Audio, Video and Multimedia Content

Before creating audio, video or multimedia content, learn about the accessibility guidelines that apply to each format. By integrating accessibility into your project from the start, you’ll streamline the content-creation process and develop materials that appeal to the widest possible audience.

Planning for Accessibility

It's less time-consuming and labor-intensive to plan for accessibility at the start of a project, rather than remediate or retrofit it later. From the script and storyboarding to production, think intentionally about potential users and their needs. This includes planning for the recording of an audio description along with the production of media with visual information.

Audio-only Content

Content that is not accompanied by video and uses speech, music and sound effects must have an alternative version available. Audio-only content requires transcripts.

Video-only Content

Content that only contains visuals, such as video, animation and onscreen text, must have a text description (similar to a transcript but with written audio descriptions) or an audio track that narrates the text description.

Synchronized Media

Also known as multimedia or video, synchronized media combines several types of media. Synchronized media requires captions, transcripts and audio description of the visual information.

Guidelines

Audio, video and multimedia content require different combinations of captions, transcripts and audio descriptions. Auto-generated versions of any of these are inaccurate and must be reviewed by a human. Media players must also be accessible, so plan accordingly.

Captions

Captions are synchronized with audio content including dialogue, music and sound effects.

Best practices for captions:

• Text and sound that the text describes must be synced.
• Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Captions should be on-screen long enough to be read.
• Use a consistent style to identify speakers, sound effects and music.
• When planning video content, consider where the captions will appear.
• Ensure that the caption style is consistent and the font style, size and color meet accessibility standards.

Transcripts

Transcripts accompany audio-only and video-only content and are typically in html. Word and .txt documents can be used as well. 

Best practices for transcripts: 

• Ensure that users can access the transcript in the same place as the original content.
• Provide transcripts in accessible formats.

Audio Descriptions

Audio descriptions are narrated versions of visuals in multimedia content. 

Best practices for audio descriptions:

• Often, not all of the visual content can be included, so make choices that provide an equivalent experience to what sighted viewers experience.
• Build the descriptions in to the media file.
• Make a separate media file, preferably at the time of production.
• Descriptions should not be over dialogue.