Bringing confidence to learning in higher education with Caption.Ed

As a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) assessor, Rita Rutherford works closely with students to understand how their disability or condition affects their ability to study. Her role is to identify barriers, recommend the right support, and ensure students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in higher education.

The barriers to learning in higher education

Rita explains that common challenges for students include reading, typing, spelling, and grammar. “Listening and writing at the same time can be overwhelming,” she says. For many, starting an essay or report feels like an impossible hurdle.

Neurodivergent students or those with disabilities often struggle to keep up with lectures, note-taking, and processing information, all of which can create gaps in their learning and affect confidence.

Students’ favourite: Caption.Ed

When recommending assistive technology, Rita looks for tools that are simple, cost-effective, and genuinely impactful. For her, Caption.Ed stands out as one of the most versatile and supportive tools for students.

According to Rita, the software gives students live captions across multiple platforms, helping them process spoken information in real time. Its universal design means it works in lectures, online meetings, or while watching educational videos, making it a flexible option for different learning environments.

Students also often highlight how straightforward Caption.Ed feels to use. Unlike some assistive tools that can be complex or intimidating, Caption.Ed has a clean design that helps students focus on learning rather than navigating software.

That flexibility and simplicity means students are more likely to engage with it and benefit from consistent support across their studies.

Why Rita recommends it

As an assessor, Rita needs to feel confident that the recommendations she makes will truly support students to overcome learning barriers. With Caption.Ed, she feels reassured that students will gain immediate and lasting benefits.

Caption.Ed helps students learn with confidence

By reducing the pressure of multitasking during lectures and study sessions, Caption.Ed empowers students to focus on what matters most: understanding and engaging with their course material. With live captions, saved transcripts, and easy-to-use functionality, students gain practical tools to improve their academic confidence, organisation, and productivity.

For Rita, Caption.Ed is a reliable solution that breaks down barriers and helps students thrive in higher education.