Re: New Topic: Audio and Video Compliance: Transcripts vs Closed Captions

Merely assigning timecode to transcripts does not create captions. It creates a timed transcript. The two are not equivalent, and using a timed transcript gives a smaller accessibility gain than proper captions.

To create an accessible experience with captions over video in general, several other important steps need to be taken, to different extents depending on the cultural expectations of the captions, which vary by country:

  *   Split the text into appropriate size blocks and lines, taking into account the grammatical constructs of the dialogue, and who says what.
  *   Assign speaker information if not already present
  *   Add in non-dialog sound labels, such as indication of noises, music etc
  *   In many countries there is an additional step to colour the text selectively to indicate changes of speaker, noises etc.
  *   Position the captions so that they do not obscure important parts of the image in the video, for example not overlapping faces, scores, in-video text, key sporting action etc.

The BBC’s editorial and technical guidelines for captions (known as subtitles in the UK) are at http://bbc.github.io/subtitle-guidelines/ if you want to read (much) more detail. It doesn’t capture non-UK requirements.

Kind regards,

Nigel


From: "Cohn, Jonathan" <jcohn@air.org<mailto:jcohn@air.org>>
Date: Friday, 30 August 2019 at 18:20
To: "Pyatt, Elizabeth J" <ejp10@psu.edu<mailto:ejp10@psu.edu>>, Jacqueline Beverly <Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu<mailto:Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu>>
Cc: "w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>" <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Subject: RE: New Topic: Audio and Video Compliance: Transcripts vs Closed Captions
Resent-From: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Resent-Date: Friday, 30 August 2019 at 18:21

Can one then download the created CC’s to use in your own server.

From: Pyatt, Elizabeth J <ejp10@psu.edu<mailto:ejp10@psu.edu>>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2019 1:11 PM
To: Jacqueline Beverly <Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu<mailto:Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu>>
Cc: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Re: New Topic: Audio and Video Compliance: Transcripts vs Closed Captions

Closed captions is preferred, but if you already have a transcript it's usually not difficult to convert it to a caption file. For instance, YouTube uses its speech recognition engine to assign time codes to an uploaded transcript.
Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D.
Sent from my iPad

On Aug 30, 2019, at 12:29 PM, Jacqueline Beverly <Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu<mailto:Jacqueline.Beverly@columbiasouthern.edu>> wrote:
My instructional design team is currently reviewing our ADA policies and processes to ensure we are remaining compliant. An item we are stuck on and could really use some guidance is transcripts vs closed captions. Our current process requires us to provide a transcript for all audio and video in our courses. We do not require closed captioning, but sometimes it is included. Can anyone tell me if we are required to offer closed captioning too? Looking at the standards and guidelines and other sites, I have read contradictory information. Thanks!

<image001.png>

Jacqueline Beverly

Assistant Director – Instructional Design, Instructional Design and Technology
Columbia Southern University

800.977.8449  ext: 1873

21982 University Lane | Orange Beach, AL 36561

ColumbiaSouthern.edu<http://ColumbiaSouthern.edu>