Many courses use videos and other media that instructors didn’t create—publisher content, documentaries, archival footage, YouTube clips, interviews, or recordings tied to current events. These resources can add real value to a course, but they also raise a practical challenge: how to provide access when the media is not something you own or control.

This guidance is meant to acknowledge that complexity, offer practical steps you can take now, and clarify how to document good-faith efforts while we continue working towards providing materials that are fully compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA.

Step 1: Decide whether the media is essential to learning outcomes

If not essential, consider removing it for now or clearly marking it as a supplemental resource (and not tied to assessment).  It is important that a student’s inability to access any supplemental resource should not disadvantage them or their learning.

Step 2: For required media, look for an accessible version first

Often the best solution is a different version of the same content.

• Check library resources. Library-licensed streaming platforms may offer more reliable captions/transcripts and increasingly audio description. See the Simpson Library’s guide on Finding Accessible Media.
• Check the original source or publisher. Creators sometimes release updated or remediated versions over time.
• Search for an equivalent accessible alternative. Another video, article, podcast, or interactive resource may cover the same concepts with fewer barriers.
• Contact the creator/publisher. Request captions, transcripts, and (when needed) audio description. This may yield an improved version while documenting your advocacy for accessibility.

Step 3: Apply a “minimum bar” for a required non-compliant video

For a non-compliant video that you have determined is required, faculty should aim to meet these baseline expectations as they continue working towards a fully accessible version.

Provide access to the audio content

• Captions are available and reasonably accurate (not obviously missing lines, garbled, or out of sync). Can students get the important information they need from the captions? If not, then:
• Share a text option if one exists or can be reasonably created. A transcript should include speaker identification and any meaningful non-speech audio (e.g., “applause,” “music begins,” “loud crash”).

Provide access to essential visual information

If students need to understand what is happening visually (e.g., demonstrations, diagrams, charts, on-screen text, gestures, lab techniques), provide one or more of the following:

• Guided notes that explain key visuals and steps
• A written summary that includes the meaning of essential visuals (not just a plot recap)
• An alternative resource that presents the same concepts accessibly (reading, narrated walkthrough, accessible simulation, etc.)

These steps may not make the media fully WCAG-conformant, but they can materially reduce barriers and provide a workable equivalent while you pursue better options.

If you can’t meet these minimums, treat the video as supplemental or replace it where possible. Remember, supplemental resources should not be tied to assessment or disadvantage a student unable to fully access it. The Title II Accessibility Team is also available to help think through options.

Step 4: Coordinate Early

If the media is required and would be difficult to meet a “minimum bar” (e.g. an out-of-print feature length foreign film where accessibility features like subtitles are not available), contact the Title II Accessibility team early to determine accessible options. The goal is to plan ahead so students don’t need to wait for access.

Step 5: Document Your Efforts

If you determine that an essential third-party video must remain in your course for now, document the steps you took to make it accessible. This can be simple and informal:

• Notes in your course planning materials
• A brief file saved with your syllabus or Canvas course
• An email record of searches, publisher outreach, or library consultation

Here is a quick template of the elements to include when creating your documentation:

Video title + link:

Date checked:

Required or Supplemental?

Learning outcome supported:

Accessibility status: captions (Y/N), transcript (Y/N), audio description needed? (Y/N/Unsure)

Where I searched for a more accessible version: (library / publisher / other)

Who I contacted and when:

Alternatives considered (and why insufficient):

Barrier-reduction steps I provided: (transcript / guided notes / visual summary / alternative resource)

Follow-up plan: (replace next term / recheck publisher / request via library / consult accessibility team)

Documentation helps demonstrate thoughtful decision-making and supports institutional efforts to improve access over time.

Where this leaves us right now

Currently, we do not have a universal or scalable way to make every externally hosted video fully accessible. That reality does not mean you must avoid all external media, and it does not mean your accessibility work stops.

If you have:

• confirmed the media is instructionally essential,
• searched for accessible or equivalent alternatives,
• provided reasonable barrier-reduction steps, and
• documented your efforts,

…you may use essential external media under the above conditions while you continue working toward an accessible, fully compliant version.

Accessibility is not a one-time checkbox; it is an ongoing process. Faculty are not expected to solve systemic media accessibility challenges alone. What is expected is care, reflection, and collaboration as we move toward more inclusive teaching and learning.

Get Support

If you would like help evaluating a specific piece of media, finding accessible alternatives, or deciding what mitigation is reasonable, contact the Title II Accessibility team at t2access@umw.edu or book an accessibility consultation.