Real-Time Onsite Live Captioning for In-Person Events

Background
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is committed to providing access to resources in compliance with federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

This Request for Quote aims to ensure that MSDE resources, such as meetings and training sessions, are accessible to all users, particularly individuals with disabilities.

Work Details
The vendor will provide real-time onsite live captioning for assigned meetings, training sessions, conferences, and professional learning events. The vendor must supply their own equipment and ensure that all work meets ADA, FCC, CVAA, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA Standards.

Specific requirements include:
- Providing 99% accurate captions with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- Ensuring captions align closely with spoken words and sounds.
- Making captions available from the beginning to the end of each program.
- Positioning captions on the screen without blocking important content.
- Post-event remediation of captions to a 99% accuracy standard in .srt and/or VTT format.
- Delivering detailed text transcripts aligned with remediated captions in an accessible PDF format.

Period of Performance
The anticipated term of the contract will begin on or about March 28, 2025, and will expire on March 27, 2026.

Place of Performance
Work will be performed at assigned sites primarily within the Baltimore Metropolitan area and other locations throughout Maryland.