Consider Using Text, Audio Descriptions to Enhance Video Accessibility

When we think of making videos accessible, the first thing that comes to mind is to add a caption track for viewers who are deaf. While we should definitely ensure captions are added to a video, there is another audience to consider when it comes to video accessibility: those who are blind or visually impaired. There are people who are blind or visually impaired who are perfectly capable of listening to movies, but may miss important visual information. For example, a person can make a facial expression in a video, but not say any words. What about a video-only tour of a facility? If there is no alternative description of that facility, all of that visual information is lost on people who are blind. To make a video more accessible to the blind or visually impaired, consider the following:

Add an audio description track to the video that communicates important visual information.
Provide a full text transcript in addition to text descriptions of visual information. Note: This is only way a video will be accessible to someone who is deafblind.

To learn more about audio description, check out the resources below:

"What is Audio Description?" on a page about the Audio Description Project by the American Council for the Blind
Standard Techniques in Audio Description by Joe Clark
Example of audio description: Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan