Re: Captions and screen readers - Accessible Media Guide

Hello Raf,

Thanks for the additional information.

Given the state of the information and the parameters of this resource, I've added:
 "Media players can provide additional accessibility functionality to users such as:
 ...
 Reading the captions with a screen reader and braille device"

I will keep on the lookout for data that might support adding additional information to the resource.

Thanks,
~Shawn


Rafal Charlampowicz wrote:
> Hello Henry,
> 
> Apologies for a late answer.
> You are right that captions and audio in the video overlap, but captions can be turned off exactly as it is in the case of a sighted watcher who doesn't want to see captions.
> Captions and subtitles are really useful for blind watchers only when they are read automatically. Only then can you for instance "watch" a video in a foreign language. Generally the use cases for blind watchers are the same as for sighted watchers. You list these cases in your guide.
> Unfortunately very few players support captions read automatically by screen readers. I looked my notes from last year tests and, besides OzPlayer (of course) I found Vimeo and YouTube, however captions in case of Vimeo and YouTube are often illegible. Especially YouTube is a good bad example: captions appear word by word and they go up from the bottom line. With each movement screen readers read the text again, so you can understand almost nothing.
> Example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXsiW7A--dY (of course you need to turn on captions. I don't mean the text in the video.).
> Another interesting case of YouTube is that, although badly, captions are read automatically, but annotations are not. They not accessible at all.
> My recommendation would be to add info that captions are also useful for blind users and that it is recommended to test if the player one is going to use supports captions being read by screen readers.
> Also a good idea may be to add information which accessible players support captions being read automatically by screen readers. A few minutes ago I looked at Able Player page. On their demo captions were not read (JAWS on Chrome), but perhaps you should contact them.
> Also as regards captions one may point at two levels of accessibility:
> Caption text is accessible for a screen reader (in some players you are not able to read or find caption text with a screen reader.)
> Captions are read automatically by screen readers.
> As regards default browser players I can't help at the moment. In AccessibilityOz almost each year we conduct tests of video players (I do screen reader testing), but we focus on online players.
> Default browser players is an interesting case. I wonder how they support captions myself. However I'm starting a leave soon and I will not be able to look at this case.
> BTW, congratulation on good work on the guide.
> Cheers,
> Raf
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shawn Henry <shawn@w3.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 12, 2019 19:29
> To: Rafal Charlampowicz <rafal@accessibilityoz.com>
> Cc: wai-eo-editors@w3.org
> Subject: Re: Captions and screen readers - Accessible Media Guide
> 
> Hi Rafal,
> 
> Thank you for the input.
> 
> I am working on specifically what text we want to add to this resource. It would be helpful if you would share additional information to inform that decision.
> 
> Certainly captions should be available to screen readers.
> 
> Are you saying that you think captions should automatically be read by screen readers? That surprises me, since the captions would overlap with the main video audio.
> 
> Please can you let us know:
> * Which common players do *not* allow screen readers access to the captions? Common players include YouTube and default browser players.
> * Which players *do* allow screen readers access to the captions?
> 
> Thanks again for the information.
> 
> Best,
> ~Shawn
> 
> 
> On 8/12/2019 2:19 AM, Rafal Charlampowicz wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm missing a clear statement that captions should also be accessible for screen reader users. It is quite frequent that although the video has captions, they are not automatically read by screen readers. Blind persons use captions the same way as other users: for understanding (if the video is in the language you don't know), for better understanding (if you are not the native speaker of the language), for understanding details (when some precise data are mentioned in the video - pausing the video and reading captions help to learn).
>>
>> This feature should be taken into consideration when a video player is selected.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Raf
>>
>> *Rafal Charlampowicz, Accessibility Specialist*
>>
>> *AccessibilityOz*
>>
>> *Company Twitter:*@accessibilityoz
>>
>> *Email:*_rafal@accessibilityoz.com <mailto:rafal@accessibilityoz.com>_
>>
>> **
>>
>> *Products:*
>>
>> *OzART: <https://www.accessibilityoz.com/ozart/>**our fully accessible automated testing tool*
>>
>> *OzPlayer: <https://www.accessibilityoz.com/ozplayer/>**our fully accessible video player*
>>
>> *OzWiki: <https://www.accessibilityoz.com/ozwiki/>**our database of accessibility errors, examples and solutions*
>>

Received on Monday, 19 August 2019 22:41:23 UTC