Videos and audio files can provide significant context and interaction to your class, webpage or social media outlet.
However, the sharing of these formats can present issues for people with disabilities, including those with visual and hearing impairments. Captioning and transcribing are critical to making them accessible.
But it also just provides a better overall experience for all users. For example: You're in a crowded restaurant—or a quiet library—trying to watch a video. You can't hear the video because of your situation, but you still want to access the content.
Enter: captions.
Captions on videos not only allow people of all abilities to access your content, but they often lead to higher engagement as well.
Captions are one of the ways you can make sure your content is available to everyone.
Here are steps you need to take to ensure your video and audio files are accessible:
- Provide a descriptive text transcript that includes all relevant visual and auditory clues
- Provide a text or audio description for non-live, web-based video
- Provide captions for non-live, web-based videos (e.g. YouTube videos); learn how to create YouTube captions
- Provide an audio description or media alternative
- Provide a descriptive text transcript OR audio description audio track for non-live, web-based video
- Provide captions on live video—use synchronized captions for all live multimedia containing audio
- Offer an audio description for all prerecorded video content IF the video contains content visually that is not otherwise available