Blog: Captions -
We Can All Benefit

For a lot of content creators (writers, trainers, editors, bloggers, video creators, etc.), ensuring compliance with §508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is just one more step to accomplish and check off their list because the “have to.” This is an unfortunate viewpoint and means potential lost opportunities to distribute information.

Most of us have noticed the significant shift in the degree of inclusion we have experienced in our society over the last couple of years. It is my hope that this increased level of awareness of everyone’s uniqueness will help open the eyes of content workers. There are many opportunities to use captioning technology to reach a broad audience.

The Background

Closed captioning was introduced to television programming in the 1970s (Wikipedia, 2020). However, it was not a part of regular, scheduled programming until 1980. Since there it’s continued to be a pain point for some individuals, but the acceleration of technology is helping.

Outside of avenues like television, captions are still inconsistently used. In 1990, the ADA came into effect, and that has helped create accessible materials for more people. Assistive technologies have struggled over the years to keep up with advances in other technologies and being able to provide quality services to people who need them. This is starting to change.

During my time creating videos and other user content for the USDA Forest Service, we were “forced” into adopting steps to ensure our materials were §508-accessible. There was a lot of grumbling among the long-time contractors about it being unnecessary because this software group did not have any users who required this type of assistance. A strong assumption to make. This also put limits on what was available to all users of this large software suite. I can imagine that many organizations not required by the Federal government to provide accessible materials had an even stronger objection to the task.

The Shift

While many of us are focused on providing the highest quality product for the broadest audience possible, others remain unconvinced that the captioning effort is worth the result.

We are all aware of how many things have changed and shifted over the last couple of years. The need to work from home and interact more over video spurred rapid changes in online meeting technologies. With multiple people in a household working from home, all needing to attend meetings, and frequently children in the background, there was a need for improved technology on many levels.

Among the technologies that have been impacted by quick response by online meeting providers are: better bandwidth management, improved user interfaces, built-in real-time captioning functions and services, recording of meetings, and improved interactive functions such as chats and polls. These changes in technology have opened the door to increased long-term remote working to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

Real-time captioning is the technology that’s used to provide captions to viewers of live programs. Because this technology relies on voice interpretation, the results are not 100% accurate. Typically, the captions are close enough that you can fill in the blanks knowing the context (i.e., sporting event).

Combining the change in need, the change in technology, and the change in attitude toward inclusion and equal access leads us towards a wider adoption of accessibility practices in many areas.

The Benefits

There are a variety of scenarios where having closed captions are beneficial for more than individuals who require assistance (though that should be reason enough to do it). The recent changes in how all levels of business are conducted has been strongly enabled by the availability of captions.

Whether people are watching instructional, entertainment, or online meetings, the availability of captions provides the opportunity for increased understanding, engagement, and follow-on behavior. Environmental factors can limit the effectiveness of audio-based content.

Hopefully this online and video technology will find its way to the television screen. An improvement in real-time captioning benefits not just those needing assistive technology, but those who might be watching in a loud environment or who need to keep the volume off.

It should not take a literal Act of Congress for us to embrace assistive technologies wherever they can be of benefit and find a way to maximize their availability and usage for all.

References

Cisco Webex. (2021). https://www.webex.com/. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. John Wiley & Sons.

Google Meet. (2021). https://meet.google.com/. Accessed September 10, 2021.

GoToMeeting. (2021). https://www.goto.com/meeting. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Free-Images.com. (2021). Chairs image. https://free-images.com/display/bar_stools_chair_pub.html. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Just Creative. (2020). Closed Captioning – Everything You Need to Know. (https://justcreative.com/closed-captioning/). Accessed September 10, 2021.

Microsoft Teams. (2021). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Skype. (2021). http://www.skype.com. Accessed September 10, 2021.

The Verge. (2021). Image of captioned speaker. https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/25/22300740/zoom-live-transcription-closed-captions-accessibility-free-accounts. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Wikipedia. (2020). Closed Caption logo. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Closed_captioning_symbol.svg. Accessed September 10, 2021.

Zoom. (2021). http://zoom.com. Accessed September 10, 2021.