Electronic note-takers work with deaf people who are comfortable reading English, as all notes are typed in English. They can also help hearing people who want to communicate with deaf people. Electronic note-takers type a summary of what is being said onto a computer. This information then appears on the screen, so the deaf/hearing impaired person can read it. Electronic note-taking means there are fewer words to read compared to speech-to-text reporting, but it does mean that a full word-for-word report will not be available. If a word-for-word transcript of everything that is said is required, it would be advisable to use a speech-to-text reporter.

Electronic note-takers use special software and two laptop computers - one for the deaf/hearing impaired person and one for the operator. The deaf/hearing impaired person can read a summary of what has been said on their screen. They can also type a reply, which the operator can read to hearing people in the room.