Web Governance

Digital Standards & Web Governance

Best practices, policies, and procedures for UNA's digital presence

Caption Standards

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)

  1. Submit video to approved captioning vendor
  2. Request 99% accuracy guarantee
  3. Review and approve captions
  4. Request SRT and WebVTT formats
  5. Expected turnaround: 24-48 hours

Option 2: Automatic Captions with Manual Review

  1. Generate auto-captions (YouTube, Zoom, etc.)
  2. Download caption file for editing
  3. Manually correct all errors
  4. Verify timing and synchronization
  5. Add speaker labels and sound descriptions
  6. 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.