Accessible practices for audio and video allow all learners—including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low-vision, or using assistive technology—to more easily engage with your content.
Audio & Video | The Fundamentals #
- Caption all video content and provide transcripts when possible.
- Provide transcripts for all audio content.
- Provide audio descriptions of important visual content in videos.
Audio & Video | The Details #
Captions #
Captions are a written version of audible information that appear on-screen during a video. They are the best way to make your video content more accessible, and a requirement for all videos shared with your students.
Captions should:
- Accurately represent all spoken content.
- Match the timing of the audible content.
- Include relevant sounds (e.g., [laughter], [music]).
- Identify speakers by name.
- Be reviewed for accuracy before publishing (especially if auto-generated).
For practical steps for creating captions, see our Recorded Presentations & Videos guide.
Transcripts #
A transcript is a written version of audible information that is included in a document separate from your video or audio recording. Transcripts are a requirement for audio-only content, and a “nice-to-have” for videos. A transcript alone does not meet accessibility requirements for video content.
Transcripts should:
- Accurately represent all spoken content.
- Include relevant sounds (e.g., [laughter], [music]).
- Identify speakers by name.
- Be reviewed for accuracy before publishing (especially if auto-generated).
For practical steps for creating transcripts, see our Accessible Audio Recordings guide.
Audio Descriptions #
Audio descriptions are audible versions of visual information that appears in video content. They can be recorded as part of the initial video (ie. orally describing a chart as part of the initial video recording), or provided as an alternative format alongside the original video.
Audio descriptions should:
- Only describe visual information that is necessary for viewers to understand.
- Be included as part of the initial video whenever possible.
For practical steps for creating audio descriptions, see our Recorded Presentations & Videos guide.