Captions, Subtitles & Transcription
Definitions
Captioning converts the audio content within a video into text, then synchronizes the transcribed text to the video. When the recording is played, that text will be displayed in segments that are timed to align with specific words as they are spoken. Captioning is required to make video content accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.Â
Subtitles show the translation of words spoken in a different language. The words shown on the screen in a foreign film in another language, for example, are considered subtitles.
Transcription is the process of producing a text document from the words spoken in a video. Transcribed text does not have a time value associated with it and can't be used immediately for captions or subtitles - further editing will be required. In terms of accessibility, transcription works well for audio-only media, but falls short when it comes to audio with moving content on a screen, such as voice-over-PowerPoint slides or video.
From 23 September 2020, websites of public sector bodies will need to satisfy new accessibility requirements.
These regulations were brought into law in 2018 as part of the disability-focused Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Websites that don’t meet the new requirements after 23 September 2020 deadline could be found to be breaking the law. This includes intranet services (or internal company websites) as well as websites for external audiences.
Websites will also need to include an Accessibility Statement - sample statements can be found here
FAQ's
Automatic Captions using Youtube
Youtube provides a facility for automatic captioning of videos on it's channels.
Be aware that this only applies to videos which have been recorded and uploaded to the channel - it does not cover live streams. Providing captions (or subtitles) for live streams will involve a third party supplier who will make a charge for their services.
Captions using Panopto
As of August 2020, the University will automatically caption all material recorded by Panopto - the PDLT team have produced a one page guide to assist with embedding and editing captions.
In addition to that, there are links below which provide further information:
Setting up 3rd party integration - the example uses 3PlayMedia as a provider for caption services.
Third party suppliers
AI Media - currently used by the Univeristy's Equality & Diversity team for events and INCLUDE meetings
3PlayMedia - used by Digital Marketing for one-off captioning requests
Third party suppliers will always make a charge for their services and there may also be costs incurred for cancellation at short notice.Â
Further Information
There is further information and links here from Skills Guide - both for live or recorded content.