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Captions for Video

Whether you need captions for live or pre-recorded videos, the Digital Accessibility team can help.

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Ensure Accessibility: Captioning for All UM Video Content

Captioning is required for any video posted on a UM website or social media account and for all videos used as part of course content, whether it is shown in class or posted in Blackboard.

  • UM Digital accessibility provides captioning assistance for both live and pre-recorded video.

On this page, you'll find information on captions for:

Email accessibility@olemiss.edu for help with captions. If you are hosting an event, see Digital Accessibility for Events and Meetings.

Pre-recorded Video Captioning Guidelines

The required means of providing equal access to video content is through the use of videos and products with videos that have open or closed-captioning, whether they are shown in class, assigned outside of class through a learning management system (i.e., Blackboard), or used for other University purposes such as on the web or social media.  The Digital Accessibility office can provide captioning assistance at no cost to departments. 

  • ALL videos posted in Blackboard must be captioned as one of the requirements of the ADA Title II Digital Accessibility regulation.
  • ALL videos posted on a UM website or social media account must contain captions
  • When requested as an accommodation for a student registered with UM Student Disability Services.
    • UM Digital Accessibility will work with any instructors who receive notice that a student in their course has a captioning accommodation to caption any videos used in their courses, whether shown during class or posted in Blackboard.
  • For all fully online courses.
  • When media is played or shown in public spaces (e.g., the Student Union, Pavilion, Rebel Market, hallways, or academic buildings) or at campus events open to the public.

Quality captions not only display words as the textual equivalent of spoken dialogue or narration, but they also include speaker identification, sound effects, and music description.

Sufficient captions are:

  • Synchronized – The text should appear at approximately the same time that audio would be available. 
  • Equivalent – Content provided in captions should be equivalent to the content in the audio. 
  • Accessible – Captioned content should be readily accessible and available to those who need it. 

Avoid unedited auto captions in YouTube and similar platforms, as these generally do not meet the above requirements. Auto captions are a great place to start, but they must be edited for accuracy and to include speaker identification, punctuation, and capitalization. Please contact the Digital Accessibility team for assistance if needed. 

Live Event Captioning Guidelines

 

Live captioning is required:
  • When requested as an academic accommodation through SDS.
  • When an event organizer receives a disability-related captioning request.
    • University departments or organizations, including student organizations, must include an accommodation statement on all event promotional and registration materials. Please see Events and Meetings Accessibility Guidelines for more information.
  • When an event is live-streamed on a UM-affiliated website or social media account.
  • For major university-sponsored public events with unknown audiences, such as graduation or convocation.

Live captioning is recommended for required campus events involving students, faculty, or staff (i.e. ordination, faculty meeting, etc.), as well as for virtual classes, tutoring sessions, or online events where audience access needs are unknown.

IMPORTANT: Live captions should be corrected after the event before widely sharing the recordings. Email accessibility@olemiss.edu for help with this.

NOTE: Live (CART) captioning for accommodations in courses is managed through Student Disability Services.

Zoom Captioning

It is good practice to use Zoom live captions whenever hosting a meeting. The Zoom host must enable the captions for EACH meeting or webinar in order for meeting or webinar attendees to view captions.