Making Your Content Accessible with Transcription

Accessibility isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential. Over 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss, and countless others benefit from text alternatives to audio. Transcription is one of the most impactful ways to make your content accessible.

Who Benefits from Transcripts and Captions?

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users

The most obvious beneficiaries. Without captions or transcripts, audio and video content is completely inaccessible to millions of people.

Non-Native Speakers

Reading in a second language is often easier than listening. Transcripts help international audiences understand your content.

People in Noisy (or Quiet) Environments

Whether you're on a loud train or in a silent library, captions let you consume content without audio.

Cognitive Differences

Many people process information better when they can both see and hear it. Text reinforces audio comprehension.

Everyone Else

Even without accessibility needs, transcripts offer benefits:

• Faster content scanning
• Easy quote extraction
• Better searchability
• Note-taking while watching

Legal Requirements

Many jurisdictions require accessible content:

United States

• ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): Applies to businesses and public services
• Section 508: Federal agencies and contractors
• CVAA: Television and video content

European Union

• European Accessibility Act: Digital services must be accessible

Education

• IDEA and WCAG: Educational institutions must provide accessible content

The Cost of Non-Compliance

Beyond ethics, inaccessible content can result in:

• Lawsuits and legal fees
• Lost audience and customers
• Damage to reputation
• Exclusion from government contracts

Types of Accessible Content

Closed Captions (CC)

Synchronized text displayed over video. Viewers can turn them on or off. Includes:

• Dialogue
• Speaker identification
• Sound effects [door slams]
• Music descriptions ♪ soft piano music ♪

Open Captions

Burned into the video—always visible, can't be turned off. Useful for:

• Social media videos (where CC might not load)
• Shared clips
• Non-supported platforms

Transcripts

Full text version of audio content. Benefits:

• Screen reader compatible
• Easy to search and reference
• Can be read at any pace
• More SEO value than captions

Audio Descriptions

For blind and low-vision users, audio descriptions narrate visual information that isn't spoken. This is separate from transcription but part of comprehensive accessibility.

Creating Accessible Captions

Caption Quality Standards

Good captions aren't just accurate—they're usable:

Timing

• Appear when words are spoken
• Stay on screen long enough to read (minimum 1 second)
• Don't change too quickly (maximum 3 lines/second)

Formatting

• Maximum two lines on screen
• 32-40 characters per line
• Break at natural pauses

Content

• Verbatim or near-verbatim
• Speaker identification when needed
• Sound effects in brackets [phone rings]
• Music described [upbeat jazz music]

What to Include

Beyond dialogue, accessible captions include:

• Who is speaking: Important when off-screen or in group settings
• How they're speaking: [whispers], [sarcastically]
• Relevant sounds: [explosion], [birds chirping]
• Music: [suspenseful music], ♪ lyrics if important ♪
• Silence: [...] or [no audio] when relevant

Creating Accessible Transcripts

Transcript Best Practices

Structure

• Clear headings and sections
• Paragraph breaks for readability
• Speaker labels on new lines

Content

• All spoken content
• Relevant non-speech audio
• Timestamps (optional but helpful)
• Links to source video

Format

• Plain text or HTML (screen reader compatible)
• Avoid PDFs when possible (accessibility issues)
• Provide in addition to, not instead of, captions

Example Format

MEETING TRANSCRIPT
Date: December 5, 2024
Attendees: Sarah (moderator), Alex, Jordan

[00:00:00]
SARAH: Welcome everyone. Today we're discussing 
the Q4 product launch.

[00:00:15]
ALEX: Thanks Sarah. [shares screen] As you can 
see on this chart...

Testing Accessibility

Manual Testing

• Try your content without sound
• Use a screen reader (VoiceOver, NVDA)
• Read transcripts without watching video

Automated Tools

• WAVE accessibility checker
• axe DevTools
• Caption quality checkers

User Testing

The gold standard—test with actual users who rely on these accommodations.

Implementation Checklist

For every piece of audio/video content:

• Accurate captions (not just auto-generated)
• Captions include non-speech sounds
• Speaker identification where needed
• Transcript available separately
• Transcript is properly formatted
• All files are compatible with screen readers
• Content tested for accessibility

Start Today

Accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought. Build it into your content creation process:

1. Transcribe everything
2. Review for accuracy
3. Format properly
4. Test with users
5. Continuously improve

The audience you'll reach—and the legal protection you'll gain—makes the effort worthwhile many times over.