Distance Teaching & Learning, August 9, 2013 Accessibility Data: - More than 1 billion people have a disability - 56.7 million report a disability in the U.S. - 48 million (20%) in the U.S. have some hearing loss - 11% of postsecondary students report having a disability - 45% of 1.6 million veterans seek disability - 177,000+ veterans claimed hearing loss Captions are text that is time-sychronized with the media. They convey all spoken content as well as relevant sound effects. Captions originated in the early 1980s from an FCC mandate for broadcast TV. The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act requires all Internet programming that previously aired on television with captions to have captions online, as well. The values of captioning include: - Accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing - Accessibility for ESL viewers - Flexibility to view anywhere, such as noisy environments or offices - Search - Reusability - Navigation, better UX - SEO/discoverability - Used as source for translation Boston University currently has over 3,000 students enrolled in online programs. To build their accessibility policy, they assembled a study team within ODE to brainstorm and strategize online accessibility issues. Working with on campus Office of Disability Services as well as outside peer groups to develop the best practices, they are working to put a policy in place that can be utilized on a University-wide level. Currently only one program has a standard policy to caption all media elements, but the Office of Distance Education offers captioning for programs and courses on an "as needed" basis. Other advantages to transcribing and captioning their content include giving students access to transcripts to use as an independent resource, generating scripts from existing audio/video media for faculty, and generating course content from existing or new audio/video media. Presenters: Rob Haley | Senior media Producer, Boston University Tole Khesin | VP of Marketing, 3Play Media

1. Accessible Video Captioning for
Distance Education and Online Learning
Distance Teaching & Learning
August 9, 2013
Rob Haley
Senior Media Producer
Tole Khesin
VP of Marketing
Boston University
3Play Media
rthaley@bu.edu
tole@3playmedia.com

2. Agenda
Highlights from recent accessibility data
Captioning basics
Accessibility laws
Value propositions
BU Online Overview
How BU uses captioning
State of accessibility policy at BU
Beyond accessibility
Q&A

3. Poll

4. Accessibility Data
• More than 1 billion people have a disability
• 56.7 million report a disability in the U.S.
• 48 million (20%) in U.S. have some hearing
loss
• 11% of postsecondary students report
having a disability
• 45% of 1.6 million veterans seek disability
• 177,000+ veterans claimed hearing loss

5. What Are Captions?
• Captions are text that is time-synchronized
with the media
• Captions convey all spoken content as well
as relevant sound effects
• Originated in the early 1980s from an FCC
mandate for broadcast TV

6. What Are Captions?
Terminology
• Captioning vs. Transcription

7. What Are Captions?
Terminology
• Captioning vs. Transcription
• Captioning vs. Subtitling

8. What Are Captions?
Terminology
• Captioning vs. Transcription
• Captioning vs. Subtitling
• Closed Captioning vs. Open Captioning

9. What Are Captions?
Terminology
• Captioning vs. Transcription
• Captioning vs. Subtitling
• Closed Captioning vs. Open Captioning
• Post Production vs. Real-Time

10. How Are Captions Used?

11. Accessibility Laws
Section 508
•
•
Added to Rehabilitation Act in 1986
Applies to federal agencies and organizations
with federal subsidies
Section 504
•
•
Part of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Anti-discrimination law
ADA
•
•
•
Updated in 2008 via ADAAA
For schools, same requirements as Section 504
Netflix lawsuit implications
21st Century Communications & Video
Accessibility Act (CVAA)
•
Applies to content that airs on TV and the Internet.

12. Value Propositions
• Accessible for deaf and hard of hearing
• For ESL viewers
• Flexibility to view anywhere, such as noisy
environments or offices
• Search
• Reusability
• Navigation, better UX
• SEO/discoverability
• Used as source for translation

13. Boston University Online Overview
• First Online Masters Program Launched in 2002, At
Present Offers 17 Degree Programs, over 20 Credit and
Non-Credit Certificates, with Over 200 Active Courses
• Over 90% of Enrolled Students in Graduate Level
Programs
• Courses run in Seven Week Cycles; Twice Each Spring,
Summer, and Fall Semester
• Currently over 3,000 Students Enrolled in Online
Programs

14. Boston University Online Overview

15. Boston University Online Overview

16. Building Our Accessibility Policy
• Assembled study team within ODE to
brainstorm/strategize online accessibility issues
• Working with on campus Office of Disability
Services as well as outside peer groups [ex.
Perkins School for the Blind] to develop best
practices
• Working to put a policy in place that can be
utilized on a University-wide level

18. Poll

19. Boston University Online Captioning
• Currently only one program [Master of Social Work]
has a standard policy to caption all media elements
• Office of Distance Education offers captioning for
programs and courses on an “as needed” basis
• Videos and/or shooting scripts are
submitted for captioning and transcription
when requested by Faculty, Instructional
Designer, or Student Services Coordinator

20. Boston University Online Captioning

21. Beyond Accessibility:
Other Advantages to Transcribing/Captioning
• Students have access to transcripts of the media
to use as an independent resource
• Generating scripts from existing audio/video media
for faculty
• Generating course content from existing or
new audio/video media

22. Beyond Accessibility:
Other Advantages to Transcribing/Captioning

23. Questions
Rob Haley
Senior Media Producer
Tole Khesin
VP of Marketing
rthaley@bu.edu
www.bu.edu/online
tole@3playmedia.com
www.3playmedia.com
Boston University
3Play Media