How can you ensure that your video meets accessibility standards?

1 Why is video accessibility important?

Video accessibility is not only a matter of social responsibility and inclusion, but also a legal requirement in some countries and regions. For example, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a set of standards for web accessibility that are adopted by many governments and organizations. Video accessibility can also benefit your content strategy by improving your SEO, user experience, and customer loyalty. By making your video accessible, you can reach more potential customers, increase your brand reputation, and avoid legal risks.

2 How to add captions and transcripts to your video?

Captions are text versions of the audio content that appear on the screen, synchronized with the video. Transcripts are text versions of the audio content that are separate from the video, usually in a downloadable or printable format. Both captions and transcripts help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as people who have low bandwidth, noisy environments, or language barriers. To add captions and transcripts to your video, you can use various tools and services, such as YouTube's automatic captioning, online captioning platforms, or professional captioning agencies. You should also check the quality and accuracy of your captions and transcripts, and edit them if necessary.

4 How to optimize your video player and interface?

Your video player and interface are the elements that enable users to access and interact with your video. To ensure that they are accessible and user-friendly for people with different abilities and preferences, you should optimize them. This could include using a video player that supports accessibility features such as captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions, and allows users to toggle them on or off. Additionally, the video player should be keyboard accessible, meaning that users can control it without a mouse or touch screen. Furthermore, it should be responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and devices without compromising the quality or functionality of the video. Additionally, it should have clear and consistent labels, icons, and colors for the buttons and controls that follow the WCAG contrast ratio guidelines. Finally, a skip option should also be included so that users can skip the video or intro if they choose.

5 How to test and evaluate your video accessibility?

Testing and evaluating your video accessibility is the final step to ensure that your video meets the accessibility standards and provides a positive experience for your users. You can use automated tools to scan your video and identify any accessibility issues or errors, such as missing captions, low contrast, or poor audio quality. Additionally, manual tools can be used to check your video and its elements from different perspectives and scenarios, such as using a screen reader, a keyboard, or a mobile device. Lastly, user testing and feedback should involve real users with different abilities and preferences, so that you can gain valuable insights and suggestions on how to improve your video accessibility.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?