Video captions provide a valuable accessibility tool for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and employees. They reduce dependence on expensive and time-consuming aids, such as interpreters, by allowing individuals to follow lectures and conference calls more effectively.
Captions also benefit people without hearing impediments who prefer to watch content with the sound off. This includes individuals in noisy environments, on public transportation, or doing house chores.
Accessibility
With over 5% of the world’s population living with hearing loss, understanding content on mobile phones can be challenging for people without access to audio captioning. To support the accessibility needs of its users, both Android and Apple devices have a subtitle and caption setting in their general settings that allows for the addition of real-time text on video and speech content. To enable this feature, users go to their settings symbol/general menu, scroll down to ‘Accessibility,’ and tap the option to activate.
Live captioning enables various benefits, from improving accessibility to increasing engagement. It allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to easily access a full range of events, courses, and live streams. It also helps those non-native English speakers with difficulty processing auditory information or who are in noisy environments to follow along and participate without distraction.
Live Caption is an important tool for businesses, schools, and organizations that host virtual meetings and events. It can create a more inclusive experience for audiences and help comply with critical accessibility standards like those set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, it is important to note that automated captioning tools are not yet accurate enough to meet this need and that professional live captioning services should be considered.
Engagement
Unlike pre-recorded content, live captioning is created and displayed in real-time. Also known as real-time captioning, it uses a combination of speech-to-text and video conference software to create captions simultaneously displayed on the screen, allowing users to follow the event’s audio without turning it up. It’s a valuable tool for webinars, sporting events, and lectures and is available in multiple languages to ensure everyone can follow along.
Captions are not only useful for those who have hearing disabilities but can also be helpful for non-disabled audiences. 80% of people who use live captions don’t have a hearing impediment. These individuals often find them useful when on a noisy commuter train or in an environment where listening to the speaker isn’t possible, such as at work or on a business trip.
Educational institutions are another audience that benefits from the accessibility of live captioning. When schools and universities were forced to move classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic, they turned to live streaming to maintain engagement with students worldwide. Incorporating captioning into these virtual classes allows students to keep track of lecture content, take notes, and engage with class discussions more effectively. This, in turn, can improve student comprehension and, ultimately, their learning outcomes. Students who attend virtual classes with live captioning are more likely to attend them again.
Compatibility
Whether it’s a live stream event or an in-person meeting, captioning enhances your video content so that people who are deaf or hard of hearing can understand the verbal information. Creating captions in real-time, rather than post-production, ensures that your captions are synchronized and accurate.
A quality captioning provider will work with you to ensure that your speakers are microphone-friendly and that all technical requirements are met. This can include checking that a microphone is working and charging or that backup batteries are available. In addition, a reputable captioning service will ensure that their transcriptionists have the latest version of speech-to-text software and know how to use it.
While computer software programs can create captions, they can only sometimes provide the context and nuances of your content. Captions produced by a human transcriber are more accurate and reliable, as they are designed to never interfere with the captured video.
A reputable captioning service will also consider your keywords, including names and events, to ensure that your captions accurately represent all words. This eliminates misunderstandings and allows your audience to follow along with ease. In addition, captions are displayed on the device, so they won’t interrupt or get in the way of your video content or Zoom meetings.
Legal Compliance
Many laws require that video content be captioned, and failure to comply can lead to legal challenges. Incorporating live captioning into an event’s infrastructure is a proactive way to ensure compliance and avoid legal repercussions.
In addition to ensuring accessibility, providing real-time captions benefits non-disabled viewers. Captions boost focus, comprehension, learning, and information retention. They can also be repurposed as transcripts and metadata, enhancing search engine optimization.
Captions can be placed on the screen in various locations and formats, including at the bottom of the display or in the middle of a video segment. They can be displayed in a bold font, color, and style that stands out yet doesn’t overshadow the video content. They can even be positioned to block out name cards, news tickers, or other elements that may appear on the screen during a broadcast.
Whether it’s an internal company meeting or a political town hall event, people worldwide use live video to connect and engage. With the increasing prominence of virtual events, it’s more important than ever to make them accessible to everyone. Adding live captioning – either through automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology or a human stenographer – makes your events more engaging for all viewers and helps mitigate legal risks. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets revolutionary accessibility standards impacting public and private entities. Specifically, the ADA states that “auxiliary aids and services” must be provided to individuals with disabilities to facilitate effective communication.
