If you're planning some kind of live webinar or event and brushed off real-time live captioning as something you don't need, you may want to reconsider. Real-time captioning helps your audience read your words as they listen. Many groups of people would engage better with your content with real-time captioning. Here are just five: 

1. The deaf and hard of hearing

Roughly 2.2 million people in the United States are deaf. However, even if you feel certain that no one in your audience is deaf, you may be surprised to learn that about 37 million adults in the US are considered hard of hearing. If you are hosting an event for anyone to attend, you definitely want to include some real-time captioning so that you don't exclude anybody. Even if you know your audience, someone hard of hearing might be embarrassed to admit they need the extra help. You'll feel good knowing that you're making your event accessible to all hearing abilities.

2. People with learning and/or cognitive disabilities

Hearing loss isn't the only disability that can make people struggle to engage. Learning and/or cognitive disabilities could also cause somebody to disengage if they are having trouble understanding. Many people may simply process your information better if they see it instead of only hear it. For example, someone who wants to take notes but has a disability that affects how well they can spell will appreciate seeing the words. Real-time captioning will keep you from accidentally excluding these people.

3. People listening from a noisy place

Many events went online last year, which means that if your event is taking place over the internet, you have no idea where people will be watching from. Not everyone has a private home office. Some people will have screaming children in the background or be sitting out in public. For the moments the noise level will make it hard for them to concentrate, real-time captioning will help keep their attention on your content. Even if your event is in person and you believe people will be quiet, there will always be background noise and people that struggle to concentrate with any kind of distracting sounds that occur in a large group, so having the words up for people to read will be useful. 

4. People who speak English as a second language

Learning another language is hard. You not only have to memorize vocabulary and grammatical structures, but you also have to attune your ear to new accents and dialects. Being able to read the words as they listen will make a huge difference to those who speak English as a second language. Their comprehension will be much higher. Even those who have spoken English well for years could still be thrown off if your speaker has an accent they're not accustomed to or speaks more quickly than they're used to. Real-time captioning will greatly benefit this group. 

5. Anyone who is tired or struggling to focus

Everyone's had a day where they simply can't focus or are nodding off in class. Life happens—your problems are distracting, kids keep you up at night, or you skipped breakfast and feel sluggish. This group, which everybody's been in at some point, could absolutely benefit from real-time captioning. Being able to engage another one of their senses in the content will help them focus and comprehend more of the material.

So, if you thought real-time captioning was only for those who are deaf, think again. Real-time captioning can help literally anybody be more focused on the content you've worked hard to prepare. Reach out to a company that provides real-time captioning for more information.