USING VIDEOS IN AN ONLINE

COURSE

A GUIDE TO ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE

ASHLEY HARRIS, INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER
 USING VIDEOS IN AN ONLINE COURSE
AT-A-GLANCE STEPS

Using online videos can enhance the learning experience in courses. However, it's important to
ensure accessibility standards are met while still following copyright guidelines. This quick handout
provides guidelines for those utilizing online videos effectively while prioritizing accessibility and
following copyright law.

A Note about Accuracy: While auto-generated captions are convenient, they fall short of meeting
accessibility standards due to their lower accuracy levels and are therefore not considered compliant.

1. USE ACCESSIBLE CONTENT FIRST

Prioritize utilizing online videos with built-in accessibility features, such as
closed captions and audio descriptions, to ensure inclusivity for all
learners. If an accessible version is unavailable, explore the options below
for creating or obtaining one promptly to meet accessibility requirements.

2. REQUEST CAPTIONS WITH CREATOR

Once you’ve selected a video, but captions aren’t present or they are
auto-generated, you can request captions from content creators. Allow a
reasonable period (a few days) for creators to respond and add captions
before exploring alternative accessibility options.

3. CROWD-SERVICE CAPTIONING
If the content creator cannot provide captions directly, upload the link to a
public crowd-service captioning site, like Amara. You can then edit the
captions as needed to ensure they meet accessibility standards.

4. USE COPYRIGHT- FREE CAPTIONING SERVICE

When seeking captioning solutions for copyrighted content, consider
utilizing copyright-free captioning services. These platforms offer
captioning tools compliant with copyright regulations, ensuring legal
adherence while enhancing accessibility.

5. DOWNLOAD AND CAPTION YOURSELF

If accessible versions of videos are not readily available, and after
making a reasonable effort to obtain them, consider downloading the
content using an online video downloader—though exercising caution
with certain sites—and captioning it yourself.
 WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?

ACCESSIBILITY AND THE LAW

Two disability-related civil rights laws govern the obligations of postsecondary institutions with respect
to the accessibility of digital learning materials and online courses - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and Title II of the ADA:

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability by institutions that receive federal funding.
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with
disabilities and applies to all public colleges and universities, regardless of whether they receive
federal funding.

What Section 504 and the ADA Mean for Instruction:

For those working with faculty and in instruction, it's important to understand how Section 504 and the
ADA impact this area. These laws require that:

People with disabilities cannot be denied services due to their disability.

Students with disabilities must be given appropriate accommodations to ensure they can meet the
same objectives as students without disabilities.
Students with disabilities should be able to access the course material as easily as a student
without a disability.
People with disabilities should have access to material of the same quality and within the same
time frame as people without disabilities.

For a great summary and more detailed discussion of how these laws impact higher education,
review “Legal Obligations for Accessibility” by UDL on Campus.

Explore:
Legal Obligations for Accessibility- overview
of disability-related Civil Rights laws
governing higher education.
Office for Civil Rights: Protecting Students
With Disabilities - dives deeper into the
protections offered through Section 504.
Legal Cases by Issue - summaries of
education cases and the policies as a
result.
Example:
If you record your lecture and make it available to the
class on a Friday in order to study for an exam on
Monday, that video must be captioned and made
available within the same time frame for a deaf student
- otherwise they do not have the same access to the
study materials as other students, which puts them at a
disadvantage. Students with disabilities should not have
to wait for accessible materials as it can hold back their
progress in class.
 WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
COPYRIGHT AND THE LAW
Fair use, as defined by US Copyright law, is a legal
doctrine that allows for the limited use of copyrighted
material without the permission of the copyright
holder, typically for purposes such as criticism,
comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or
research. It serves to balance the rights of copyright
holders with the public interest in accessing and
utilizing creative works.
The U.S. Copyright Office’s final ruling (83 FR 54010)
outlines the ability for educational institutions to
caption a video that may be copyrighted under the
following conditions:
The organization must be a K-12 or
postsecondary institution and is responsible for
providing access to students with disabilities
under applicable accessibility laws (ADA, Section
504).
The school must make a reasonable effort to
determine whether an existing accessible version
can be obtained for a fair price or in a timely
manner.
The media captioned by or for the school must be
privately stored and only shared with necessary
parties such as students and educators.
Uploading captioned versions to a private
YouTube channel or embedding in the Learning
Management System (LMS) are examples of
ways to secure a video.
There are scenarios related to videos available on the
internet that are important to consider. Recent
settlements (NAD v. Harvard & NAD v. MIT)
emphasizes that an institution’s website is considered
public space and should include captioned videos.
(See The Significance of Harvard’s Settlement on
Video Accessibility)
Example:
If a teacher plans to incorporate a
copyrighted film into their lesson, they must
ensure it is properly licensed for
educational use and, if necessary,
captioned to comply with fair use
guidelines. Failing to obtain the appropriate
permissions or provide captions could
violate copyright law and undermine the
rights of content creators. Additionally,
ensuring accessibility for all students,
including those with hearing impairments, is
essential to uphold educational equity and
legal standards.
Explore:
U.S. Copyright Federal Register Final
Ruling 83 FR 54010
Briefing: Accessibility, the Chafee
Amendment, and Fair Use
Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by
Educators and Librarians
How Copyright and Fair Use Impact
Third Party Captioning for Educational
Video
 A NOTE ABOUT ACCURACY
While auto-generated captions are convenient, they fall short of meeting accessibility standards due
to their lower accuracy levels and are therefore not considered compliant. The Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines specifically state that persons with disabilities must be given
“effective communication that offers full and equal enjoyment.” The quality of information that is
provided must be of equal quality to that offered to people without disabilities. There is no set rule to
accuracy percentages for captioned videos in an online course, however, a high level of accuracy is
important, especially when considering relaying accurate information an educational setting.

Even small changes in information accuracy significantly impact comprehension when looking at a
text:

The following is a sample caption with no errors.

The ancient ruins stood majestically against the backdrop of the setting sun, whispering tales
of civilizations long gone. Visitors marveled at the intricate carvings and weathered stones,
pondering the mysteries of the past.

This passage demonstrates a 10% error rate.

The ancient ruins stood majestically against the backdrop of the sitting son, whispering tails of
civilizations long gone. Visitors marveled at the intricate carvings and weather stones,
pondering the mysteries of the past.

This passage demonstrates a 20% error rate.

The ancient ruins stood majestically against the backdrop of the setting son, wispring tails of
civilizations long gone. Visiting marveled at the intricate carvings and weather stones,
ponderin the mysteries of the pastas.

When the error rate exceeds 3%, readers struggle to comprehend the main concepts and facts
presented. When the error rate reaches 10% or higher, the text becomes largely unintelligible. Most
auto-captioning services, such as YouTube, only generate 60 - 70% accurate captions, making them
not a viable option for captioning educational videos.

While finding accessible captioning solutions may require more time and effort, it enhances the
overall learning experience. By investing in quality captioning solutions and taking the time to review
and edit captions as needed, educators can create inclusive educational environments where all
students can fully engage with the content.
 CHECKING FOR
ACCURACY OF CAPTIONS

Check for Auto-Generated Captions

After you select “Closed

Captions” if you see “(auto-
generated) they are not
accurate and therefore not
compliant.

Review Captions for Accuracy

Watch the video with captions
enabled and carefully review
them for any spelling mistakes,
grammatical errors, or
inaccuracies that could
potentially hinder
comprehension.

This video has errors with

punctuation and capitalization,
which could affect the sentence
meaning.
 1. USE ACCESSIBLE
CONTENT FIRST

Prioritize utilizing online videos with built-in accessibility features, such as closed captions and
audio descriptions, to ensure inclusivity for all learners. Several websites host educational videos
with built-in accessibility features, ensuring inclusivity for diverse learners. Some examples
include:

Khan Academy: Offers a wide range of subjects with accessible video content, including
math, science, humanities, and more. While geared towards K-12, there are a few AP and
college-level options.

TED-Ed: Features engaging and informative videos on various topics suitable for college
students, often with captions and transcripts available.

Crash Course: Provides in-depth video series on subjects such as biology, chemistry,
history, literature, and psychology, with accessibility options.

YouTube EDU: YouTube's educational channel aggregates content from universities and
creators, most of which provide captions and transcripts. Make sure to check before selecting
a video.

MIT OpenCourseWare: Provides free access to MIT course materials, including video
lectures with accessibility features like captions and transcripts.

Annenberg Learner: Provides multimedia resources for college educators, including video
content with accessibility features for diverse learners.

National Geographic Education: Features educational videos on topics like science,

geography, and culture, often with captions for accessibility.

Smithsonian Channel: Offers videos covering a wide range of subjects, including history,
science, and culture, with accessibility options available.

If you're unable to find a suitable video using a website from the list above or another accessible
video site, consider exploring the other options in this guide for creating or obtaining an
accessible version to meet accessibility requirements.
 2. REQUEST CAPTIONS
WITH CREATOR
Once you’ve selected a video, but captions aren’t present, you can request captions from content
creators. Allow a reasonable period (a few days) for creators to respond and add captions before
exploring alternative accessibility options. Below are the specific instructions for requesting
captions on a YouTube video, although you can use a similar process for most video-hosting
sites:

1. Find the Creator's Contact Information in the video: Check if the creator's contact information
is available in the video itself or in the video description.

Creator information
in video description

2. Go to the Creator’s Channel: Click the

Creator’s user icon in the video to go to their
channel. Click the arrow. Next, scroll down and
click View email address. You'll only see this
option if the creator has linked an email address
to their channel. Use that to reach out to the
Creator regarding captions.
 3. USE CROWD-SERVICE
CAPTIONING
When direct captioning isn't feasible, using public crowd-service captioning platforms, such as
Amara, is a valuable solution. By uploading a video to these platforms, it enables volunteers to
generate captions that enhance accessibility. This approach makes captioning easier by sharing
responsibility and fostering collaboration. To utilize this resource, follow the steps below:

1. Visit Amara.org: Open your web browser and navigate to the Amara website at
www.amara.org.
2. Sign Up or Log In: If you're new to Amara, sign up for an account by clicking on the "Sign Up"
button and following the prompts to create your account. If you already have an account, simply
log in using your credentials.
3. Upload Your Video: Once logged in, click the "Public Workspace" tab on the top left corner of
the page. Click on the “+Add videos” to link the video you want to add captions to. Follow the
prompts to link your video to the platform.

4. Select Your Video Language: After uploading your video, you'll be prompted to select the
language of your video. Choose the appropriate language from the dropdown menu. Select “Add
to Amara Public.”
 USE CROWD-SERVICE CAPTIONING (CONT.)
5. Invite Contributors: Share the link to your video with potential contributors, inviting them to
participate in captioning.
6. Monitor Contributions: Keep an eye on the contributions made by other users and review
them for accuracy and quality.

You can monitor for subtitle

contributions under the video.

Or, you can caption the video

yourself. If you choose to do so,
follow the steps under “Use
copyright-free captioning service”

7. Approve or Edit Contributions: Review each contribution and either approve it as is or make
edits to ensure accuracy and consistency.

8. Save and Publish: Once you're satisfied with the crowd-sourced captions, save your work and
publish the captions to make them available to viewers.

9. Share the Captioned Video: Share the link to your video with the crowd-sourced captions with
your audience.
 4. USE COPYRIGHT-FREE
CAPTIONING SERVICE
When it comes to adding captions to your videos, crowd-sourcing can sometimes be a hit-or-miss
endeavor. While it offers the advantage of collaborative input, the resulting captions may not
always meet your standards for accuracy or timing, and the process can often take longer than
anticipated. In such cases, using a copyright-free captioning service may be the best course of
action. Using Amara, you can ensure that your videos are properly captioned without worrying
about copyright infringement. Here is how:

1. Upload Your Video: Once logged in, locate the "Upload" button on the top right corner of the
page. Click on it to upload the video you want to add captions to. Follow the prompts to select
your video file from your computer and upload it to the platform.
2. Select Your Video Language: After uploading your video, you'll be prompted to select the
language of your video. Choose the appropriate language from the dropdown menu.

3. Access the Caption Editor: Once your video is uploaded and processed, you'll be directed to
the caption editor interface. Here, you can view your video and begin captioning it.
 USE COPYRIGHT-FREE CAPTIONING SERVICE (CONT.)
4. Add Captions: Play your video and start adding captions by typing the spoken content into the
text boxes provided below the video player. Make sure to synchronize your captions with the
audio by adjusting the timing as necessary.

Click the Amara logo to open up a

tutorial on using their captions editor!

5. Save and Publish Your Captions: Once you're satisfied with your captions, click on the
"Save" button to save your work. After saving your captions, you'll have the option to publish
them. Click on the "Publish" button to make your captions publicly available.

6. Share Your Video: Once published, you can share the link to your captioned video. First, click
“Return to Video” to navigate back to Amara Public Dashboard. Then highlight the URL and share
the same you would as a YouTube video link.

Amara has the option to embed

the caption banner, but after
further testing, it is
recommended to use the direct
URL for student ease.
 5. DOWNLOAD AND CAPTION
YOURSELF
The U.S. Copyright Office’s ruled that educational institutions may caption a video that may be
copyrighted under the following conditions as long as they make a reasonable effort to obtain
accessible versions of videos entails first. This includes exploring official channels and
contacting content creators or distributors to inquire about accessibility options, as outlined
previously in this guide. If these efforts prove unsuccessful and accessible versions are still
unavailable, using an online video downloader may become necessary. However, caution should
be exercised when selecting downloader sites, ensuring they are reputable and compliant with
copyright laws. Additionally, to remain compliant with copyright law, the video's content must
not be modified, but the focus is solely on adding captions to enhance accessibility.

To caption a video yourself, follow the steps below:

1. Find a Video Download Site: When downloading the video, ensure you choose a reputable
website. Avoid sites with numerous pop-ups, a difficult interface, or questionable content.

This website is reputable and safe. However, make sure you

are only using it for educational content, not copyrighted
material.

2. Paste in the Video Link. 3. Verify Settings: Double-check video selected and
then select video resolution. Click Download.

“By using this service,

you confirm that this
video belongs to you or
that you have all the
rights to download it.”
 DOWNLOAD AND CAPTION YOURSELF (CONT.)

4. Upload to Canvas Studio: Once you have

the video file saved on your computer, log in
to Canvas and navigate to Canvas Studio, the
integrated video platform. Find the option to
upload a new video and follow the prompts to
select the video file from your computer and If you paste the YouTube video directly, you
upload it to Canvas Studio. can still caption it within Studio. However, you
have to add captions from scratch, rather than
5. Request Captions: Once the video has Studio generating captions for you that you
would edit.
been uploaded, click the video and locate the
option to request captions. Select the
language and then wait for the captions to
generate (it could take awhile, depending on
the length of the video.)

7. Review Captions: Once the captions have

been added to the video, review them to
ensure accuracy and synchronization with the
content.

8. Publish Video: After confirming that the

captions are satisfactory, save your changes
and publish the video in Canvas Studio.

For a more in-depth tutorial of using Canvas

Studio, click the Canvas icon to open up a tutorial!
 CAPTIONS BENEFIT
EVERYONE
Captions serve as an invaluable tool, aligning with the principles of Universal Design for Learning
(UDL),for enhancing comprehension and retention of video content for diverse audiences.
Extensive studies, such as those by Gernsbacher (2015), show the universal advantages of
captions, extending beyond individuals with English language fluency to encompass those with
ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, and English language learners.

In line with UDL principles, captioning facilitates flexible learning environments by providing
multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement.

Here are some scenarios where captions prove beneficial for all individuals:
Navigating noisy public spaces, such as airports, gyms, and restaurants.
Accommodating differing schedules, allowing individuals to watch videos while others are
sleeping or studying in the same room.
Deciphering strong accents or unfamiliar dialects, ensuring comprehension regardless of
linguistic differences.
Grasping specialized terminology or jargon, including legal, medical, or scientific terms.
Compensating for audio malfunctions or poor sound quality, ensuring accessibility regardless
of technical limitations.

Poorly captioned or uncaptioned videos can significantly impede educational outcomes for
students reliant on captions, underscoring the critical role of accessible media in advancing the
principles of UDL and fostering an inclusive learning environment.

“An inclusive design process will

always include UDL and
accessibility as end goals.”

For more information on the

difference between Inclusive
Design, UDL, and Accessibility,
click the photo on the right.
 REFERENCES
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and brain sciences, 2(1), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215602130
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https://copyrightalliance.org/education/copyright-law-explained/
National Deaf Center. (2023, March 16). Captions benefit everyone. National Deaf Center on
Postsecondary Outcomes. Retrieved from https://nationaldeafcenter.org/resource-items/captions-
benefit-everyone/
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https://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/
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Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/resources/disability-rights-guide/
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rehabilitation-act-of-1973
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