ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENTS & MEDIA
Closed captioning of videos and audio files
If you intend to show or disseminate a video, it should be close-captioned to ensure accessibility and in support of the universal design for learning approach. Close captioning is beneficial not only to those with hearing impairments but also to those for whom an additional textual representation of the verbal and auditory is an important learning support.
If the video or audio file you'd like to show or share is not closed captioned, the following are some options for making that media more accessible.
Please note that for materials not created by you, or that you do not hold the copyright for, you first need to obtain permission to create a captioned copy of the video or audio file. The Library (Audiovisual & Streaming Rights Queries) can assist you in obtaining the permission and keeping the record of the permission.
For videos / audio used as course content (shown in class or viewed online)
Accessible Format Production, based in the Library, can coordinate the closed captioning of videos or audio-files.
Adding closed captions requires permission from the copyright holder/media producer. If the videos are produced by third parties outside of Ryerson it can take some time to request and obtain permission. Please plan ahead.
Contact information to inquire is available from the Library's Closed Captioned Media page.
For Ryerson-produced videos (you are copyright holder)
The DMP will be available to get your video or audio captioned by sending it out to a third party. There is cost associated with this service.
To request for DMP's assistance in getting your video or audio captioned, please fill out the DMP Contact Form and select "Close captioning" from the drop down menu labeled "Subject of your inquiry."
To help with your budgeting, the following is the ballpark cost (in USD) for the service, obtained from a third party. Cost may change and differ slightly.
- For immediate turnaround captioning only, where you already have the transcript: $ 1.15 / minute
- For standard 3-day turnaround:
- Transcription only: $ 1.50 / minute
- Captioning and transcription: $ 2.65 / minute
- Production transcripts, including time stamped: $ 2.08 / minute
- For rush 24-hour turnaround:
- Transcription only: $ 2.00 / minute
- Captioning and transcription: $ 3.15 / minute
- Production transcripts, including time stamped: $ 2.58 / minute
Do It Yourself Captioning (for videos you have permission to reproduce as a CCed copy)
How long does it take?
Transcription: approximately 4.5 x the duration of the video
Captioning: approximately 3.3 x the duration of the video
(The time is based on the in-house pilot project for captioning process by humans, without the assistance of automatic speech to text recognition software).
What tool to use?
YouTube has an automatic captioning option - this, on its own does not produce acceptable captions. However, you can edit and correct those automatic captions, and create a transcript. Please keep in mind that you can only edit the caption text, but not the syncing of the captions (when they appear on screen.) Poorly synced captions can be very difficult to follow for viewers. If the captions resulting from this method are not well synced, it's recommended you use another method, or that you export the captions file and edit the time coding. Learn more about YouTube captioning features by searching for "captions" in YouTube's Help Center.
CapScribe
- Open source captioning and video description software for Mac. Free for non-profit organizations, schools and individuals. It enables precise timecode syncing of captions. Learn more about the CapScribe software here.
- Open source captioning and video description software for Mac. Free for non-profit organizations, schools and individuals. It enables precise timecode syncing of captions. Learn more about the CapScribe software here.