Everything to Know About the Distance Education Captioning and Transcription (DECT) Grant

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Need A DECT Vendor? Get Started with 3Play Media

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In our 2023 State of Captioning Report, we learned that budget and lack of resources remain major barriers to providing captioning. One way to overcome these accessibility barriers is through grant funds, such as the Distance Education Captioning and Transcription (DECT) grant. 

Since 2008, the DECT grant has enabled California Community College systems to expand their video accessibility efforts. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, online delivery of courses has increased. To ensure the accessibility of distance learning, features like captioning and audio description are often required for compliance with state and federal laws.

3Play Media is thrilled to be an approved vendor for the DECT grant! Read on to discover what the DECT grant is, how you can apply using 3Play Media, and why California Community Colleges love using 3Play for DECT-funded services.

What Is the DECT Grant?

The Distance Education Captioning and Transcription (DECT) grant provides California Community College systems (CCCs) funding for video accessibility needs to “enhance access and inspire learning for students utilizing distance education.” As of October 1, 2022, the requirement that a student with an Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) be enrolled in the course is no longer required. 

3Play Media is a pre-approved vendor for the DECT grant and the leading choice for closed captioning, real-time captioning, and audio description for CCCs.

CCCs cover millions of students attending 116 colleges, making the DECT grant an enormous feat in creating more accessible educational content. This program enables member colleges to utilize 3Play’s captioning, transcription, live captioning, and audio description solutions for eligible distance learning materials, and have it paid for directly by grant funds.

How to Apply for a DECT Grant Using 3Play Media

Below are the steps to apply for a DECT Grant using 3Play Media:

Receive Pre-Approval

Using this method, applicants submit a vendor quote alongside the project, and DECT will pay 3Play Media directly:

Step One

Ensure you have filled out the DECT agreement and are an approved school.

Step Two

Generate a quote for your project. Work with your 3Play Media rep to receive a quote. Get started and create an account here.

Step Three

Fill out the DECT application. Select 3Play Media under Payment Method A and attach your quote. 

Step Four

Submit your application via email/fax. DECT will notify 3Play Media once the request has been approved.

 Get started with the DECT grant and 3Play Media: ➡️ 

Why California Community Colleges Love 3Play

3Play Media has been a DECT partner since 2018 and is the leading choice for CCCs’ captioning, transcription, and audio description needs. Here’s some of the top reasons CCCs love using 3Play for their inclusive learning needs:

99% Accuracy Guaranteed

We employ thousands of transcriptionists who can easily handle difficult STEM and educational content. Because of our brainy transcript editors and innovative process, we can guarantee captions and transcripts that are 99%+ accurate.

Ease of Use

Our intuitive in-app user experience makes ordering, downloading, and organizing your files easy. Automated workflows, integrations, and innovative 3Play tools simplify your workflow while increasing student engagement. From interactive transcripts to flexible APIs, our product features enable custom experiences and push-button simplicity so that you can truly “set it and forget it.”

Support

Our 5-star support team is here for you. Questions, unexpected challenges, quick changes–reach out to us anytime, and we’ll resolve it together. We provide you with a dedicated account manager, technical video accessibility support with real humans, and thorough support documentation.

Flexible & Fast Turnarounds

We have multiple turnaround options backed by service level agreements (SLA) to help ensure you don’t miss critical deadlines for your students. These SLAs were designed to hold ourselves accountable for deadline compliance. In the unfortunate case that we miss your selected deadline (even by one second), you will be charged for the service level achieved, and we will automatically apply the discount to your invoice.

Learn more about Distance Education Captioning and Transcription grant (DECT) and its requirements on the DECT website.

This blog was originally published Elisa Lewis on July 17, 2018, as “3Play Media Is an Approved Vendor for the DECT Grant for Participating CCC Schools” and has since been updated for comprehensiveness, clarity, and accuracy.