Creating Accessible Videos

This article explains why creating accessible videos is important to our company and how you can create more accessible videos when creating video content for your learners.

Videos should be produced and delivered in ways that ensure all learners can access the content. An accessible video includes captions, a transcript, and an audio description delivered in an accessible media player. With more and more digital video content available, video accessibility is becoming more of a priority. People want to ensure everyone – regardless of ability or background – can understand their videos.

We address video accessibility head-on with closed captioning and variable playback speed capabilities. Closed captioning, the visual display of the audio component of a video, allows people to read spoken dialogue, as well as non-speech information, like music or sound effects.  Variable playback speed, the slowing down or speeding up the playback rate of a video, allows people to watch a video at their own pace and catch the finer details to get the most out of a video.

• Learn how to add closed captions to a CorpU Video.
• Learn how to change video playback speed on the platform. 

Why is closed captioning important?

• It accommodates people with disabilities. Without closed captioning, people with disabilities such as hearing loss may not be able to fully appreciate your video. This means closed captioning can increase your learner engagement, expanding your video’s reach and impact.
• You’ll reach a wider audience. If English isn’t someone’s first language, for example, seeing written text with the spoken language can be very helpful to understand it. Or, it’s possible your learners are viewing your video in an environment where sound isn’t allowed, closed captions let them still view the video. This helps to boost learner engagement and encourages learners to continue engaging with your content.
• Following accessibility standards. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 are the most prominent accessibility standards, helping websites and businesses stay accessible and in compliance with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, stating that any audio content, including videos, movies and podcasts, must contain captions.