Videos have long been a part of everyday digital life: on social media, websites, in e-learning courses, and in advertising. However, they are often not designed to be accessible. Those who cannot hear or see (well) are excluded – for example, if subtitles or audio descriptions are missing, or if the player is inaccessible. Accessible videos enable participation for everyone!
85% of Facebook users and 80% of LinkedIn users scroll through their social media feeds with the sound muted. By making your videos accessible, you not only allow people with disabilities to participate in your content, but you also automatically increase the overall number of viewers.
Sounds good, but how do I implement it? What exactly you need to consider depends on the type of video you’re using. Below, we’ll explain what each type of video requires and how to create it.
The 4 types of videos
Not every type of video automatically needs subtitles and audio description. The crucial factor is how much information is conveyed through sound and image. Four categories can be distinguished in this regard.
1. Silent videos
Silent videos only provide visual information. Therefore, a text version is sufficient – similar to alt text for a photo. Of course, an audio file would also be a perfectly viable alternative, should that be easier for you to implement.
2. Recorded videos with picture and soundtrack
Adding sound to the video makes things more complex. I can’t simply read a text version while the audio is playing, because then I wouldn’t have any information about how the image and sound fit together. Therefore, we offer two alternatives for our videos with audio:
- Subtitles for those who cannot hear videos (well) (such as a deaf person or someone on a train who has forgotten their headphones).
- Audio description for everyone who cannot see the videos (well) (such as a blind or visually impaired person)
3. Live broadcasts
Even when we broadcast videos live, we have visual and auditory information. This information – just like with recorded videos – should reach everyone. For the WCAG AA standard,switchable subtitles are sufficient.
However, there’s also the option of organizing live audio descriptions. You can find out exactly how this works at Hör mal Audio (German). Their Instagram account offers great insights into their work. (It’s really cool to get a glimpse into concerts or sporting events with audio description!)
4. Video as a media alternative
If your video is already an alternative to another medium, then of course it doesn’t need an alternative. That is, if you’ve written detailed origami folding instructions and filmed the whole process exactly as described in the text, then your video doesn’t need any additional explanatory text. Makes sense, right?
Everything you need to know about creating accessible content!
- What types of content actually need to be accessible: social media, websites, newsletters?
- What requirements apply to content, and how do you implement them—without missing anything?
- How do you integrate accessibility into your daily workflow without it becoming a major extra burden?
Through theory and practice, we’ll show you what we’ve taught participants—from Aktion Mensch to Deutsche Bahn—over the past three years!
Classify and know what to do.
First, you should determine which of these four categories your video falls into. Then you’ll know whether an alternative is even necessary, and if so, which one. And then you can start implementing your alternative. How? That’s what we’ll discuss now!
Subtitles: Alternative for the audio track
If your video includes information about the audio track, then subtitles are essential. However, German is not entirely accurate in this case. English distinguishes between captions and subtitles. Both are often translated into German with the same word, ” Untertitel,” even though they refer to different things.
Subtitles are translations of spoken text into another language. They allow viewers who do not understand the video’s original language to grasp its content still.
Captions are subtitles that not only translate the dialogue into another language but also convey other important information. They can include additional details such as descriptions of sounds, music, background noises, laughter, or other important sounds.
When we talk about accessible subtitles, we usually mean captions, because captions not only convey the dialogue, but also provide a more comprehensive experience and thus a real alternative to the audio track.
This is what matters when it comes to subtitles
Subtitles replace the spoken word. Therefore, they must accurately reflect what is being said in the video. Grammar and spelling should be correct to ensure readability. For more information, consult the subtitling guidelines (German). These guidelines are supported by organizations such as the German Association of the Deaf (Deutscher Gehörlosen Bund e. V.) and the German Association of the Hard of Hearing (Deutscher Schwerhörigenbund e. V.) and are therefore a valuable resource.
If your video contains other important sounds besides the spoken word, these should also appear in the subtitles. Remember that the subtitles should be an equivalent alternative. Sounds like audience laughter in sitcoms contributes to the overall experience of a series. We naturally want to enable people who cannot hear the audio to have this experience as well.
Create subtitles
Technically speaking, a subtitle is a file that contains information about the time and the corresponding text. This file is provided along with your video. This tells the video player when to display which text. It’s essentially a set of instructions that tells the player which words to show at what time.
A small selection:
- YouTube Studio: Free
- Sonix: Subject to charges
- Adobe Premiere Pro: Paid
- Description: Paid
Audio description: An alternative to visual information
Audio description (AD) translates the visual elements of your video into sound by verbally describing important visual details, actions, or environments. This provides an alternative for people who cannot see your video, allowing them to enjoy it as an audio drama.
In audio descriptions, the quality of the narration is paramount. They should be precise, easily understandable, and delivered at an appropriate pace. The goal is to describe all visual elements as vividly as possible, creating an immersive and enriching experience for all viewers.
What should be described?
When content is presented visually, the brain extracts important information from various elements such as the setting, colors and textures, the appearance of the characters, their facial expressions, movements, actions, and gestures. The brain interprets this information and forms its opinion based on the sensory impressions.
Audio description aims to achieve the same effect by providing this important information to people who cannot see the content. It allows them to form a comprehensive picture of the visual presentation. Therefore, sounds that cannot be precisely identified should also be described.
The prioritization, editing, and level of detail of the description depend on available time, the playback method (e.g., whether the description is recorded so the viewer can listen at their leisure), and its relevance to understanding and evaluating the event. The description should never confuse, mislead, or distract, and it should not interfere with the audio track. A good description enhances and complements your video.
How should content be described?
The style of your description is just as important as the content. You should ensure your descriptions are simple, clear, and concise; this contributes to comprehensibility. Avoid personal opinions or interpretations of the content. You can find more information about the requirements in the American Council of the Blind’s Best Practices for Audio Description or in our blog article “What is Audio Description?”
Is your video player accessible?
Have you created fantastic audio descriptions and great subtitles for your video? You’re ready to present your content in an accessible way and win over your viewers. Now, only the video player can stand in your way. Therefore, you should check if your player supports accessible content:
- Subtitles can be displayed if necessary.
- Audio descriptions can be played if necessary.
- The video player is accessible to all users.
- Not a must, but a plus: Subtitles can be configured with individual adjustments, allowing customization of font size, font type, color, and subtitle area transparency.
Which players can do that?
There are currently three possibilities known to us:
YouTube offers good subtitle options. Unfortunately, there’s no dedicated audio description button yet. Therefore, if audio description is included in a separate video, it must be linked below the video, or you can offer the video with audio description by default. You can find an example of this in our explanatory video on alt text (German).
Further details regarding the requirements for a video player can be found in the BITV test criteria for video capabilities. The BITV test steps are available here (German).
