Captions & Transcripts

• Always provide captions or transcripts for video and audio.
• Do not rely solely on automated captioning; use professional captioning when necessary.
• Update captions and transcripts when changes occur.

Request DSS Professional Captions for Videos

DSS will process professional captions for request that are being submitted on behalf of accommodation request or legally obligated requirement. Request submitted not on behalf of an accommodation or a legally obligated requirement will be processed by machine captioning.

DSS Captioning and Transcript Request Form

DSS Captioning and Transcript Request Guidance

• Caption requests on behalf of students requiring accommodations should be done through this method.
• DSS recommends that all captioning requests be submitted 1-2 weeks in advance to allow adequate time to complete each request. This accounts for processing time and any video conversion issues that may occur during the process.
• If the video is being uploaded through Kaltura Media Player or “My Media" in Canvas, captions and transcripts will automatically sync to this video. Please review the Adding Media to My Media tutorials for Canvas.
• Links to videos can be pasted directly into the URL box on the form.
• Files without a URL should be shared with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. via the UAB Box invite collaborators function. Please review the UAB Box User Guide and video tutorials.
  • Upon completion of the project, DSS will return the requested files to the faculty/staff or the Instructional Designer via UAB Box. If the completed file is to be sent to an Instructional Designer, the HTML package can also be sent upon request.

Audio Descriptions

Audio description (AD) narrates important visual information in a video—like on-screen text, graphics, or actions—so that viewers who cannot see the visuals can still understand the content. Think of it as “alt text” for video. It’s essential for accessibility, ensuring all audiences, including people who are blind or visually impaired, can fully engage with the material.

Who Benefits From Audio Description?

Audio description is essential for people who are blind or have low vision, but it also benefits those with certain cognitive disabilities who have difficulty understanding visually what is happening.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA is a standard that recommends that audio description be provided for video content.

Learn More About Audio Description:

• Watch: Audio description in a couple minutes
• Experience it yourself: Most streaming platforms provide audio description as a toggle in audio language settings and allow you to search by titles that include AD.

How Do I Implement Audio Description?

Audio description is only needed for visual-only elements that aren’t already conveyed in the main audio track. By planning ahead, whether presenting on-camera or recording voice-over narration, creators can incorporate key visual details directly into the script, reducing the need for separate audio description later.

Build Description Into Your Script

Not all videos require added audio description. By scripting with accessibility in mind, producers can weave meaningful visual details directly into the dialogue. Have speakers introduce themselves and their surroundings, read aloud any text or titles shown on screen, and describe key visuals. For complex content like data tables or charts, provide accessible versions separately.

Guidelines for Self-Described Videos

If visual details can’t be built into the script or audio, add narration for the visual-only elements, actions, or on-screen text.

Tips for Adding Audio Description:

• Keep it essential – Describe only what’s needed for understanding.
• Stick to the visible – Focus on what can be seen, not on motivations or assumptions.
• Skip the decorative – Omit purely decorative visuals.
• Test your content – Close your eyes and listen. If something important is missing, it likely needs a description.

Audio Description in Kaltura

Kaltura supports both standard and extended audio description, allowing viewers to toggle narration tracks for accessible playback. Producers can order AD through Kaltura, upload their own track, or script accessibility directly into the video. For further guidance for processing audio descriptions, contact the Office of learning technologies or Disability Support Services if you’ve received accommodations.

Video Players That Support Audio Description

One of the challenges with implementing audio description is player support. Most browsers and video players do not support the playing of descriptions in the same way that they support captions. However, there are a few video players that do support audio description, including:

• Panopto: supports WebVTT files.

• Kaltura: supports single MP4 files with multiple audio tracks, which can include AD.

• Able Player: a fully accessible cross-browser HTML5 media player that supports both audio and video. Able Player offers support for audio description as a separate video, or in a Web Video Timed Text (WebVTT) file read aloud by modern browsers.

User Controls

• Provide controls for play/pause and volume.
• Do not use autoplay for any multimedia content.

Flashing Content

• Avoid flashing/flickering; if unavoidable, ensure no more than three flashes per second.

Alternative Text Guidelines

• Provide alt text up to 125 characters that describe the image’s content.
• For decorative images or images with captions, use an HTML empty alt attribute (alt="").
• Avoid text in images unless described in alt text.
• For complex images (infographics, charts, flyers), supply a detailed text equivalent.
• Update alt text/text equivalent whenever the image or its context changes.

Examples:

• "Students throwing frisbees on the UAB Campus Green" instead of “students”
• “All information provided in text” – for images of flyers or other complex images with text alternatives