Published: April 8, 2022
YouTube generates captions automatically for most videos. This is useful even if you are not using Youtube to serve them; you can download the resulting captions file to use on other video platforms. For example, if I want to share a video on Facebook or Twitter or transcribe an interview for an article.
And if you need to convert the captions file to another format there are plenty of websites that offer the service for free,
You will always need to check and edit the text that Youtube generates.
You can now wait a few hours or a few days for Youtube to automatically create the captions for your video. Once your video captions are generated and edited for accuracy you are ready to make your videos public.
However, if you are impatient, you can also add and edit captions manually.
Assuming captions have not already been generated you will be presented with a dialog box with three choices,
I recommend you use the Auto-sync option.
To use Auto-sync – write out a full transcript of your video – ignoring any related time information. Then click the Auto-sync option and paste your text into the form field. Click Submit.
Youtube will then create the timings automatically – syncing your text with the audio of your video.
Writing out a transcript of the video in your favourite word processor is easier than typing the captions into the YouTube form as you watch the video. I’ve done that many times and it’s a taxing and time-consuming activity.
To edit your captions, click the Subtitles link from the left-hand menu and choose the video you would like to edit.
To edit the automatically added captions click DUPLICATE AND EDIT and a new editable copy will be created.
Then click the Edit link for the copy of the published captions text.
YouTube is not good at adding proper punctuation and capitalisation of words – so be sure to look for those issues.
To download the captions file click on the three dots to the right of the EDIT AS TEXT link within the captions dialog and choose Download subtitles.
By default, it downloads the captions in .sbv format (it does for me – but check if that’s the case for you). Use a conversion service such as the one provided by Arizona State University to convert the file to .srt.
If you Google for .sbv to .srt conversion you will find several websites that will cover the file for free.
© Jim Byrne 2022
Tags: .srt, accessibility, automatic captions, captions, transcript, video, YouTube
Published: December 7, 2021
Zoom was created in 2011 but it didn’t take off until its use during the pandemic – when it became the de facto video chat tool. There can be no doubt that it’s a powerful and valuable communication tool, however, it also has some major accessibility issues. In this short article I set out what some of those issues are and suggest ways to get around them – where possible.
For example, Zoom doesn’t always work well with screen reading software.
If you are going to be using the chat function you can use a ‘chat wrangler’, i.e., a person who monitors the chat, tells the group of new messages, and reads them out. Or you can separate out the chat and use an accessible chat application instead of the one built-in to Zoom.
Any important information, such as links should be sent to participants by email after conclusion of the session.
The Whiteboard function in Zoom is not accessible to screen reader uses – as it is the equivalent to posting an image to the screen – but it is an image without a text description.
If you intend to use the whiteboard – be sure to make the whiteboard content available in an alternative accessible format.
If you are using the whiteboard – ensure you are keeping screen reader users up to speed with what you are doing and what you are writing on the board.
The Share Screen function in Zoom is only screen-reader-accessible to the individual sharing their screen. If the session is going to involved screen sharing then seek out an alternative to Zoom for the session. There is a list of the most accessible video chat software at, the Big Hack website.
The Zoom polling tool also has accessibility issues for presenters and participants with some impairments (as reported on Yale University accessibility page). As with the chat example above, you could look at using a third-party tool instead. For example, Mentimeter have a polling tool; they write about inclusivity in their accessibility statement – which suggests that it’s accessible. However, I’ve never used it, so check it out first.
Survey tools are necessarily the same as online poll tools but they might be worth checking out to see if they suit your purposes. The University Of Washington’s has a review of online survey tools. And I see SurveyMonkey has information about how you can make their surveys accessible – so that may also be worth investigating.
COCo (the Centre for Community Organizations) – about the accessibility of Zoom
DLF Wiki page for access issues with zoom
Jim Byrne December 2021
Tags: accessibility, chat, poll, video, video chat, video conferencing, Zoom
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