Media and InteractionAudio Transcripts and Closed Captions

Guidelines

When you incorporate an audio-only file or a video without adequate captions, we encourage you to include a transcript. When would a video not have adequate captions? You may find that the video's closed captions do not comprehensively convey the meaning of the visuals in the video or you may include a video from an external source that has incomplete or inaccurate captions.

When you produce your own videos for faculty-added content, we also encourage you to turn on closed captions. We are fortunate to have access to ScreenPal, and we'll address how to use this user-friendly video production tool to implement closed captions and evaluate them for accuracy.

How to Support Accessibility

Click the following tabs for guidance on audio transcripts and closed captions.

Audio Transcripts

Text transcripts should be used to supplement audio-only files and videos without adequate captions. Transcripts must follow all accessibility guidelines for accessible documents, including proper color, contrast, structure, and other elements we addressed in Modules 1-3. Consider the following questions when preparing transcripts:

Does the transcript comprehensively cover the content? Close your eyes and listen to it.
Do you receive all the meaning of the content just from hearing it? If not, you might need to add descriptions for visuals that support the content.
Are you delivering a lecture? If you are presenting a lecture, providing the presentation slides may suffice as a type of transcript and may be helpful to your students for note-taking purposes. We also encourage you to record this as a video so that you can easily capture audio and visual content and make this accessible for all students by utilizing the accompanying closed caption instructions.

When preparing transcripts, we recommend you adhere to the following guidelines:

For audio-only content, determine which sounds to transcribe and what audio information must be included (e.g., music, laughter, coughing, background noise).
For video content, determine which imagery to describe and what visual information must be included (e.g., describing a process or a visual item within the video).
Ensure that users can access the transcript by a meaningful hyperlink located on the same page as the audio or video file.
Provide the transcript in an accessible format like an accessible Canvas page, plain text file, Microsoft Word document, or PDF.

Closed Captions

View the following video for instructions on how to add captions in your ScreenPal videos.

Once you have ensured that your closed captions are turned on in your video, make sure you have quality captions. The Described and Captioned Media Program defines quality captions as:

Accurate: Errorless captions are the goal for each production.
Consistent: Uniformity in style and presentation of all captioning features is crucial for viewer understanding.
Clear: A complete textual representation of the audio, including speaker identification and non-speech information, provides clarity.
Readable: Captions are displayed with enough time to be read completely, are in synchronization with the audio, and are not obscured by (nor do they obscure) the visual content.
Equal: Equal access requires that the meaning and intention of the material is completely preserved.

Supplemental Resources