Videos require accurate, complete captions to be accessible.
Accessible video is video content that everyone can use and understand, no matter what technologies they use or what senses they rely on. It is designed with best practices that meet the needs of people with disabilities and work better for everyone.
What are Captions?
Captions are a text equivalent of audio, shown at the same time as the audio (usually a few lines at a time).
Captions usually include:
- Speech
- Music
- Sound effects
- Speaker identifications
- Any important information that is conveyed in sound
Captions provide equitable access for people who cannot access or process the original audio. This can include people who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, neurodivergent, or listening to the audio in poor conditions.
How to Create Captions
Automatic Captions with Human Review
Use automatic captions, check them, and edit for accuracy.
Video hosting platforms (MiVideo, Zoom Cloud, YouTube), use an algorithm to turn spoken audio into text and create captions. In general, automatic captions must be reviewed and improved by a human.
Automatic captions will be generated when new content is uploaded to MiVideo. You can edit these captions on MiVideo by following instructions to edit Captions in Canvas and MiVideo Mediaspace.
Learn how to edit captions on other media platforms.
Professional Captions
Vendors can create captions for you, for a fee. Professional caption services cost from $1.00 to $3.00 per minute for general videos, and more for highly specialized or complex videos.
Your department can order professional captions directly from MiVideo.
Text File into Captions
Use an existing script or text to create captions. If you have a text version of the words spoken in the video, you can turn that text into captions.
Do this on MiVideo by uploading the text file and syncing it to create captions.
Captions Best Practices
Videos require quality captions to be accessible and to provide equitable access for people who rely on captions. Quality captions are:
Accurate
Captions should correctly represent audio information without errors in wording, spelling, or punctuation.
In general, the goal is to work towards error-free captions, so people who rely on captions get the same information, and equitable access.
Consistent
Understandable and predictable captions, with consistent language and visual presentation, are easier to use.
The goal is to avoid unexpected changes or confusion. For example, captions should use the same speaker identification throughout, not start with “Ono” and change to “President.”
Complete
Captions must include all the meaningful information in the audio, from the beginning to end. This includes:
- Speaker identifications
- Non-speech information (such as laughter, applause, music, and more)
Captions should not summarize, censor, or change the original content, unless necessary to make them readable (for example, to make the text fit on the screen).
Usable
Captions must be readable for the people who need them. This means that captions are:
- displayed with enough time to be read completely
- in sync with the audio
- not blocked by (and not blocking) the visual content, including text on screen
In general, closed captions (that can be turned on or off, and adjusted for size and display) are more usable than open captions (burned into the video’s visual image). Open captions should be used only when people cannot control the media player, such as digital signage.
More Resources
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Captioning Key, Described and Captioned Media Project (DCMP) - industry standard guidance on how to make good quality captions
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Closed Captioning on Television, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - legal requirements for captions on television, these requirements also provide guidance on the goals of best captioning practices
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Reading Sounds, Sean Zdenek - media studies approach to understanding the meanings of captions, this book and accompanying website also suggest captioning practices that you may consider
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U-M Library Accessibility Remediation Program Style Guide - internal style guide on captions, transcripts, and descriptions