Captions are an important accessibility tool and should be included in all video content. Captions do not just support individuals who are hard of hearing, but those who may have processing or attention difficulties, folk who are commuting and those who may find themselves in a loud and busy environment. Accessible choices benefit everybody.
There are a number of ways to caption videos:
1.
Recording using Zoom - If you are creating new voiced-over content, recording on Zoom will generate a VTT file with the cloud recording. This can then be checked and amended in notepad or your preferred Word Processor for any errors. You should then be able to attach this to your video in Brightspace or on YouTube as a
caption file.
2.
Upload content to YouTube - The quickest way to
caption videos these days is to use Youtube's automatic
captioning and then to amend it. There is then the option to set the URL to Private for only those that have the link.
3.
Use Microsoft Stream - Video quality itself can be patchy on Zoom. If you have another recording tool you prefer to use, or existing content you wish to
caption - for example a voiced over PowerPoint, but aren't comfortable hosting on YouTube, Microsoft Stream is available to all UCD staff using
(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)office.com (it's at the very bottom of the sidebar). You will need to change your upload settings to private.
(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)This walkthrough explains how to use the automatically generated
captions on this platform - like YouTube, you can also edit the transcript for inaccuracies. (It is very slow to create the automatic content, so you might want to have a cup of tea while it loads!).
4.
(opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)Use Screen-Cast-O-Matic - This is a free web-based video editor which is very handy for recording your screen (for example if you want to demonstrate a particular digital skill). The free version allows you to record for up to 15 minutes, and where it differs to Zoom is that it also basic video editing tools. It also allows you to automatically generate and then edit
captions and to embed them into the video - if you are creating content for Instagram or another social media platform, this is particularly helpful for ensuring accessibility as these platforms do not use custom video players with the option of turning
captions off and on.