Captioned Media Information for Instructors

Overview

To facilitate accommodations for learners requiring Captioned Media, instructors are advised to assess all media intended for integration into their course curriculum or sharing on their course website for the duration of the semester. Any media lacking precise captions or transcriptions will undergo professional captioning services provided by the Disabled Students' Program (DSP). This page will offer guidance on obtaining captioning for video media and/or transcription for audio content. 

Please take note: The Department of Justice and UCB recently signed a Web Accessibility Agreement.
This agreement reaffirms UCB's dedication to ensuring universal accessibility of all media content. Students with captioned media accommodations must be provided with effective, accessible, and equitable communication access.

Processing Requirements

  • All Captioned Media requests must be submitted via the DSP Portal (AIM). 
  • All Media submitted for captioning must be processed via bCourses/Kaltura. DSP cannot process media outside of the bCourses/Kaltura platform. 

Instructor-Owned Media

Any pre-recorded instructor-owned videos will need to be accurately captioned. If videos are not captioned, they may not be shown in class or be required to view outside of class time. If your material is not captioned, please submit your Captioned Media request via the DSP Portal (AIM).

Third-Party Media

All films, YouTube/Vimeo videos, and other third-party media must be captioned in accordance with Federal Law (ADA) and University policy. 

Third-Party Media Resources

  • The Media Resources Center (MRC) is UC Berkeley Library’s primary collection of materials in audio and visual formats, including DVDs, videocassettes, streamed audio and video, compact audio discs, and audiocassettes. The MRC collection is intended to support the broad range of study and research interests on campus with particularly strong holdings in humanities and social sciences materials, as well as a broad range of general interest materials in the fields of science and technology. 
  • Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) provides a streaming library of accessible education videos in their DCMP Media Center.

Audio-Only Transcription

In instances where the instructor intends to utilize audio-only files, such as podcasts, transcription is suitable. Numerous podcast platforms offer downloadable transcripts, or alternatively, instructors may request transcription services from DSP.

For instructions on how to submit a request through AIM, please view instructions for Submitting Media for Captioning

Captioning Turnaround Time

For shorter videos of ten minutes or less, please allow 10 business days. For longer videos, please allow 15 business days. For last-minute media captioning requests, please submit your request via AIM(link is external)(link is external) and indicate your desired turnaround time. Please plan accordingly. If videos are not captioned, they may not be shown in class or be required to view outside of class time.

Captions vs Subtitles

Subtitles are generally intended for people who are able to hear. Subtitles are most often used to display a different language than the one spoken in the video. Subtitles only include the words spoken.

Captions are intended to provide access to people who are unable to hear. Unlike subtitles, captions include the spoken word, sound effects, music description, punctuation, and identification of speakers.

Checking for and Reviewing Captions

If the DVD has closed captions, it should be labeled “CC.” 

For any streaming videos the instructor plans to use, they should check for a “CC” button and then review the captions to make sure they are accurate.  Be aware that most major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime often provide captions.

*A warning about YouTube videos: Often YouTube videos show the “CC” symbol indicating they are captioned. However, if you click on the “CC” symbol, and it says “English (Auto Generated),” these captions are produced using voice recognition software and are less than satisfactory. When used in the classroom, they may limit accessibility for the student with a hearing loss, and the errors are sometimes so inaccurate and inappropriate that they are distracting to the hearing students in class. We recommend that instructors review the entire YouTube video to check the accuracy of the captions before showing it in class.  If captions are not accurate, instructors should request that DSP have them captioned.

An easy trick for determining if a YouTube videos is likely acceptable for accessibility purposes:

  • Click on the “CC” symbol at the bottom right of the video window. In the top left, if it says “English (auto generated),” it is captioned using voice recognition, which is not acceptable for accessibility.
  • If a YouTube video is captioned professionally, it is more likely to be accurate. Click on the “CC” symbol, and in the upper left of the video it will show “English” in the upper left corner rather than “auto generated.”

Media when ASL Interpreters and Realtime Captioners are Present

In some cases, a student may also use the support of ASL Interpreters and or Realtime Captioners during  in-person lectures or online synchronous class. Media material should still be captioned even when an ASL Interpreter or Realtime Captioner is present.  

Interpreting all speaking parts or describing visuals meaningfully is challenging for interpreters. Remote Realtime Captioners may only hear the class, lacking video context, while unclear audio further complicates their task. Additionally, students find it difficult to simultaneously watch videos and read captions on their laptops.

Captioned Media Support

With sufficient time, it is possible to obtain captioned materials. Instructors should make sure to check their DVDs and streaming videos well in advance (preferably before the semester begins) to determine if they are captioned or not. If instructors have any questions, they should contact  dsp-captionedmedia@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail),

Step-by-Step Instructions

Captioned Media FAQs