By Daniel Morgan-Williams, Founding Director, Visualise Training and Consultancy Ltd.
Captions go on at the start of a video meeting. Within ten minutes the text has turned a client’s surname into an ordinary word and a budget figure into a different number. The colleague with hearing loss, who was relying on the text, has to choose between interrupting, guessing and staying quiet.
This article is for occupational health, HR, equality and diversity leads, insurer and income protection claims teams, vocational rehabilitation professionals, case managers and employees. It explains how automatic captions, live transcription tools and human captioning differ, where each falls short, and what a good hearing loss workplace assessment report should tell an employer. It is general information rather than legal advice.
Three different things people mean by captions
RNID describes captions as a text version of what is spoken in a meeting, produced by built-in software in the video meeting system, by third-party software or by a person. The differences matter when an adjustment is being chosen.
- Automatic captions. Speech recognition built into common video meeting platforms and some operating systems. RNID notes that features vary with the platform, the type of account and whether the person is a host or a participant. Nobody checks the text as it appears.
- Live transcription tools. Separate speech-to-text apps and services that listen to a room or call and display the words. RNID describes these apps as unregulated and designed for everyday personal use, and recommends regulated communication support for work.
- Human live captioning. A speech-to-text reporter, also called CART (communication access realtime translation). RNID describes a trained person who types a word-for-word transcript on a phonetic keyboard, with greater accuracy than automated systems. It adds that the text is usually spelt about 95% correctly. Registered reporters are regulated by the NRCPD and must respect confidentiality.
A notetaker is different again: RNID notes that notes are generally not shown in real time and may summarise.
How accurate are captions in meetings?
No UK or independent source was found that gives a reliable accuracy percentage for automatic captions in workplace meetings, so no figure is quoted here. RNID states plainly that automated captions are not 100% accurate. The largest study found, published in 2023, analysed about 17,000 live captions from television in the UK, the United States and Canada. That is broadcast content, so its results should not be assumed to apply to a team call.
A 2017 preprint from the United States notes that noise in the audio, the ambiguity of speech and unforeseen speaker characteristics such as a strong accent can lead to errors. Specialist vocabulary, names, numbers and overlapping speech are also commonly raised in practice, but these were not confirmed against a UK source, so they are best tested in the employee’s own meetings. Human captioning is more accurate according to RNID, but it needs planning: RNID advises allowing plenty of time to arrange communication support.
Captions help, but they do not replace good meeting practice
Accurate text is still hard to follow in a chaotic meeting. RNID’s guidance points to an agenda in advance, one speaker at a time with raised hands and muting, cameras on with faces visible for people who lip-read, a quiet space or noise cancellation, and breaks in meetings beyond an hour. The chair summarising decisions, and written notes or a transcript afterwards, let anything missed or mis-captioned be checked.
RNID also suggests that hearing colleagues switch captions on too, so that errors can be spotted and clarified quickly.
Who benefits, and who may need something different
Captions for hearing loss at work are often useful to people who have hearing loss and do not sign, to people who lip-read and lose that cue when faces are small or cameras are off, and to people who use hearing aids or other hearing technology and find long meetings tiring. RNID notes that many hours of video calls can be tiring for the brain and ears. Text can reduce the effort, but not remove it.
They are not right for everyone. RNID says speech-to-text reporting suits people who are comfortable reading English, often at speed. Someone whose first language is British Sign Language may need an interpreter instead of, or as well as, captions. The employee is best placed to say what works in which setting.
Confidentiality and data protection
Live transcription in meetings can mean that audio, and the text made from it, passes through a third party, which matters where meetings touch on performance, health, client or financial information. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) explains that a controller, usually the employer here, remains responsible for the compliance of its processors, and that processors act only on the controller’s instructions. The ICO notes its guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act, so current pages should be checked.
Sensible questions for the data protection lead include where audio is processed and stored, how long transcripts are kept, who can see them, whether the supplier uses the content for other purposes, and whether an app on a personal phone fits organisational policy. These are practical prompts, not ICO requirements.
Choosing and setting up captions
There is no single right set-up. These areas are worth testing with the employee.
| Area | Suggested adjustment | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Routine meetings | Automatic captions on for everyone, with the employee’s agreement | Normalises use and lets colleagues flag errors |
| Important meetings, such as appraisals and client sessions | Human live captioning booked well ahead, from a provider using registered professionals | RNID describes greater accuracy, and confidentiality duties apply |
| Audio quality | Good microphones, a quiet room or noise cancellation | Captions can only work with the sound they receive |
| Faces and chairing | Cameras on, one speaker at a time, agenda in advance, decisions summarised | Supports lip-reading and reduces overlapping speech |
| After the meeting | Transcript or written notes shared promptly | Allows missed points to be checked |
| Data protection | Check where audio is processed and who sees transcripts before adopting a tool | Protects confidential content |
What a hearing loss workplace assessment looks at
A hearing loss workplace assessment looks at how the individual actually communicates across their working week. For captions that means the types of meeting attended, the video meeting platforms in use and the captioning options they offer, room set-up and acoustics, telephone and video calls, how meeting content is shared afterwards through notes and transcripts, and who takes notes. It also covers what the employee already does to cope.
A good report describes barriers in functional terms and gives recommendations that each stand alone, with a reason tied to what the employee described. On captions it should say which situations suit automatic captions and which may justify human captioning, describe settings by feature rather than product, and separate decisions for the employer from changes that can be made at once. It should suggest trying any option in a real meeting with the employee, and may note that an Access to Work application is worth considering. It does not diagnose, predict changes in hearing or give a view on fitness for work.
What This Means for Occupational Health, HR and Case Managers
A few questions improve a referral. Which meetings cause most difficulty, and which matter most to the role? What captioning is in use now, and has the employee been asked whether it works? Where would an error carry real consequences, and who would book human captioning? Has the data protection position been checked? Has the chair been briefed?
For insurers and case managers, captioning that is in place and working is a practical sign that adjustments have gone beyond equipment. It says nothing about fitness for work. The most useful referral describes the setting, whether in-person, hybrid or online.
Legal rights and support in Great Britain
Under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, an employer must take reasonable steps where a provision, criterion or practice, a physical feature or the absence of an auxiliary aid puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage. Section 20(11) says an auxiliary aid includes an auxiliary service, and section 20(7) says the employer is generally not entitled to require the disabled person to pay. The Equality and Human Rights Commission explains that the duty applies where the employer knows, or should reasonably know, of the disability, that what is reasonable depends on matters such as the size and nature of the organisation, and that discussing adjustments with the worker is advisable because they may otherwise be ineffective. Whether captions or human captioning would be a reasonable adjustment for a particular person depends on the circumstances, and nothing here is a conclusion about any individual case. Section 20 applies in England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland has its own Access to Work scheme.
Access to Work, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, may help eligible people with a grant. GOV.UK lists specialist equipment and assistive software and support workers, with a BSL interpreter given as an example, and says it does not pay for reasonable adjustments an employer must legally make. The GOV.UK pages reviewed do not name live captioning, so whether human captioning could be funded depends on the person’s needs and the decision made. These pages were checked on 8 November 2026, and guidance can change.
Summary
Automatic captions are quick and widely available but not fully accurate, and no reliable meeting-specific accuracy figure was found. Human captioning offers greater accuracy and confidentiality safeguards but needs booking. Captions for hearing loss at work work best alongside good audio, visible faces, one speaker at a time and written follow-up, and the employee should be asked what helps. A hearing loss workplace assessment can turn those preferences into clear, reasoned recommendations.
Next step
If you or someone in your team is deaf or has hearing loss and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, visit https://visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/workplace-assessments/hearing-loss-workplace-assessment/ to arrange a hearing loss workplace assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Are automatic captions enough for an employee with hearing loss?
Sometimes, for routine meetings with good practice. They are not fully accurate, so consider human captioning where accuracy matters, and ask the employee.
What is the difference between live transcription and speech-to-text reporting?
Live transcription tools use speech recognition to produce text automatically. Speech-to-text reporting, also called CART, is done by a trained person and is described by RNID as more accurate than automated systems.
Does Access to Work pay for captioning?
It may help with some communication support for eligible people in Great Britain, but the GOV.UK pages reviewed do not name live captioning. It does not pay for adjustments an employer must legally make.
Who decides which captioning option an employee uses?
The employee should be consulted, because adjustments may not work otherwise. The employer then decides what is reasonable in the circumstances.
Sources
RNID, Make your meetings deaf aware (page updated 2 July 2026): https://rnid.org.uk/employers-and-professionals/accessible-meetings/
RNID, How to use accessibility features on video conferencing apps (page updated 3 March 2026): https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/technology-and-products/video-conferencing-accessibility/
RNID, Speech-to-text reporters (page updated 26 May 2026): https://rnid.org.uk/employers-and-professionals/providing-communication-support/speech-to-text-reporters/
RNID, Speech-to-text smartphone apps for deaf people and those with hearing loss and tinnitus (page updated 30 January 2026): https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/technology-and-products/speech-to-text-smartphone-apps/
GOV.UK, Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
GOV.UK, Access to Work, Eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/eligibility
GOV.UK, Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions: https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers
legislation.gov.uk, Equality Act 2010, section 20: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20
Equality and Human Rights Commission, Employing people: workplace adjustments (2019): https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/business/employing-people-workplace-adjustments
Acas, Reasonable adjustments at work, Having a meeting: https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments/having-a-meeting
Information Commissioner’s Office, A guide to controllers and processors: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/controllers-and-processors/controllers-and-processors-a-guide/
Romero-Fresco, P. and Fresno, N. (2023), The accuracy of automatic and human live captions in English, Linguistica Antverpiensia: https://lans-tts.uantwerpen.be/index.php/LANS-TTS/article/view/774
Kafle, S. and Huenerfauth, M. (2017), Evaluating the Usability of Automatically Generated Captions for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (preprint): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.02033
Note on sources: no UK or independent source was found for a meeting-specific accuracy figure for automatic captions. The 2023 study covers television, and the 2017 preprint is from the United States and is dated. The 95% spelling figure is RNID’s statement, and no underlying study was cited on the page. RNID guidance is charity guidance rather than regulation. RNID’s pages name specific products, which are deliberately not repeated here. Northern Ireland was not reviewed in detail, and the ICO states that its controller and processor guidance is under review. This article is general information and is not legal advice.