What are Captions? #
Captions are an integral part of video accessibility and need to have the following criteria:
- Synchronized – the text content should appear at approximately the same time that audio would be available
- Equivalent – content provided in captions should be equivalent to that of the spoken word
- Accessible – caption content should be readily accessible and available to those who need it
Captions versus Subtitles #
Another key point of captions is that they differ from subtitles. Captions need to include speaker information and note any important sound effects or background noise. An example could be:
Narrator: I am here to talk to you about explosions.
[Loud explosion]
[A violin plays a quiet melody in the background]
Child: Wow! That was a big explosion!
Check out the KB Article on “How To Caption”, for more information on how to caption videos.
Example of a Captioned Video #
The following is a great example of an accessible video that is captioned:
What Happened Before History? Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell © 2016
Formats of Captions #
What formats do captions come in? Captions can come in two formats:
- Closed – These are captions that are overlaid on the video and can be turned on and off. This is the type of captions used on television programs and YouTube videos.
- Open – Open captions are different in that they are permanent and are placed into the actual video file itself. What is great about this approach is that the captions will always appear regardless of format, but may be a distraction to users who don’t require captions.
Videos captioned on YouTube or other providers will have closed captions, while videos captioned using Camtasia Studio or another program may have open captions or closed captions.
Generally, it is recommended to have Closed Captions, as the size, position, and style of them can be altered more easily by the student.
