Tip #6: The How – Captions

Hello Team,

Welcome back to our Accessibility Tips & Tricks series!
This week, we continue our hands-on work with the NCADEMI Accessibility Basics by focusing on Captions, one of the most impactful practices for improving digital accessibility in video and audio content.

What Are Captions?

Captions are text versions of spoken words and meaningful sounds in video or audio content. They include dialogue, speaker identification, and important sound cues (for example: [music playing] or [laughter]).

Captions support users who:

• are deaf or hard of hearing

• benefit from reading along while listening

• are learning English

• are in noisy or quiet environments

• process information better with multiple modes

In short, captions help ensure that information shared through video or audio is accessible to everyone. Learn more from NCADEMI’s overview on captions.

When Do I Need Captions?

Captions are needed for all prerecorded video and audio content that includes speech or meaningful sound, including:

• instructional videos

• recorded meetings or announcements

• tutorials or screen recordings

• videos shared on websites or social media

If a video has sound that contributes to meaning, it should be captioned.

What Makes Good Captions?

Good captions are:

• Accurate – match the spoken words and sounds

• Synchronized – appear at the right time

• Complete – include all relevant speech and sounds

• Readable – clear, properly punctuated, and well-timed

Auto-generated captions are a great starting point, but they should always be reviewed and corrected for accuracy.

How Do I Add or Check Captions?

Most tools make captioning easier than you might think:

• YouTube: Auto-captions can be edited directly in YouTube Studio.

• Google Slides: Use live captions for presentations; caption videos before sharing.

• Microsoft PowerPoint: Captions and subtitles can be enabled or added to videos.

• Zoom / Google Meet: Enable live captions or save captions with recordings when available.

NCADEMI provides platform-specific guidance and examples at the link above.

Your task for this week

1. Find one video you share with students, staff, or families.

2. Check whether captions are turned on and accurate.

3. Edit auto-captions or add captions if they’re missing.

4. If you’re unsure how to caption a video, bring it to office hours. We’re here to help.

Next week, we’ll explore Clear Writing and how thoughtful language choices support digital accessibility for all users.

Thank you for continuing to build inclusive digital spaces one practical step at a time.
ESU 10 Accessibility Implementation and Planning Team