An STTR (speech to text reporter sometimes called a palantypist or stenographer) will provide communication support to students with hearing loss. They type every word that’s spoken in a classroom or lecture hall, and the text appears in real time on a laptop screen for the person with hearing loss to read.  An STTR uses a special keyboard to type every word that is spoken phonetically (how the word sounds rather than how it’s spelt). The phonetic version is then instantly ‘converted’ back into English and then appears on the computer or projected screen. This service is suitable for students who are comfortable reading English and sometimes for up to a couple of hours at a time.

For larger groups information can be projected onto a big screen or several smaller screens around the room. This service can be offered both face-to-face and remotely. More and more students are now having this service provided remotely;  cutting down costs, providing much more flexibility and critically being 100% discreet.