About the service
Speech-to-text interpreting provides a meaning-for-meaning transcription for aural information. This access service is used in both online and in-person settings by Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who prefer to access information by text. In some situations, there might be both a sign language and a speech-to-text interpreter, which provides fuller access.
Speech-to-text interpreters focus on conveying the meaning of what is being said, in contrast to verbatim speech-to-text services. The transcription also includes any relevant non-verbal auditory information. This reduces what the consumer has to process visually, while allowing them to still access the same amount of meaningful information.
This is achieved through:
- the use of shorthand
- eliminating filler words
- condensing connected thoughts whenever possible.
This table shows the differences in output of verbatim and meaning-for-meaning transcription:
Variations of speech-to-text interpreting
Besides those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, other disabled individuals might find this service beneficial in providing them greater access.
Speech-to-text interpreting can also be modified to fit the needs of other disabled individuals. For example, for an individual who is blind, the transcript would focus more on describing the visual elements of the environment, rather than auditory ones.
Those who have mobility difficulties may also find this service beneficial if they are in environments like a classroom, where they have to take notes. In this case, scribe services, a modified form of speech-to-text interpreting, might be used instead.
Access for All
Speech-to-text interpreting not only provides access to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community – the general audience also benefits. Some hearing audiences might prefer reading than listening, while others might understand difficult terms better through the transcript.
Speech Recognition Software
There are a number of reasons why human speech-to-text interpreters might be preferred over speech recognition:
- Customisable layout: inclusion of title headings, screenshot of slides, highlighting or bolding of important words
- Choice of range of auditory access: Focus on main speaker only, or include other side conversations and environmental noise
- Ability to refer to diagrams drawn in real time, noting down specific sections being referred to
- Referencing each speaker’s name as they talk
- Structuring of equations for easy reading
The table below details what these differences could look like.
| Automatic Speech Recognition | STTI |
|---|---|
| You can take some materials. It is okay I brought a few. |
TEACHER: You can take some materials.
STUDENT: It is okay, I brought a few. |
| F k equals two moo k and be equal to zero point one times and be equals what. Zero point one times ten times nine point eight one equals to nine point eight one and. |
Fk = μkNB
= 0.1 * NB = 0.1 * 10 * 9.81 = 9.81N |
| If sway sway the textbook is outdated, you can potentially be legally liable if something bad happens. |
If suay suay (unlucky in Singlish) the textbook is outdated, you can potentially be legally liable if something bad happens. |
| You have a country over here, and a country over there. | You have a country over here (North America), and a country over there (China). |
| This is liver thyroxine, which is used to treat thyroid hormone efficiency. |
This is levothyroxine, which is used to treat thyroid hormone eficiency. |
| We throw away our food waste. Otherwise this is nice. |
We throw away our food waste. Otherwise— [groovy music plays from next door] This is nice! |
| It was a butter field. | It was a battlefield. |
| Because I always wore this woollen sweater, I unknowingly silky silky. |
Because I always wore this woollen sweater, I unknowingly “sksksksk” [imitating the electrostaticity] |
Learn more about Speech-to-Text interpreting through our explainer video:
Descriptive transcript of the video here
Portfolio
- SmartyPants and the Swordfish (Post-show Dialogue) 2024
- Connections 2024 Trajectories: Exploring The Skills Framework For Arts Educators 2024
- Zero Project x SG Enable Forum 2023
- Engineering Good: Tech For Good (T4G) 2023
- Arts Resource Hub x CITRUS practices 2023 – CITRUS practising: Making Concentrate
- Ethos Book Launches: Not Without Us, Simon’s World of Colourful Sounds
- Online Webinar: Navigating systems of care through food and art for Edible Art Club by Unseen Art Initiatives and Aung Mental Health Institute, 2023
- Singapore Writers Festival 2022: What if ‘I’ is not me
- Getting Deaf Access for your Lifelong Learning Info Session
- Being and Becoming: Of Femininities in the Malay World Through 50 Images’, an online exhibition with a series of seminars.
- Entire series of SAME-SAME 2.0 in collaboration between No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability (Adelaide, Australia), Theatre Today (Singapore), and Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (Singapore)
- National Gallery Singapore Panel Discussion: Desiring Connections
- Collectives’ Perspectives: Launch of Debut Series
- Students 4 Fossil Free Future: Universities x Climate Change Chat & What’s Next? Campaign Wrap-up
- Inclusive Sports Conference by SportSG
- SDEA – “The Realities of Grant Writing” online panel discussion
- ITAC Chat Series – Teaching Artist Asia Mapping
- Maya Dance Theatre Panel Discussion – Ethics in collaboration across diverse abilities
- Why Disability Matters: Producing Disability Culture(s)
- SDEA Theatre Arts Conference 2021
- TomoWork A.B.L.E Webinar: The Inclusive Future of Work
- Whole 8 series of See the True Me x Purple Conversations’ Live Chats
- SDEA Chit Chat
- TomoWork A.B.L.E 4-part Webinar Series
Clientele
- Social Enterprises
- Government Bodies
- Institutes of Higher Learning
- Arts Organisations
Interested in booking this service?
You can also find out about our rates, cancellation policy and more in our Frequently Asked Questions page.
