Making Accessible Video and Audio
Why Transcripts and Captions Are Important
Transcripts and captions ensure that audio and video content on the CWU website is accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing and to others who cannot access or process audio. They also improve usability for a wide range of users by making content easier to understand, search, and review in different environments.
Descriptive transcripts, which include details about both audio and visual information, are especially important for people who are deaf-blind. These transcripts allow content to be accessed through braille or other assistive technologies, ensuring that multimedia content on the CWU website is inclusive and usable for all users.
Content managers are responsible for ensuring media is accessible before it is published, including verifying that captions are accurate and that transcripts clearly represent the content being presented.
Audio and Video Accessibility Requirements
To meet accessibility requirements, all audio and video content on the CWU website must be usable by people with a wide range of abilities. This ensures compliance with accessibility standards and supports an inclusive experience for all users.
Requirements for audio-only (For example, podcasts, spoken feedback, radio programs, etc.)
Audio-only content must include a transcript that conveys all spoken information and any important sounds.
Requirements for video content with audio (For example, commercials, movies, television programs, livestreamed graduation, virtual conference, narrated PowerPoint lecture, etc.)
Video must include accurate, synchronized captions, and videos that convey important visual information must also provide a transcript or audio description when needed.
When to Include Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions
Understanding when captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions are required can feel confusing at first. The guidance below is intended to help CWU content managers determine what is needed to make audio and video content accessible. In some cases, a single video may require more than one accommodation, such as captions and a descriptive transcript.
This guidance is informed by best practices from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and aligns with widely adopted accessibility standards.
Video Content
Does your video include speech or dialogue?
If your video includes spoken content, you must provide captions. Captions should include dialogue, speaker identification when relevant, and meaningful non-speech sounds.
Examples include talking-head videos, explainer videos, interviews, and recorded presentations.
Does your video include important visual information that is not described in the audio?
If your video contains visual content—such as on-screen text, demonstrations, charts, graphs, or steps in a process—that is not fully explained through dialogue, you must provide a descriptive transcript or an audio-described version of the video.
Examples include montage videos with music and no narration, or recordings of slide presentations where visual content is not described aloud. In these cases, a transcript should be easy to find and available near the video or linked from the media description.
Does your video contain no meaningful audio?
If your video does not include speech or other audio necessary to understand the content, captions are not required. However, you should clearly note that captions are not included because there is no substantive audio content.
An example would be a silent video demonstrating a process without narration or sound cues.
Audio Content
Does your audio file contain speech or dialogue?
If your audio content includes spoken information, you must provide a transcript. The transcript should include all spoken content and any meaningful non-speech sounds.
Examples include podcasts, recorded interviews, lectures, or music with lyrics.
Does your audio file contain no speech?
If your audio file does not include spoken content, provide a clear title and a brief description of what the audio contains.
Examples include instrumental music or sound effects.
Providing the appropriate captions, transcripts, and descriptions ensures CWU’s media content is accessible, usable, and inclusive for all audiences.
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Common Accessibility Errors When Publishing Audio and Video
The following are common mistakes that can make audio and video content inaccessible on the CWU website. Avoiding these issues helps ensure media content is usable by all audiences and aligned with accessibility requirements.
- Publishing videos without captions or with captions turned off by default
- Relying solely on auto-generated captions without reviewing and correcting errors
- Providing captions that are incomplete, out of sync, or missing punctuation
- Failing to include transcripts for audio-only content such as podcasts or recorded lectures
- Omitting visual descriptions when important information is conveyed visually in a video
- Including text or instructions in video visuals without providing that information in captions or transcripts
- Using color alone in videos (such as charts or highlights) to convey meaning
- Publishing long videos without clear structure, chapters, or timestamps
- Linking to externally hosted media without verifying that accessibility requirements are met
- Uploading media without testing playback, captions, and controls before publishing
Addressing these common errors helps ensure CWU’s audio and video content is accessible, and usable for all users.
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Best Practices for Publishing Accessible Audio and Video
Use the following best practices to ensure audio and video content on the CWU website is accessible, usable, and inclusive for all users.
- Provide accurate, synchronized captions for all video content that includes audio.
- Review and correct auto-generated captions before publishing.
- Include transcripts for audio-only content such as podcasts and recorded announcements.
- Provide transcripts or audio descriptions when videos include important visual information not conveyed through audio.
- Ensure media players are keyboard accessible and compatible with screen readers.
- Make sure captions include speaker identification and relevant non-speech sounds when appropriate.
- Avoid placing important information only in visuals; ensure it is also available through captions or transcripts.
- Do not rely on color alone to communicate meaning within videos.
- Break long videos into shorter segments or provide chapters or timestamps to improve navigation.
- Verify that externally hosted media meets accessibility requirements before embedding or linking.
- Test audio and video content after publishing to confirm captions, transcripts, and controls function correctly.
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