All video content published on UNA digital platforms must include accurate, synchronized captions. This is both a legal requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and essential for inclusive communication.
Legal Requirement: The ADA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act require all public university video content to be captioned. Non-compliance can result in legal action and loss of federal funding.
Why Captions Matter
- Accessibility: Essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
- Comprehension: Helps non-native English speakers understand content
- Environment: Allows viewing in sound-sensitive locations
- SEO Benefits: Improves search engine indexing and discovery
- Engagement: 80% of users are more likely to watch entire videos with captions
Caption Requirements
Accuracy Standards
- 99% accuracy minimum: No more than 1 error per 100 words
- Verbatim transcription: Include all spoken content
- Speaker identification: Label multiple speakers
- Sound descriptions: Include [music], [applause], [laughter]
- Proper nouns: Verify spelling of names, places, technical terms
Timing and Synchronization
- Sync tolerance: Within 0.5 seconds of audio
- Display duration: 1-6 seconds per caption
- Reading speed: Maximum 235 words per minute
- Line breaks: Natural speech patterns and phrases
- Lead time: Captions appear slightly before audio
Formatting Standards
- Lines per caption: Maximum 2 lines
- Characters per line: 32-42 characters
- Font: Sans-serif, high contrast
- Position: Bottom center, unless blocking content
- Background: Semi-transparent black box
- Text color: White or yellow for maximum contrast
Caption Types
Closed Captions (CC)
User-controlled captions that can be turned on/off:
- Required for all public-facing videos
- Must include non-speech audio descriptions
- Format: SRT, WebVTT, or platform-specific
- Always provide option to enable/disable
Open Captions
Permanently embedded captions (burned-in):
- Use for social media where CC isn't supported
- Required for videos in public spaces without sound
- Cannot be turned off by viewer
- Consider providing both captioned and non-captioned versions
Subtitles vs. Captions
- Captions: Include all audio information (speech + sounds)
- Subtitles: Translation or transcription of speech only
- SDH (Subtitles for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing): Subtitles with sound descriptions
Caption Creation Process
Option 1: Professional Captioning (Recommended)
- Submit video to approved captioning vendor
- Request 99% accuracy guarantee
- Review and approve captions
- Request SRT and WebVTT formats
- Expected turnaround: 24-48 hours
Option 2: Automatic Captions with Manual Review
- Generate auto-captions (YouTube, Zoom, etc.)
- Download caption file for editing
- Manually correct all errors
- Verify timing and synchronization
- Add speaker labels and sound descriptions
- Export in multiple formats
Warning: Never publish videos with uncorrected automatic captions. Auto-captions typically have 60-70% accuracy, which violates ADA requirements and can spread misinformation.
Platform-Specific Requirements
YouTube
- Upload SRT or WebVTT files
- Use YouTube Studio caption editor for corrections
- Enable community contributions (with moderation)
- Set default caption language to English
Vimeo
- Upload WebVTT format preferred
- Use Vimeo's caption editor for adjustments
- Enable captions by default in embed settings
Social Media
- Facebook/Instagram: Use SRT files or burn in captions
- Twitter/X: Always use open captions
- LinkedIn: Upload SRT files when available
- TikTok: Use in-app captioning tools or open captions
Zoom Recordings
- Enable automatic transcription during recording
- Download and edit VTT file
- Re-upload corrected captions before sharing
- Provide separate transcript document
Quality Assurance Checklist
Before publishing any video, verify:
- ☐ Captions are 99% accurate
- ☐ All speakers are identified
- ☐ Important sounds are described
- ☐ Timing is synchronized with audio
- ☐ Text is readable (contrast, size, position)
- ☐ Grammar and punctuation are correct
- ☐ Technical terms are spelled correctly
- ☐ Captions work on target platform
- ☐ Caption files are saved in project archive
Transcripts
In addition to captions, provide full transcripts for:
- Videos longer than 5 minutes
- Educational or training content
- Legal or policy information
- Content with complex information
Transcript Requirements
- Include all spoken content verbatim
- Add speaker names and timestamps
- Describe important visual information
- Format as accessible HTML or PDF
- Link transcript near video player
Resources and Support
Approved Caption Vendors
Contact digitalcommunications@una.edu for list of approved vendors and pricing.
Caption Tools
- Subtitle Edit: Free, open-source caption editor
- Aegisub: Advanced subtitle editor
- YouTube Studio: Built-in caption editor
- Kapwing: Online caption generator
Training and Support
- Monthly caption training workshops
- Caption review service for critical content
- Templates and style guides available
- Contact: digitalcommunications@una.edu
Remember: Captions are not optional. They are a legal requirement and fundamental to inclusive communication. When in doubt, contact Digital Communications for guidance.