Human-Generated Communication Access Real-time Translation Services

The Vendor is required to provide human-generated Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) services to support effective communication and meaningful access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in County meetings, hearings, trainings, events, programs, services, and other activities countywide.
- Key goals and outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Provide reliable, accurate, real-time captioning as an auxiliary aid and service for County programs, services, and meetings.
• Support equitable access, independence, dignity, and meaningful participation for deaf and hard of hearing participants, employees, applicants, volunteers, commissioners, and members of the public.
• Ensure County departments can secure CART coverage efficiently for both scheduled recurring meetings and ad hoc requests.
• Ensure CART delivery is operationally compatible with virtual, hybrid, and in-person meeting formats.
• Establish measurable service levels and accountability for quality, responsiveness, and continuity of service.
• Provide an optional enhanced service level for Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings.
• Provide confidential CART services in a HIPAA and PII compliant environment and maintain confidentiality.
- Service Types
• Recurring departmental or program meetings
• One-time meetings and upon-request meetings
• Public meetings and community engagement meetings
• Internal staff meetings, trainings, orientations, and workshops
• Hearings, panels, presentations, webinars, and special events
• Virtual, hybrid, and in-person meeting support
- Required Service Components
• Provide human-generated real-time captioning by qualified CART personnel.
• Provide captioning in English unless otherwise specified by the County.
• Deliver captions through accessible browser-based links and/or compatible integration with meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Provide on-site CART display options when required by the County, including coordination regarding screen placement, seating, feed routing, and viewing access.
• Provide transcripts upon request, in an accessible electronic format and edited if necessary.
• Coordinate with County staff regarding schedules, terminology, acronyms, names, agendas, speaker lists, and meeting materials.
• Provide customer support and operational communication before, during, and after assignments.
• Maintain backup staffing and technical contingency plans.
- Scheduling and Coverage
• Accept requests for both recurring and ad hoc assignments. Identify standard scheduling lead times and any rush request procedures.
• Provide a clear process for confirmation, change requests, cancellation notices, and meeting overrun coverage.
• Provide a central scheduling contact and escalation contact. Make reasonable efforts to maintain continuity of assigned captioners for recurring meetings when requested by the County.
• For Board of Supervisors meetings, Contractor shall provide continuous CART coverage for the full duration of the public meeting, including recesses, continued items, public comment periods, meeting overruns, evening sessions, and reconvened sessions, unless expressly released by the County’s designated meeting contact.
• Contractor shall provide relief captioners as necessary to maintain quality and continuity.
- Accessibility and Community Expectations
• The County expects the contractor to deliver services consistent with disability access principles and community expectations, including:
• Respectful interaction with D/deaf and hard of hearing participants and County staff.
• Recognition that captions must support real-time participation, not merely post-event documentation.
• Operational practices that reduce barriers, including pre-session preparation, speaker clarification, and terminology review, and prompt troubleshooting.
• Understanding that effective communication may require consultation with the requesting department and the individual(s) needing access support.
• Commitment to inclusion, clarity, confidentiality, and responsiveness.