Women-owned, disability-owned small business with a commitment to ethics, quality, and outstanding customer care. We believe that our human captioners paired with technology can transform a perceived disability into ability and it starts with accessibility. It is a basic right to have access to information, communications, knowledge, and shared human experiences. Being Deaf, hard of hearing, or not sharing a common language should not be a barrier to excellence. Our technology can bridge these barriers, misperceptions, and stigma by creating an atmosphere to thrive.

Women-woned, disability-owned small business with a commitment to ethics, quiality and outstanding customer care.
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Our Leadership Team

pat graves headshot

Patricia K. Graves

Patricia founded Caption First in 1989 in Chicago, IL. She is president, CEO, and lead writer of Caption First. In addition...

Read Pat's Bio
roy graves headshot

Roy K. Graves

Roy earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served with honor...

Read Roy's Bio

National Court Reporters Association Certifications

All Caption First realtime writers are certified by the National Court Reporters Association:

  • Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC) - formerly Certified CART Provider (CCP) and Certified Brodcast Captioner (CBC)
  • Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR)
Learn more about our National Court Reporters Association credentials.

Our Team

abbi f headshot
ahton t headshot
leora grasl headshot - realtime captioner
brenda p headshot
becky t headshot
tina s headshot
bryan c headshot
ellen k headshot
heather t headshot
heather tr headshot
jenna f headshot
kelly s headshot
kristen c headshot
linkow headshot
malia g headshot
ray p headshot
rhonda t headshot
whitney c headshot
sabrina r headshot
tina j headshot

A Short History Of Our Realtime Captioning Services Firm

side view of steno machine

Founded in 1989, Caption First initially was established to meet the needs of local television news programming by providing realtime captioning services. Our focus since those early beginnings has evolved to providing realtime and post-production captioning for corporations, Government, education, and domestic and international conventions.
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A strong supporter of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Organizations
Our services are more than just a business, for our owners it is deeply personal. Our highly skilled employees share this passion and are committed to ethical best-in-class professional service to our clients.

We will continue to be a worldwide leader in the captioning services industry by being on the cutting edge of technology and offering innovative solutions to real-world communication barriers.

Caption First is a worldwide leader in providing instant written text for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, and for people whose native language is not English.

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A strong supporter of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Organizations‍

Some of our Team Excursions

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caption first team outing - standing outside in front of mountain scenery
caption first team outing - dinner at long table
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - in underground cavern
caption first team outing - standing in front of bison at musueum
caption first team outing - two standing with masks and sign
roy and pat graves standing together outside
caption first team outing - sitting and standing near couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - laying on couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - man sitting on couch
people saluting firepit in honor of fallen veterans
caption first team outing - standing outside of hotel
caption first team outing - standing outside in front of mountain scenery
caption first team outing - dinner at long table
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - in underground cavern
caption first team outing - standing in front of bison at musueum
caption first team outing - two standing with masks and sign
roy and pat graves standing together outside
caption first team outing - sitting and standing near couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - laying on couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - sitting on couch
caption first team outing - man sitting on couch
people saluting firepit in honor of fallen veterans

Patricia K. Graves

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is President of Caption First, which was founded in 1989 in Chicago, IL. In addition to providing CART and captioning services, Pat's responsibilities include overseeing all facets of Caption First, recruiting new team members, and leading the growth of Caption First.

Pat is a certified court reporter and holds multiple realtime certifications from the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). She was awarded the Santo Aurelio Award for Altruism and is also a NCRA fellow.

Pat has been involved with NCRA since 1977 and has served on many committees. Pat served as a member of the NCRA Board of Directors from 2010 to 2013. She served as a member of the NCRA CART Task Force for three years, chairing the committee for two of those years. In 2003, Pat became one of the founding members of the Realtime Certification Committee and served on the CART Community of Interest, where she was a member, then chair.
 
Since 2004, Pat has served on the Colorado Court Reporters Association (CCRA) board in all of the positions, including President. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 2022 from CCRA. Pat also served as a member of the Advisory Committee for Ad-hoc Rules and Regulations for the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

Pat has taught both on the local and national levels on CART and captioning for court reporters and consumers. In 2000 she was listed in Today’s Chicago Woman as one of the 100 Women Making a Difference. Pat is widely published and has spoken at many conferences around the world on bringing spoken communication via CART and captioning to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and to those whose native language is not English.

Roy K. Graves

X

Roy earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served with honor in both the US Navy and the US Air Force Reserves. In addition to his stellar military career, Roy has an extensive list of work experience which includes computer programmer, engineer, engineering supervisor, technology director, and accounting director.

Roy has been instrumental in bringing Caption First to international audiences by studying various technologies and creating ways in which CART and captioning services are delivered worldwide. He has provided technical support and in many international venues around the world including Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Switzerland, and others.

Roy is active in his community; from 2007-2010 he served on the Colorado School District 38 Operations Advisory Council. He also served as Vice President of the Speech-to-Text Services Network, Treasurer of Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, and treasurer of his Home Owners Association.

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