How To Make A Video Accessible

Video content has become a popular way to deliver information so it is important that videos are accessible to all viewers, including those with disabilities. There are ways to make videos usable and understandable by every viewer. When videos are accessible, everyone benefits from those who want to experience content to businesses that want to reach a sizable audience. In this article we will guide you through what video accessibility means and how to make your videos accessible. 

What is Video Accessibility?

Video accessibility ensures that video content is accessible and able to be understood by everyone, including those with disabilities. Accessibility is possible by providing captions, audio descriptions and transcripts.  This accessibility allows individuals and people with diverse needs the ability to watch or read descriptions of video content so they are not  precluded from access to information.

Who Needs Video Accessibility?

Video accessibility is needed by people with and without disabilities. Everybody who wants access to video  content needs it to be accessible. People who are non-English speaking need accessibility to content, as do those who might simply prefer to have subtitles if watching something in a public space. However it is important to distinguish that video accessibility is essential for those with disabilities. Users who are hearing or vision impaired need to be able to access video content, as do those with cognitive or motor impairments.

What are the Guidelines for Video Accessibility?

Australia currently adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 which are a set of internationally recognised standards to make video accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines cover a wide range of recommendations for making Web videos inclusive and usable by every person. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, they are considered the minimum requirement of compliance for organisations creating video content. The guidelines are organised around four main principles. They must be:

1. Perceivable: People should be able to perceive information on the website through their senses of sound, sight and touch. To do this, captions should be added to videos, content should be organised in a way that is easy to see or hear, and text alternatives should be added to images. This ensures people with any sensory impairments can easily access and comprehend information presented in a video. 
2. Operable: Users must be able to interact with all the video content and have alternatives for navigation. This means making it accessible to perform tasks on a keyboard and providing alternatives for the mouse for those with motor impairments. Users also need to be given ample time to read the content and there should be no flashing or flickering content as it can trigger seizures. 
3. Understandable: Content must be easily understood by users regardless of disability. Information presented needs to be clear, concise and comprehensible by using clear language and instructions.
4. Robust: When video content is robust it is able to withstand technology changes and variations. It must be designed to be interpreted by different agents, including browsers and assistive technologies. The robust principle means that videos are designed to be accessible to a wide range of users because it is compatible with a variety of technologies.

How To Make Videos Accessible

Accessible videos ensure all people including those with visual, hearing or cognitive disabilities can connect with content. To make videos accessible, follow these tips based on the WCAG guidelines. 

1. Add captions: For those with hearing impairments and non-English speaking people captions are  essential for accessibility. Make sure the captions are an accurate representation of both the spoken content and  sound effects like a door slamming. Captions must always appear in sync with the audio and be easy to read. They should be positioned in an appropriate place on the screen and be large enough to read from a distance.
2. Use audio descriptions: The audio description is the spoken narrative of what is occurring on the screen. For those who are blind or have low vision, audio descriptions are essential for providing accessibility to what is happening on the screen. Audio descriptions describe everything from actions and gestures to scene changes, and unspoken visual content  in the video. If a character screams in the video, the audio description would describe what the character saw. Audio descriptions should be done by professional speakers to ensure clear and precise descriptions.
3. Ensure clear audio: Make sure that the audio is clear and that there is no background noise or other distractions. For people with hearing or cognitive impairments, clear and concise audio is essential for accessibility.
4. Provide transcripts: Ideal to help users who are deaf or hard of hearing, transcripts are designed to be a replacement for the audio and visual content of a video. Transcripts include descriptions of character dialogue, important visual elements and other audio like music or sound effects. They are the text based version of the video content. Video transcripts are different from captions as they are a separate document. To make sure they are accessible, they must be easy to find by either linking directly to the video or placing it somewhere easy to see on the website.
5. Use an accessible video player: An accessible video player is specifically designed to make video content usable by  all viewers, inducing people with disabilities. By using an accessible video player, you can be sure that things  like audio descriptions, keyboard navigation, transcripts and captions are all supported by these built in features. With an accessible video like OzPlayer, users can control the playback, replay, adjust the volume, and change the caption display when needed.
6. Use simple and clear language: For those with cognitive impairments, low literacy levels or non-English speakers, the use of simple and clear language is imperative for accessibility. Avoid complex sentences or technical jargon and focus on simple and concise audio or written descriptions. 
7. Avoid fast or flashing content: Video content should not include fast or flashing images as it can provoke seizures in users with seizure disorders like epilepsy. Ensure video content adheres to the three-flashes-or-below threshold which means videos do not have more than three flashes within a period of 1 second.
8. Remove autoplay from videos: Autoplay is when one video finishes automatically as soon as the other one ends. For users with ADHD and certain visual impairments, autoplay on videos can be disruptive. To disable autoplay for videos and improve accessibility, adjust the browser settings or modify the website code.
9. Use the right colours: Colour accessibility is important because the text and background colours determine how easy they are to read. Inadequate contrast between the background and text could inhibit video accessibility for those with vision impairment. Choose a colour scheme that provides high contrast between the text and background. If you have a light background text should be dark and vice versa. There are online tools to help create the right colours for accessibility.
10. Consider video design: Video design makes a big difference to accessibility. This includes the overlay and where text or captions are placed on the screen. If a video is overly busy with too many overlays and captions that inhibit the ability to focus on the image, it will make the video less accessible and not enjoyable to watch.

Benefits From Video Accessibility

Video accessibility benefits both the user and businesses who have created the content.  It improves comprehension for users with disabilities and those who may be disadvantaged by not speaking English. It also improves audience reach for businesses which increases traffic and productivity. The main benefits of video accessibility are:

Benefits for users

• Enhanced comprehension: Accessibility allows users to watch, hear or read video content which will enhance their comprehension of the subject matter. Video accessibility means they can watch a video with or without sound through captions and transcripts. For visually impaired, accessibility allows them access to video content without being able to watch it.
• Positive user experience: When videos are accessible, there is a more positive user experience for those with disabilities. Being able to either read, hear or see video content without restrictions is a much more pleasurable experience.
• Wider audience: With video accessibility, there is a much wider audience able to access video content as it is not only restricted to users without disabilities.

Benefits for businesses

• Wider audience reach: Accessible videos are able to reach a wider audience and more potential customers. 
• Stronger brand image: When businesses make videos accessible, they create a strong brand image that demonstrates inclusivity and accessibility.
• Improving SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):  Video accessibility improves SEO for businesses as it is easier for search engines to index the information on your site through text rather than video or images. When a video provides alternative text for photos, and transcripts for videos, it sends a stronger signal to search engines about the nature of your site and its content.
• Legal compliance: It is important for businesses to meet the legal compliance requirements and accessibility standards to avoid any legal issues or fines. In Australia, businesses that have websites that are found to be inaccessible are in violation of the Disability Discrimination Act and can result in fines and legal action.
• Future-Proofing:  When businesses adopt accessibility standards, it ensures their video content remains compliant and relevant as regulations evolve. 

Video accessibility is essential to make sure everyone can access content. It  is so important there  are regulations and guidelines around the legal expectations of video accessibility. In this article we have explained what video accessibility is, how to make videos that are accessible and the benefits of video accessibility. For further details contact the experts in creating professional video content at Ivory Media.