Digital Accessibility: Video Captions

Overview

Captions ensure that video content is accessible to everyone, including people with hearing impairments, non-native English speakers, and those watching in environments where sound is unavailable. Accurate captions improve comprehension and usability while also supporting compliance with accessibility standards.

This guide covers how to create captions, edit auto-generated captions, and apply best practices to improve caption accuracy.

Video Training

Video Link: https://mediaspace.mines.edu/media/Digital+Accessibility%3A+Video+Captions/1_onilnplo?st=0

Step-By-Step Guide

Accessing Captions in MediaSpace

MediaSpace automatically generates captions for videos with dialogue, reducing the amount of work needed to provide accurate captions. To access and edit captions:

  1. Navigate to My MediaSpace and click My Media to view uploaded videos.
  2. Select the video that needs captioning.
  3. Click the Actions button and choose Edit from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the tab menu below the video player, click Captions.
  5. Click Edit Captions to open the caption editor.

This will bring up the transcript with timestamps for each caption segment.

Editing Auto-Generated Captions

Auto-generated captions are a helpful starting point, but they often contain errors. Use the caption editor to correct them:

  1. Play the video while following along with the captions.
  2. Pause the video when you notice errors.
  3. Click on the caption text that needs correction and edit directly.
  4. Ensure spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.
  5. Resume playback to continue reviewing captions.

For efficiency, increase video playback speed using the gear icon in the video player. However, be attentive to avoid missing errors.

Saving and Applying Captions

Once all necessary edits are made:

  1. Click the Save button at the top of the caption editor.
  2. Confirm the changes when prompted.
  3. MediaSpace will process the captions and apply the updates.

At this point, captions will now display accurately when viewers enable them.

Embedding Captioned Videos in Canvas

Instead of uploading videos directly to Canvas (which does not support caption editing), embed MediaSpace videos into Canvas to ensure captions remain accessible.

  1. In Canvas, navigate to Course Media from the course menu.
  2. Click Add Media and select the video from MediaSpace.
  3. Click Publish to make the video available in the course.
  4. To add a video to an assignment, discussion, or page:
    • Use the Embed MediaSpace button in the text editor.
    • Select the video from your media library.
    • Click Embed to insert the video into the content.

This method ensures that any caption edits made in MediaSpace carry over to Canvas.

Best Practices for High-Quality Captions

  • Ensure accuracy by correcting misspellings, grammar errors, and incorrect transcriptions.
  • Identify speakers in multi-speaker videos by adding their names in parentheses.
  • Describe relevant sounds such as background music or important non-verbal sounds.
  • Keep captions concise and avoid overly long text blocks.
  • Sync captions with speech to match the timing of the dialogue.

Support and Resources

If you have questions or need assistance, Mines IT is here to help. Call us at 303-278-HELP (4357) or visit us at the IT Service Desk in CTLM 156.

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