limited to:  a teleconferencing service, a speakerphone on a land line, a microphone attached to a cell phone, a direct feed from the PA sound system into the phone line, via Skype. A quality audio feed is essential to the delivery of remote CART services.

4.3 CART service is available on most devices, operating systems, and internet browsers (including Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 8 or above). Minimum system requirements may be required to access the service.  Please ensure that your software and hardware are current and all system updates are installed prior to service delivery date. If you are uncertain if your system can support the service, specific needs can be discussed with the Business Coordinator at the time of placing the request.

4.4 High-speed Internet access (hard-wired preferred) is required to receive the Remote CART or captioning feeds.

4.5 An on-site contact number (either cell phone or land line) is required in case of emergencies or difficulties.

4.6  We strongly encourage new users (or for new connection arrangements) to arrange for testing of their connections and computer set ups.  We encourage existing users to allow at least 15 minutes prior to the start of an event to confirm the quality of the audio and the connection. 

During a test, all audio and internet connections will be assessed to ensure highest possible quality and, where necessary, provide troubleshooting should an issue be identified.  Testing also allows new users an opportunity to become familiar with how remote CART service is provided and accessed, further minimizing any concerns that could arise upon service delivery. 

4.7  20/20 WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FAILED AUDIO CONNECTIONS OR REDUCED QUALITY OF SERVICE DUE TO POOR AUDIO OR INTERNET FEEDS.  FULL RATES OF SERVICE WILL APPLY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CONNECTION FAILS OR IF THE QUALITY OF THE AUDIO.  UNDER CERTAIN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES, WE MAY WAIVE OR REDUCE CHARGES IF AN EVENT CAN BE RESCHEDULED TO A LATER DATE OR IF THERE ARE OTHER, EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.  

 

5. PREPARATION TIME AND MATERIAL

5.1  All information and material that can help a captionist prepare for the assignment should be sent to your Business Coordinator at least 3 business days prior to the date of service.  Failure to provide suggested material may result in poor caption quality.  20/20 will not be responsible for poor caption quality or other issues caused by a failure to provide adequate preparatory information by the client.

5.2  All materials will remain confidential and will be destroyed or returned.

5.3 Arrangements can be made to send highly sensitive preparation materials directly to the captionist, when necessary.

 

6. TRANSCRIPTS

6.1 Edited and unedited transcripts are available upon request.  Such requests must be made in advance of the session.

6.2 For privacy and confidentiality reasons, transcripts are not stored or saved unless specifically requested by the Client.

6.3 Edited transcripts are available.  Editing costs vary by assignment.

6.4 Transcripts provided do not constitute a legal transcript and are provided in order to facilitate communication and accessibility.  The transcript provides a written record of the event, but may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. Transcripts may not be used in a court of law.

6.6 Transcripts will only be provided to the agency, business, or service responsible for the cost of service.

6.7 Transcripts are provided in electronic format via email.

 

7. CANCELLATIONS

7.1  The requester can cancel an appointment at any time by contacting us directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by calling 800-870-1795 x2.

7.2  An email confirming the cancellation will be sent to the original requester/designated contact.

7.3  For a confirmed remote CART assignment to be cancelled without charge, written cancellation must be received at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the assignment, unless otherwise agreed in writing in advance.  For example, for a session scheduled for Monday at 3 PM ET, notice of cancellation must be received no later than the prior Friday at 3PM ET. 

For a confirmed onsite CART assignment to be cancelled without charge, written cancellation must be received at least 2 business days prior to the scheduled time of the assignment.  For example, for an onsite CART session scheduled for Monday at 3 PM ET to be cancelled without charge, notice of cancellation must be received no later than the prior Thursday at 3 PM ET. 

For assignments of 6 hours or longer or multiple-day assignments, we may require additional cancellation notice.  In these instances, cancellation time frames will be established at the time of confirmation.

7.4  Assignments cancelled without sufficient notice will be billable in full.

 

8. CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY

8.1  We treat each assignment as confidential.

8.2  The information will only be made available/accessible to the assigned captioning individual/team for the provision of service, management for the purposes of quality control and emergency support, and Accounting services  for the purposes of invoicing.  Only essential information will be shared with each party.

8.3  All materials related to the assignment will remain confidential and will be destroyed or returned to the assignment participants.  Transcripts of assignments are not saved unless a copy is expressly requested in advance.  In such a case the transcript is deleted upon confirmation of receipt by the customer.

 

9. TERMS OF SERVICE

9.1  Minimum Service Requirements:  Unless otherwise specified, the following minimum service times apply:

       Remote CART/Webinar/Broadcast Captioning:  1 hour
       Onsite CART:                                                3 hours

9.2  Service time:  For remote CART Services or Webinar and Broadcast Captioning Services, service time is considered to begin at the time the captionist connects to the audio source and the CART stream becomes active, approximately 5-15 minutes prior to the start time of the event or as previously agreed.  Service time ends when the captionist disconnects from the audio source or at the originally scheduled end time of the event, whichever is longer.  After the minimum time has elapsed, service time will be billed in 15 minute increments rounded up to the next 15 minute increment.

9.3 Invoices will be sent in accordance with our existing billing terms. 

9.4 Payment is required upon receipt or as otherwise agreed in writing.  Past due invoices may be subject to additional fees, penalties or costs.

9.5 Invoices will contain the date; time; reference number; and a detailed breakdown of fees.

9.6 If your organization requires a Purchase Order, Department Code or similar identifying code included on the invoice for payment purposes, it is your responsibility to provide such prior to service. 

 

Revised January, 2024