TypeWell Transcriber Shortage Project

One of the goals of the TypeWell transcriber shortage project was to attempt to understand the complexities that are contributing to the ongoing shortage of service providers for the post-secondary system. While the initial project of establishing this communication access service seemed to achieve the goal of creating a qualified pool of transcribers, the challenge of sustaining adequate levels of service has been ongoing.

Understand, Analyze and Respond

In order to enable post-secondary institutions to continue to provide this service, a closer examination was required to get at the root causes of the challenges. Historically, the shortage of TypeWell transcribers has been explored from an institutional perspective to the exclusion of transcriber experiences. A qualitative-led mixed methods project was designed to fill in that missing information, and thus focused on collecting data from current and former post-secondary TypeWell transcribers in British Columbia. By focusing on the motivating elements and challenges TypeWell transcribers face during their daily work, systems can be optimized to provide the most access to motivating elements while minimizing sources of frustration.

This project resulted in a report that included recommendations in nine key areas that can assist with addressing this service delivery challenge. An advisory group has been formed to help us achieve our objectives of implementing the recommendations in order to effect sustained change across the post-secondary system. The full report is available in our resources section. For further information on how you can get involved in this ongoing project, contact us here.

PCAS TypeWell Transcriber Shortage Project Public Report