When to Caption: General Guidelines

Last update: 9/14/2020

The following guidelines have be reviewed and approved by University of Virginia’s Office of University Counsel, the ADA Coordinator, the Coordinator of Academic Accessibility, and the Director of the Student Disability Access Center. For additional information send email to captioning@virginia.edu.

The following guidelines apply to the captioning/transcription of live and recorded (post-production) events/classes presented online. Guidance for captioning in-person live events is similar and the information provided below should be considered. The use of Assistive Listening Systems (ALS) may also be part of reasonable accommodations for such events/classes. ALS systems are available throughout the University. Please reach out to SDAC for more information.

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When is transcription and/or captioning required?

We are required to provide accurate captions and transcripts of live and recorded events/classes, including audio/video materials associated with these events/classes, when any of the following apply:

  • An accommodation for captioning/transcription is to be provided for a student at the direction of SDAC, or for an employee as an agreed to workplace accommodation.
  • The University sponsored event/class will be available to the public.
  • There is no registration or enrollment process for the University sponsored event/class.

When is transcription and/or captioning considered beneficial?

Providing captions and transcripts are not required but recommended as a beneficial practice for the audience in the following circumstances:

  • When a class or an event, which is not open to the public or is offered by invitation only, is expected to exceed 250 participants.
  • When the speaker is difficult to understand (strong accent, soft speaker, speech articulation difficulties, etc.).
  • When the recording will be reused for University purposes.
  • To provide multiple means of engagement for an audience.
  • When it is recognized that members of the audience may be participating with a variety of devices over uncertain internet access and stability.

If you are providing audio-only files (e.g. Podcasts, rebroadcast of radio programs), accurate transcripts should be made available at the same time the recording is available.

More Information: Live Captioning

More Information: Post-Production Captioning

Automatic Speech Recognition Considerations

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) solutions for both live and post-production captioning are readily available from a number of sources. While technology is advancing rapidly in this area, captions created using ASR, such as those provided by Google for YouTube videos or captioning in MS Teams video events, may be flawed.  ASR is not a suitable solution for captioning when an accommodation request has been made.

If a recording of the event will be posted online for access after the live occurrence, it is equally important that accurate captions are integrated with the post-production file. You may be able to use the transcript from the live event as a starting point for the post-production piece. A transcript created with ASR or from the source of your live captions can be a good basis for either Do-It-Yourself (DIY) captioning or when using a 3rd party vendor.

Unknown vs. Known Audience

A “known” audience is one who has to enroll or register to participate in the class or event. Conversely, an “unknown” audience is one who can participate without identifying themselves as a participant.

How does an audience become “known”? During the registration process for an event, it is important that each participant be asked if accommodations will be needed for their participation. At this time, attendees can indicate if captions, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, or other accommodations will be needed. A sample statement which should be modified appropriately for your online or in-person event:

The University of Virginia is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please contact [name, email, phone of the event organizer or primary contact] to request disability-related accommodations. Examples of accommodations may include real-time captioning, ASL-English interpreting services, accessible digital copies of programs, accessible seating, and accessible parking. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accommodations. Please contact us at least seven days prior to the start of this event and include the following information in your request:

  • Full Name:
  • Contact Information:
  • Date and Location of the Event:
  • Accommodation requested:

The request can be made by responding to a statement such as the one above, or via a question on the registration form. The contact information provided in this statement should be a person who is closely involved with the event.

When the decision has been made to provide captions for a live event, it is important that sponsors advertise this service in your invitation and marketing materials. This alerts individuals who rely on these types of services to know they will be able to participate in the event.

It is important that a statement is also included inviting requests for accommodations. As an example, even with captions in place a request for ASL interpretation is a common accommodation request for communication access.

If you have questions, contact the Coordinator of Academic Accessibility at coaa@virginia.edu. Additional information can be found on the UVA Digital Accessibility: Captioning & Audio Description website.

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