Captioned media—text that represents all audio—is a vital accessibility resource for deaf students and offers benefits and opportunities for learning to others as well. Institutions can use several different approaches to ensure their media is fully captioned and accessible to all viewers.
When planning how your institution will manage media materials that need to be captioned, there are three options to consider:
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Check whether a captioned version of the video already exists. Many publishers, streaming platforms, and educational content providers now include captions by default. A quick search can save time, reduce costs, and ensure immediate access for deaf students.
If the exact video isn’t available with captions, look for a comparable alternative that covers the same content and is already captioned. Using an accessible version—when it meets the instructional goals—can be an efficient way to maintain accessibility without waiting for new captions to be created. This option can save time, reduce costs, and provide immediate access.
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When a captioned version of media isn’t available, some institutions choose to create captions in‑house. This approach offers more control over accuracy and can be quicker for small edits or updates. However, it also requires trained staff, the right tools, and enough time and capacity to keep up with ongoing demand.
A successful in‑house captioning process starts with identifying who is responsible for the work. On many campuses, captioning is handled by the disability services office or the ADA compliance officer. Some disability offices have the tools and expertise to caption videos directly, while others partner with their institution’s media center to complete the work.
In‑house captioning often seems cost-effective at first, but the time required can add up quickly. A common guideline is that captioning may take five to ten times the length of the video, depending on staff skill level, video length, and content complexity.
Successful in‑house captioning also requires proper staff training. Teams need time to learn the tools, understand quality standards, and handle technical issues, and this training—along with ongoing support—should be factored into the overall labor investment.
- Some campuses choose to outsource captioning to a vendor. Working with an external agency may involve higher costs, but it provides access to specialized expertise—such as captioning music, foreign languages, or highly technical content—ensuring high‑quality results.
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Foreign Language Videos
When the language of a video is primarily spoken in a foreign language, the equivalent accessible version would reflect captions in the same foreign language and should not be translated into English. For example, a deaf student is taking a Spanish course that has practice videos of individuals speaking Spanish, these videos should be captioned in Spanish for accessibility purposes.
The Described and Captioned Media Program’s (DCMP) Captioning Key offers guidance on addressing foreign language under Special Considerations:
- If possible, caption the actual foreign words. If it is not possible to caption the words, use a description (e.g., [speaking French]). Never translate into English.
- If possible, use accent marks, diacritical marks, and other indicators.
- Indicate regional accent at the beginning of the first caption.
Videos with Music
When a video incorporates musical elements, this information should be incorporated into the captioning track for accessibility purposes. The Described and Captioned Media Program’s (DCMP) Captioning Key includes tips and guidance on captioning music: Sound Effects and Music. For example, music with lyrics should be introduced with the name of the artist and title in brackets, followed by the verbatim lyrics between music note symbols (♪).
Instrumental-only music should include descriptions that indicate the mood, or changes in mood, as much as possible. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) offers an example of how to address instrument-only performances in pre-recorded videos:
An orchestra provides captions for videos of performances. In addition to capturing dialog and lyrics verbatim, captions identify non-vocal music by title, movement, composer, and any information that will help the user comprehend the nature of the audio. For instance captions read,
“[Orchestral Suite No. 3.2 in D major, BWV 1068, Air]
[Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer]
♪ Calm melody with a slow tempo ♪”
Descriptions such as dramatic orchestral music, drumbeat starts up, solo violin playing somber melody, military march plays are just a few examples of descriptive captions that are relevant to understanding the music.
In-House Resources
- The Described and Captioned Media Program’s (DCMP) Captioning Key is a comprehensive guide on how to caption for individuals engaging in the captioning process. DCMP also created Caption it Yourself, an online guide for individual video creators who wish to caption their videos including instructions and techniques.
- National Center on Accessible Educational Materials offers a self-paced training module to learn how to caption videos.
- DeafTec has a list of DIY captioning tools that can help streamline the process, such as using automatic captions on popular platforms and editing them for accuracy.
- Join the NDC Listserv and ask colleagues for strategies on establishing in-house captioning services.
Outsourcing Resources
- The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) houses a list of captioning vendors as well as a sample checklist to ask vendors about their captioning quality.
- 3PlayMedia has a white paper on How to Select the Right Closed Captioning Vendor: 10 Crucial Questions to Ask.
- Join the NDC Listserv and ask colleagues for captioning vendor referrals.