The following best practices and resources help content creators develop accessible multimedia experiences that meet WCAG and other accessibility standards.

 General Best Practices

  • Use closed captions for all video content.
  • Provide transcripts for all audio and video materials.
  • Include audio descriptions for important visual elements.
  • Use accessible video players that support keyboard navigation and screen readers.
  • Avoid auto-playing media and ensure controls are accessible.

 Captions

  • Use closed captions instead of open captions to allow user control.
  • Ensure captions are synchronized with the audio.
  • Include speaker identification when multiple people are speaking.
  • Transcribe non-speech sounds (e.g., laughter, music, sound effects).
  • Use automatic captioning tools (YouTube, Zoom, Panopto, Microsoft Teams, Canvas Studio) but review for accuracy.

 Transcripts

  • Provide transcripts for all multimedia content, including spoken dialogue and non-verbal audio cues.
  • Use time-stamped transcripts for long videos to improve navigation.
  • Offer transcripts as downloadable text files (TXT, PDF, DOCX).
  • Utilize AI transcription services (Otter.ai, Rev, Sonix) but manually review for accuracy.

 Audio Descriptions

  • Provide descriptions of on-screen actions, scene changes, and important visuals.
  • Offer separate audio description tracks or integrate them into the main audio.
  • Use professional voiceovers or text-to-speech tools.
  • Ensure descriptions are concise and clear without overlapping spoken dialogue.

 Accessible Video Players

  • Use players that support keyboard navigation and screen readers and allow for adjustable playback speed and customizable captions.
  • Ensure the pause, rewind, and volume controls are accessible.
  • Avoid auto-playing media that cannot be paused or stopped.
  • Accessible Video Players: Microsoft Stream

 ISU Contracted Captioning and Transcriptioning Services

ISU provides captioning and transcription services to help make multimedia content accessible.

  • 3Play Media: Closed captioning, transcriptions, subtitles ([Get access to 3Play Media](3Play/ISU Portal Page))
  • Live CART: Human-generated captions for events, meetings, and classes.
  • Midwest Captioning: Live captioning services
  • ASL (American Sign Language) interpreting services

 Additional Training and Learning Resrouces

  • Creating Accessible Video and Audio (1h 30m) [LinkedIn Learning]
  • Captioning and Transcripts for Accessibility (2h 15m) [LinkedIn Learning]
  • Audio Description and Inclusive Media (1h 50m) [LinkedIn Learning]
  • WCAG Guidelines for Multimedia (2h 10m) [LinkedIn Learning]
  • Accessible Video and Digital Content (1h 45m) [LinkedIn Learning]