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Synopsis
- For audio-only podcasts, transcripts should be available. PDF files can be loaded into iTunes, but these files should also be made accessible. Another option is to provide a Word or text file outside of iTunes.
- Video-only podcasts should be captioned or provided with transcripts. See WGBH Creating Accessible iTunes U Content (PDF) for information on how to create captions.
- If a screen reader configuration does not support iTunes, then a link to an MP3 or video file outside of iTunes can be given.
NOTE: Recent versions of JAWS and other screen readers can work with recent versions of iTunes, but some users may be on older versions of JAWS because of the expense of upgrading.
Adding SCC Captions to Video Podcasts
Video-only podcasts should be captioned or accompanied by transcripts, although iPods and iPhones only supports captions in SCC (Sonic Scenarist) format. SCC files do not use a human-interpretable language, and therefore need to be created with specialized software like MovieCaptioner.
To create an SCC caption file in MovieCaptioner:
- Add your captions by following the directions in the "How to Use MovieCaptioner" PDF in the MovieCaptioner folder within your computer’s Applications folder
- Under the Export menu, select Sonic Scenarist (SCC Embed in QT) or Sonic Scenarist (SCC File Only). The former option will embed the SCC captions directly into a QuickTime video. The latter will only create an .scc file, which can be opened with any text editor.
- If you used the Sonic Scenarist (SCC Embed in QT) option, QuickTime will launch automatically. View the video to ensure that the captions were added correctly. Even if you only intend to create a standalone .scc file, it’s generally advisable to also export with SCC Embed in QT to test that your captions are working.