Frequently Asked Questions - Captioned Media FAQs for Instructors

Submit captioning requests to DSP Captioning via DSP's Captioned Media Portal. This includes all media including, but not limited to, bCourses videos, video and voiceover content, narrated embedded PowerPoint videos, videos listed on your syllabus, YouTube, TED Talks, Zoom lectures, and raw MP4 files. 

Instructions on How to Submit a Captioned Media Request in the Captioned Media Portal

• The turnaround time for DSP captioning is within 10 business days. Contact dsp-captionedmedia@berkeley.edu for any questions regarding this process.
  
  
• For DVDs or digitized/streaming media, go to OskiCat.Berkeley.edu to search for the DVD/movie you need captioned. Send the call number to avmccirc@library.berkeley.edu.  The turnaround time to caption a DVD is 10 business days.
  
  
• Expedited requests: We understand last-minute changes and will do our best to get any last-minute requests back to you.  Reasonable attempts will be made to accommodate the request.

You can choose to share your captioned media with all of your students by placing it in your Media Gallery, or you may keep it private in your My Media folder on bCourses.  Here's how to share a video from your My Media folder on bCourses with your students: Berkeley Service Now How to Share My Media

For further information on how to share media on bCourses, please visit bCourses Video Sharing

My Media is the place on bCourses where all of your recordings and Zoom lectures are uploaded and housed. All of this content is unique and viewable only to you.

Media Gallery is for videos that are viewable by those with access to the bCourses site.

We will fulfill all of your captioning requests through your bCourses Media Gallery. 

Here is additional information on making content available: Service Now Knowledge Base

• Your My Media Folder on bCourses (Previous Semesters)

• Media Resource Center (MRC)

• DCMP Video Archives 

• Kanopy Streaming Service
  

  **If you are unsure whether a video has proper captioning, please submit your media to the Captioned Media department for review via DSP's Captioned Media Portal

Submit YouTube media through DSP's Captioned Media Portal

If the material is on YouTube, you should check to see if it’s appropriately captioned. If it is not properly captioned, you may submit the media and your captioning request through DSP's Captioned Media Portal.

*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 fall below the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and UC Berkeley quality standards. When used in the classroom, auto-generated captions may limit accessibility for the student with hearing loss. 

The auto-generated captions are sometimes so inaccurate that they prohibit proper comprehension of the material being presented. It is required that you always review the entire YouTube video to check the quality of the captions before showing it in class.  If the captions do not meet ADA and University requirements, you should request that the DSP have them captioned. 

For shorter videos of ten minutes or less, please allow 10 business days. For longer videos, please allow 21 business days. For last-minute media captioning requests, please submit your request via the DSP's Captioned Media Portal 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.

If the media has audio and video, it needs to have professional captions. A transcript is not sufficient to meet the Captioned Media accommodation.