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This page describes accessibility issues related to video, audio and multimedia with integrated video and audio. Please see the links on this page for information about policy and guidelines as well as examples of a captioned video and transcribed audio.

Benefits to Multiple Audiences

Captions are mandated primarily for Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, but captions benefit multiple audiences including:

  • Non-native speakers
  • When vocabulary is unfamiliar
  • When the speaker is using an unfamiliar dialect
  • When audio is not clear or audio is not available. This last includes instances when audio quality is poor and instances when a person cannot listen to audio because of their work or study environment.

According to one study in the U.K., up to 80% of viewers using captions are not considered Deaf or hard of hearing. If you are wondering if many people can benefit from captions consider many people benefit from captions in a crowded airport or sports bar.

Penn State Policy

The document Captioning Decision Tree & Workflow (Login Required) provides guidance on captioning requirements including when and where to provide synchronous live captions during an event or “post-produciton” captions within a recording. The document “is designed to provide the University with a consistent workflow, decision tree and resources to help units fulfill their Live and Postproduction captioning needs.”

Below are links to relevant Penn State policy on captions.

Because Policy A.D. 69 mandates compliance with WCAG 2.0 content for all content relating to Penn State functions, the ones relevant to audio and video are repeated below.

WCAG 2 Guidelines for Audio and Video

  1. If 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."
  2. If video files are used, captions or a synchronized text transcript should be provided.
    NOTE: Captions also benefit non-native speakers, users with audio disabled or viewers watching a video with poor quality audio.
    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."
  3. Video files should be embedded or displayed in a player that can be accessed by a screen reader via keyboard commands.Accessible players include QuickTime, RealPlayer, iTunes and YouTube
    WCAG 2.0 Guideline 2.1—"Make all functionality available from a keyboard."
  4. Videos that include visual information critical to comprehension should include a description of images or events for visually impaired audiences. For example, a screencast of a software product should name the buttons and commands being used, not just say "click here".
    WCAG 2.0 Guideline 1.2.3—An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.
  5. A lengthy piece of audio or video should not be played by default or play in an endless loop when viewing a page. Instead, the user should be able to click the play button to start the file. This provision allows users with certain cognitive, reading or motion disorders to process other content on the page as needed before viewing the content. This also prevents audio from interfering with screenreader audio.
    WCAG 2.0 Guideline 2.2.2—Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential.
  6. Any text displayed in a video (e.g. titles, captions) should comply with color contrast guidelines.

Accessible Audio/Video Examples

Accessible Captioned Video

The video below includes closed captions, meaning that a button can reveal captions as needed. In this case, the captions are placeda text file which includes time codes indicate when to switch to the next line.

Instructor Interview

The following YouTube interview with Prof. Nuria Sagarra, Director of the Spanish Basic Language Program, is captioned. You can access captions by clicking the CC button in the lower right corner of the screen. This becomes visible only after starting to play it.

Additional Examples

Simply Speaking Computer Technology Videos

Audio Transcript Example

The following paragraph includes a link to a podcast and also to its transcript as a separate link. The transcript is formatted as a page with paragraphs and headings.

Podcast on Knowledge Commons

Podcast Audio (MP3) | Text Transcript

Caption vs. Transcript

A caption and transcript are two different formats and should not be used interchangeably. A caption file is meant to be embedded into a video and therefore includes time codes for each line shown. A transcript is meant to be read as a document. A transcript may include additional information as needed depending on its use.

Below is a scene from the public domain movie McClintock which ends with one of actor John Wayne’s best remembered lines. Click the links below the embedded scene to see the annotated transcript versus the actual caption file.

John Wayne’s "The Hell I Won’t Scene"

The following scene is from the John Wayne movie McClintock in which John Wayne plays a rich, but rugged land owner G.W. McClintock. It ends with John Wayne’s character punching an argumentative neighbor, Mr. Jones, while yelling "The Hell I won’t."

 

Caption vs. Transcript

View SRT Caption File

Note: The time code references refer to the entire film.

888
00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,440
Not so fast, Mr Boss of the whole country,

889
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,720
unless you want to wear a big hole in your middle.

890
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:48,400
How long is GW going to let that cheechako push him around?

891
00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:52,000
That cheechako has a sawed-off shotgun.

892
00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:53,920
How do you know she didn't wander off someplace,

893
00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:55,240
or meet some feller or something?

894
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:56,320
What are you saying,

895
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,120
that I didn't raise my girl right,

896
00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:00,120
that she'd wander off all night with some man?

897
00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:02,560
There's a lot of things I'm not saying to you, mister,

898
00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:04,920
while you got a sawed-off shotgun in my middle.

899
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,280
But how do you know this Indian had anything to do with it?

900
00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:09,840
She's gone, ain't she? She's gone!

901
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:11,680
GIRL: Pa!

902
00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:14,240
Pa, I'm over here!

903
00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:15,520
Pa!

904
00:45:18,240 --> 00:45:19,920
Been looking for me, Pa?

905
00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:21,120
Where you been, gal?

906
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:23,880
Young Ben took me for a sunrise ride,

907
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,320
and the horse wandered away.

908
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:28,720
You come down off of there!

909
00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:29,920
But, Pa!

910
00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:31,440
She's telling the truth, Mr McLintock.

911
00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:32,600
We wasn't doing nothing.

912
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:34,360
Well, that's not important right now.

913
00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:36,320
The important thing is that you don't draw that hog-leg,

914
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:38,760
or this'll be worse than Dodge City on Saturday night.

915
00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:39,960
But, Papa!

916
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,320
You get on back to the wagon!

917
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,120
I'll tend to you later.

918
00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:45,000
Now for this young whippersnapper!

919
00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:46,920
GW: Now, no harm has been done,

920
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,640
and young Ben here is one of the nicest boys in the territory.

921
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:51,640
So just put down that shotgun and let's forget...

922
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:52,880
I'll teach him to fool with my...

923
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,760
Aah! Oof!

924
00:45:54,720 --> 00:45:57,920
Now...we'll all calm down.

925
00:45:57,880 --> 00:45:59,520
Boss, he's just a little excited.

926
00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:01,880
I know, I know. I'm going to use good judgment.

927
00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,240
I haven't lost my temper in 40 years.

928
00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:06,720
But, pilgrim, you caused a lot of trouble this morning.

929
00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:08,480
Might have got somebody killed.

930
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:10,720
And somebody ought to belt you in the mouth!

931
00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,280
But I won't. I won't.

932
00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:14,640
The hell I won't!

933
00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:18,720
Oomf!

934
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:22,960
McLintock rider!
View Annotated Transcript

Note: The transcript below includes the dialogue with some visual description in [].

Scene

The scene begins at a fight with an angry older cowboy, Mr. Jones, holding a sawed-off shotgun to McClintock’s chest.

Jones: Not so fast, boss of the whole country – unless you wanna a wear a hole in your big middle.

Mrs. McClintock [standing off to the side]: How long is G.W. gonna to let that cheechako push him around?

Bystander: That cheechako has a sawed-off shotgun.

McClintock [to Jones]: How do you know she didn’t wander off someplace, or meet some feller or something?

Jones: What are you saying, that I didn’t raise my girl right, that she’d wander off all night with some man?

[Sound effects – The cowboy pushes McClintock backwards with the shotgun.]

McClintock: There’s a lot of things I’m not saying to you, mister,while you got a sawed-off shotgun in my middle. But how do you know this Indian [pointing to the side] had anything to do with it?

Jones: She’s gone, ain’t she? She’s gone!

Jones’s Daughter: Pa! Pa, I’m over here!

[A young man and the daughter ride in together on one horse.]

Daughter:: Pa! Been looking for me, Pa?

Jones: Where you been, gal?

Daughter:: Young Ben took me for a sunrise ride, and the horse wandered away.

Jones: You come down off of there!

Daughter:: But, Pa!

[The father pulls his daughter from the horse.]

Ben: She’s telling the truth, Mr McLintock. We wasn’t doing nothing.

McClintock: Well, that’s not important right now. The important thing is that you don’t draw that hog-leg, or this’ll be worse than Dodge City on Saturday night.

Daughter:: But, Papa!

Jones: You get on back to the wagon! I’ll tend to you later. Now for this young whippersnapper!

McClintock: Now, no harm has been done, and young Ben here is one of the nicest boys in the territory. So just put down that shotgun and let’s forget…

Jones: I’ll teach him to fool with my… Aah! Oof!

[McClintock shoves the cowboy and grabs his shotgun. The shotgun is now pointing at the cowboy.]

McClintock: Now…we’ll all calm down.

Bystander Employee: Boss, he’s just a little excited.

John Wayne Quote

McClintock: I know, I know. I’m going to use good judgment. I haven’t lost my temper in 40 years. But, pilgrim, you caused a lot of trouble this morning. Might have got somebody killed. And somebody ought to belt you in the mouth!

But I won’t. I won’t. The hell I won’t!

Jones: Oomf!

[McClintock punches Jones so hard, falls down a steep hill into a gray puddle. ]

Bystander Off Screen: McClintock rider!

[Brief Credits are shown]

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Last Update: September 11, 2024