What are captions?
Captions and audio transcripts provide text-based versions of the audio and action of the video. Both are useful for individuals who:
- are deaf or hard of hearing
- are learning another language
- have learning disabilities or other cognitive impairments
- learn by taking in information in multiple ways
Additionally, many people enjoy and prefer captions in their media. This is a really popular way to watch streaming films without disturbing others. Captions are incredibly helpful to all users.
What is the difference between human generated and machine generated captions?
A majority of video services employ machine generated caption tools. A computer program quickly analyzes and interprets speech and translates those sounds into written words, with the accuracy varying greatly from service to service. Machine generated captions are a good starting point, but are not ADA compliant and require human intervention to improve their accuracy.
Human generated captions are often provided by a third party service and are often edited in post-production for later usage. Transcriptionists will add punctuation, speaker names, and clarify content errors to the best of their ability. This act typically brings the accuracy into the 99th percentile. The process of editing a caption file can be time consuming and expensive, but it is necessary for any accommodation request from Disability Resources.