Accessible Video and Multimedia

Check Video 

Whether it’s a video you made yourself or one someone else made, it is your responsibility to ensure the video is accessible to all students if you are using the video in your course. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating accessible videos: 

• All videos must be closed captioned which include a transcription of the dialogue and audio cues such as music or sound effects. View How do I add auto-generated captions to my media file in Canvas Studio? for complete instructions. 
• In addition to closed captions, you may be required to include video descriptions, which are audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements. Here is a video of a movie Trailer with Audio Description from YouTube. 

Tips for Captions in Kaltura

When recording videos for your class with Kaltura, there are a few things to keep in mind to make creating captions easier:  

• Be close to the microphone but don’t shout. Practice with test videos and listen back to gage a comfortable volume. 
• Speak at a moderate pace. If you aren’t sure, go for a slower approach which will make it easier for captions to pick up, and students can increase the video speed if they wish. 
• Pausing for emphasis or listing items may create separate sentences in the captions, which could adjust the meaning of a sentence. Practice with test videos and remember to check punctuation in the caption’s editor! 
• Ideally, you will want to record videos in a quiet place that does not echo. Be sure to close the door, shut off any appliances or machines that create background noise, and silence your cell phone to avoid interruptions. 

How to Add Kaltura Captions

Kaltura will automatically generate and add captions for you, as indicated by the “cc” button on the bottom navigation bar of your video after you upload it. If your captions are not automatically generated, you can manually request them from the Kaltura video editor.

• In Canvas, navigate to the “My Media” tab in your account and select the video you want to add captions to.
• With the video opened, click the “Actions” button on the right, and select the “+ captions & enrich” option from the dropdown menu. 
• Scroll down to the “Order Captions & Enrichment Services” section and leave all options as the default, then click “Submit”. This will create a new order for captions. You will see a blue ribbon above the order section indicating the request was successful. The status of the captions order will begin as “Pending” and change to “Ready” when they are finished. 
• In order to edit captions, click the pen icon to the right of the status of the Ready captions order to edit them. Be sure to read through and ensure everything is timed properly, grammar and punctuation are correct, and the placement of your text is to your preference.