Always provide transcripts or captions for audio and video. Narrate video descriptively.
Why this matters...
Captions for multimedia
Any visual and audio multimedia must include captions – a text version of the speech that is synchronised to the corresponding timeframe in the multimedia source.
Transcripts for multimedia
For optimal accessibility, you should also provide a transcript for multimedia content. This provides a textual alternative for anyone, and also enhances searchability.
Descriptive narration
Descriptive narration can help users with visual disabilities to perceive information that is only presented visually. This can be done via a separate audio description track.
Captions, transcripts and descriptive narration are vital for anyone with hearing and/or visual disabilities. They also benefit learners that struggle with the language or the accent of a speaker. Captions and transcripts can benefit learners based in busy or noisy environments – or spaces where they may not have access to audio speakers. Your captions and transcripts should provide equalivalent text to the spoken words and other audio information. They should also be accessible and readily available – users shouldn’t have to request them.