Government and public statistics

ADA Requirements: Effective Communication

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, ADA.gov, 2026

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: A U.S. Department of Justice guide to the effective communication rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act for title II and title III entities. It lists real-time captioning among the aids and services that make communication effective, and defines it as CART.
How much weight it carries: Official federal guidance, updated in July 2026. It explains the obligations in plain language but is not the legal text of the regulations, and it does not describe how captioning quality is measured.

Facts taken from this source

The ADA requires covered entities to provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.
“Covered entities must provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.” (Overview)
The U.S. Department of Justice's ADA guidance defines real-time captioning, also called computer-assisted real-time transcription or CART, as a service similar to court reporting in which a transcriber types what is said into a computer that projects the words onto a screen.
“Real-time captioning (also known as computer-assisted real-time transcription, or CART) is a service similar to court reporting in which a transcriber types what is being said at a meeting or event into a computer that projects the words onto a screen.” (Aids and services section)

Government and public statistics

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, ADA.gov, 2026

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: A U.S. Department of Justice guide to the effective communication rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act for title II and title III entities. It lists real-time captioning among the aids and services that make communication effective, and defines it as CART.
How much weight it carries: Official federal guidance, updated in July 2026. It explains the obligations in plain language but is not the legal text of the regulations, and it does not describe how captioning quality is measured.

The ADA requires covered entities to provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.
“Covered entities must provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities.” (Overview)
The U.S. Department of Justice's ADA guidance defines real-time captioning, also called computer-assisted real-time transcription or CART, as a service similar to court reporting in which a transcriber types what is said into a computer that projects the words onto a screen.
“Real-time captioning (also known as computer-assisted real-time transcription, or CART) is a service similar to court reporting in which a transcriber types what is being said at a meeting or event into a computer that projects the words onto a screen.” (Aids and services section)