7 Core Skills: Audio & Video

Audio and video can enhance learning and communication, but not everyone can hear or process spoken content. Providing captions and transcripts ensures multimedia content is accessible to all users.

What Makes Audio and Video Files Accessible

Accessible media includes features that allow people to perceive and understand audio content.

For video, this typically means accurate captions that display spoken dialogue and important sounds.

For audio-only content, this means providing a text transcript.

These features allow users to access information in multiple ways and support a wide range of needs and preferences.

Why Is Audio and Video Accessibility Important?

People who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on captions and transcripts to access audio information. Captions also support people in noisy environments, non-native English speakers, and anyone who benefits from reading along with spoken content.

Without accurate captions or transcripts, essential information may be lost.

Providing accessible media improves usability, supports inclusive learning, and ensures digital content can be understood by the widest possible audience.

What Good Media Features Look Like

Accessible media includes:

• Captions that match spoken words and describe relevant sounds
• Text transcripts for audio content
• Clear synchronization between captions and speech
• Speaker identification when needed

These features help users follow and understand multimedia content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Relying solely on auto-generated captions without editing
• Providing captions that are out of sync with speech
• Sharing audio content without a transcript
• Choosing videos without accurate captions

Accurate captions and transcripts improve access for many users, not just those with hearing disabilities.