The UCR Digital Deep Clean: Week Eight: The Media Room

Lights, camera, accessibility! In week 8 of the Digital Deep Clean challenge we’re heading into the “Media Room" to audit our video and audio content.

Whether it’s a recorded lecture, an event promotion, a podcast, or a quick tutorial, our media must be accessible to every Highlander. This includes those who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who are simply in a quiet study zone or a noisy gym. 

In fact, 80% of people watch mobile videos with the sound off. By adding captions, you ensure your message is received regardless of the volume setting. Plus, transcripts make your video content searchable, helping users easily find specific information within a recording.

Week Eight Guidance

Captions and Transcripts

Captions and transcripts provide a text-based version of spoken information. Be sure to review UCR’s guidance and resources on audio and video accessibility. Below we’ll cover some UCR-provided tools that help simplify media accessibility.

• Zoom for Video Auto-captions and Transcription: If you record meetings or lectures to the cloud, Zoom automatically generates captions. Note that auto-captions aren't always accurate, so it is important to review and edit prior to sharing.
• YouTube for Video Auto-captions: If you upload a video as "Unlisted," Google’s speech-to-text engine will generate captions automatically. You can then download the .vtt or .srt file to use elsewhere.
• Microsoft Word Online for Audio Transcription: In the browser-based version of Word, go to Home > Dictate > Transcribe. You can upload an .mp3 or .mp4 file, and Word will identify different speakers and create a time-stamped transcript that you can save directly in your document.
• Google Docs for Live Dictation: In Google Docs, you can go to Tools > Voice Typing to create a live transcript during a meeting or while playing a recording aloud.
• Free Resources: Alternatively, you can create your own captions using a free online tool like amara.org. You can save your .srt captioning file and upload it onto your video.
• Audio Description Guidelines: The UCR Digital Accessibility website provides guidance on how to provide information about the visual aspects of a video to someone who is blind or who has low vision.

Pro Tip: Providing a transcript alongside a video is an "altruistic" win; it allows users to read and highlight text at their own pace.

The Weekly Challenge

• Learn: Review the UC guidelines from transcripts and captions, as well as the audio and video guidance on the UCR Digital Accessibility website.
• Audit: Review your most-viewed or most-shared media to determine which may need captions or transcripts added.
• Explore the Tools: Carve out some time this week to explore the transcription settings in Zoom, YouTube, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Amara.

Faculty Focus

YuJa is UCR's academic video management platform. It provides high-quality auto-captioning and allows you to easily embed accessible videos directly into Canvas.

• How to Add Auto-captions Using Yuja
• Connecting Yuja, Zoom, and Google Drive
• Enabling Auto-captions in Zoom
• Using Audio Transcription in Zoom

Website Wranglers

Resources for social and embedded media include:

• YouTube/Vimeo: If you embed videos from external sites, ensure the "CC" (Closed Captions) button is active and that the captions have been manually corrected. "Auto-generated" captions from YouTube often contain errors that can change the meaning of your message.
• Siteimprove: Use Siteimprove to identify pages with embedded videos that may be missing an accessible alternative.
• Social Media: Most platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X) now offer auto-captioning stickers or settings. Always toggle these on before you post!

Accessibility for Multimedia Course
Add Subtitles and Captions in YouTube
Add Subtitles and Captions in Vimeo

Did You Miss Previous Weeks or Want to Get Ahead?

You can find all of the accessibility guidance and resources provided as part of the Digital Deep Clean challenge on the Digital Accessibility webpage!

Visit the Digital Accessibility Webpage to Learn More

Access barrier? Report digital accessibility issues or request remediation of inaccessible digital content.