Perhaps the most discussed aspect of accessible video is closed captioning, but information about captioning can be confusing. To ensure you’re using and creating accessible videos, it’s important to understand closed captioning guidelines so you’ll know exactly what you’re being asked to do.

What are closed captions?

First, it’s important to clarify the language! Closed captions are added to a video to ensure all auditory material, including music and sounds, are perceivable to someone who is hearing impaired. Closed captions can be turned off and on using the “cc” button on the video player. Open captions, on the other hand, are part of the video, and cannot be turned off and on (these are called “burned in”). Either will satisfy the Section 508 requirement, though closed captions are preferred according to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning modality principle. Though there are also studies that show many learners benefit from captions, with closed captions, students can turn off the captions if that is their preference. Thus, closed captioning addresses all learning modalities.

Who benefits?

While some argue that closed captions are a lot of work to meet the needs of a small group of students, like curb cuts, it turns out that universal design benefits many. In fact, in a recent survey of student use of captions, researchers with 3PlayMedia discovered 75% of students use captions, and over a third of students use captions frequently. If you’re wondering why, here’s a short list of the most common reasons students use closed captions:

• they have a hearing impairment;
• they are listening/viewing in a public place;
• they are listening/viewing at work;
• captions help with studying.

What are the guidelines?

1. The captioning must be complete, which means the video must be captioned from start to finish, including noting opening music and background noises, when intentional.
2. The captions must be 99% accurate. This means, literally, word-for-word, including grammar and punctuation.
3. The captions should display synchronously with the audio, running neither too fast or too slow, and they should be on-screen an adequate amount of time to allow careful reading.
4. The caption placement should not obscure other important information. Usually, captions are placed at the bottom of the screen.

For more information, visit the US Laws for Captioning Online Video article by 3PlayMedia.

Los Rios is Providing Free Captioning

At least through the Fall 2021 semester, you can request free captions for your videos. To begin, fill out the Captioning Request form and then someone will work with you to make it happen.

Let’s look at some other great self-captioning options!