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  3. Video Captions and Audio Transcripts

Video Captions and Audio Transcripts

Remember the AODA

Ontario Regulation 191/11, section 14:

  • By January 1, 2014, new internet websites and web content on those sites must conform with WCAG 2.0 Level A.
  • As of January 1, 2021, all internet websites and web content must conform with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, other than, success criteria 1.2.4 Captions (Live), and success criteria 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions (Pre-recorded).

Video Captions

When video files are used in your website, captions or a synchronized text transcript should be provided. Captions not only provide good Universal Instructional Design but are also useful for non-native speakers (for example, ESL), when the video has poor audio quality and when users view the video with audio disabled.

WCAG 2.0 Guideline 1.2.2 

"Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such."

Accessibility Tips: for Video Captioning and Audio Transcripts

  1. Avoid having an audio or video file play automatically on a Web page. Such a feature is potentially distracting for some users, and could interfere with some adaptive technology.
  2. Visually impaired users may need additional information about images in a video.

Captioning

Refer to "Video Accessibility" for detailed instructions on captioning videos.

Video Accessibility tutorial

Audio Transcripts

When you use audio files on your Web page, a text transcript or other text-based material should be provided.

WCAG 2.0 Guideline 1.2.1 

"An alternative for time-based media is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded audio-only content."

Tips

  • If you have a script for an audio or video production, it can be the basis for a text transcript. Otherwise you may need to manually transcribe the text (i.e. play/pause/type into MS Word).

  • Using speech recognition software can automate some transcription, but should be reviewed for errors and corrected. Example of speech recognition software are Dragon Naturally Speaking (Win/Mac),  Speech Recognition built-in to Windows and Dictation built-in to Mac OSX.

  • Video files should be embedded or displayed in a player that can be accessed by a screen reader by using keyboard commands. Some accessible players include QuickTime, RealPlayer, YouTube and JW Player (version 6 full-screen mode).

    WCAG 2.0 Guideline 2.1

 "Make all functionality available from a keyboard."

  • Avoid having an audio or video file play automatically on a Web page. Such a feature is potentially distracting for some users, and could interfere with speech recognition software.

  • Visually impaired users may need additional information about images in a video.

Examples

Closed Captioning Videos - Select CC to turn on

Open Captioning - captions are already on when video plays

Text transcript of audio file

  1. My name is Melissa Vassallo and I'm a Disability Advocate. I'm a proud alumni of Queen's University.

    Accessibility is a hard word for some people because they don't really know what it means. People are afraid of the word disability. Do I say I'm disabled? Do they bring it up? Do they ask me if I need help?

    I just find that people are really unsure about what the world of disability and accessibility is all about and it's one that I welcome with open arms. I want the dialogue to be free-flowing and everyone feel that they have a space where they can feel comfortable talking about disability...

  2.   Audio Transcript of Koerner Artist in Residence Program, 2003-2009 Video (PDF 32 KB) - Queen's University BFA Programme

Queen's Web Standards and Accessibility Development Guide (WSADG)

For your reference, sections of the WSADG used for this part of the tutorial are:

Flash and Streaming Media