Accessibility Checklist for Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions

Captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions ensure your videos and audio are usable by everyone, including people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low-vision, or using screen readers. Use the fast review for quick fixes, the full checklist for best practices, and the cheat sheets for step-by-step setups in YuJa, YouTube, Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint/Clipchamp), and Adobe Premiere Pro.

✅ Fast Review

Quick fixes to make media accessible before sharing.

Turn on captions at upload and edit them for accuracy (don’t rely on raw auto-captions).
Provide a transcript for all audio-only content (podcasts, voice memos).
Add/descriptive narration or an audio description track when visuals convey meaning not spoken.
Avoid burned-in (open) captions unless required; prefer a proper caption file (SRT/VTT). If you must burn in, ensure high contrast and safe placement.
Stream (on SharePoint): Manually enable “Auto-generate captions,” then edit the transcript before posting.
Live events: Enable live captions; if recording is posted later, replace with edited captions/transcript.
Name & attach the caption file (e.g., video-title.en-US.srt) and link a transcript where students can easily find it.

📖 Full Checklist

🧩 View the full best practices list.

Standards at a Glance

Captions (prerecorded video): required (WCAG 1.2.2 A).
Transcripts (audio-only): required (WCAG 1.2.1 A).
Live captions (live video/audio): recommended/AA (WCAG 1.2.4 AA).
Audio description (prerecorded): needed when visuals add meaning (WCAG 1.2.3 A / 1.2.5 AA).

Caption Quality (Aim for ~99% accuracy)

Accuracy & punctuation: fix names, terminology, capitalization; use commas/periods.
Speaker labels & sound cues: e.g., [music], [laughter], [applause].
Timing & reading speed: 1–2 lines, ~32–42 characters/line, sync with speech.

File Formats & Naming

Use .srt or .vtt for captions; keep as sidecar files when possible.
Use language tags (e.g., en-US) and clear names: course-lecture-03.en-US.srt.
Provide a plain-text or HTML transcript alongside the video/audio.

Workflows by Platform

🎥 YuJa

Auto-captions are enabled by default. Open the Caption/Transcript Editor to correct terms and timing.
Export SRT/VTT if you need a sidecar file elsewhere; attach a transcript (downloadable) in your LMS post.
For visuals not spoken, add brief descriptive narration or provide a descriptive transcript.

▶️ YouTube

Upload → Subtitles → edit the auto-captions or upload your SRT.
For live streams, enable live captions; after the event, edit/replace captions before publishing the recording.
If descriptive audio is needed, include it in the narration or publish a version with an AD (descriptive) track when supported.

📺 Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint) / Clipchamp

Upload to OneDrive/SharePoint → video Settings → turn on Autogenerate captions and select language.
Edit the transcript in Stream; download VTT if needed elsewhere.
Clipchamp edits: export to Stream; confirm captions are generated and then edited before sharing.

🎬 Adobe Premiere Pro

Use Text > Transcribe Sequence → review → Create Captions → style as needed.
Export captions as SRT (preferred) or burn-in only when required (ensure high contrast & safe title area).
For audio description, record a descriptive narration track and mix/export alongside the program audio.

Audio Description Decision Guide

Describe critical visuals: text on screen, diagrams, actions that change meaning.
Prefer integrated narration (write it into your script). If not feasible, add a separate AD track or provide a descriptive transcript.

Live Events (Teams, YouTube Live)

Enable live captions for accessibility during the session.
If the recording will be shared, edit/replace the captions and include a transcript before posting.
Share links through Blackboard; avoid uploading very large media directly to courses.

⚡ Quick Verification

Easy tools to double-check your media before sharing.

Run the platform’s auto-caption/transcription tool and edit errors (names/terms/timestamps).
Confirm a transcript exists for audio-only content.
Spot-check 1–2 minutes for accuracy, timing, and speaker cues.
Verify descriptive narration or an AD track when visuals add meaning.
Check open captions (if used) for contrast and safe placement.
Ensure caption files (SRT/VTT) are attached and transcripts are linked in the post.
Review publishing settings: captions enabled by default; in Stream, “Autogenerate captions” is turned on and edited.

📎 Cheat Sheet Downloads

Step-by-step guides and quick references.

Captions in YuJa – Quick Steps (PDF)
YouTube Subtitles – Edit & Upload SRT (PDF)
Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint) – Enable & Edit Captions (PDF)
Premiere Pro – Transcribe, Create Captions, Export SRT (PDF)
Accessibility Best Practices – Cheat Sheet (PDF)