Accessibility Resource Guide: Video Accessibility

One of the first steps in making videos accessible is to ensure they have closed captions. While captions can be helpful for everyone, they are essential for people with hearing loss. Captions are a text version of the audio of a video that can be seen on a video player or screen. Captions should: 

  • Include other audio elements that are significant to the understanding of the video

  • Include notations for who the speaker is and when speakers switch

  • Be timed with the speaker and leave enough time on screen to be read

  • Be edited manually for accuracy

Is automated captioning enough?

Although auto-captioning and AI-powered captioning have improved and will continue to improve, you should not rely on auto-generated captions. Regardless of the platform, automated captions must be carefully edited by a person. When automated captions are incorrect, those errors can completely change the meaning of the content or be incredibly embarrassing. When someone is completely reliant on captions to understand the content of the video or audio file, it is your responsibility to make sure those captions are correct. 

“... The effect of having hearing loss or being deaf is different from what hearing people imagine it to be – and the impact on communication is often underestimated.”  Anna Gryszkiewicz

Please take some time to learn how to edit video captions using the popular tools below:

Transcribe and auto-sync for YouTube

One of the easiest ways to create captions for videos under five minutes long is to use the transcribe and auto-sync feature within YouTube. This allows you to generate a caption that has appropriate punctuation and capitalization. It also provides you with some control over line breaks, which can aid in improving the content of the video. If you are embedding a short video on the OHIO website, you can use this feature to generate the text transcript and then have YouTube automatically time it to create the caption.

With this feature, you start the video, then, as you type the video is paused. It automatically resumes playing when you stop typing. When you have generated the full transcript, save it, and YouTube will time your transcript with the video. After that, review the generated caption for any timing and content issues, then publish the transcript. Full details on the transcribe and auto-sync feature can be found on YouTube’s website.

Microsoft OneDrive

Third-party service

Rev  provides captioning services  for a fee and is an approved vendor for BobcatBUY . Your department can use the service to caption any video or audio for instructional purposes.

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