{"id":35297,"date":"2023-05-16T07:13:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T12:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theadminbar.com\/?post_type=accessibility-weekly&p=35297"},"modified":"2024-02-10T06:58:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T12:58:24","slug":"include-transcripts-for-audio-and-video","status":"publish","type":"accessibility-weekly","link":"https:\/\/theadminbar.com\/accessibility-weekly\/include-transcripts-for-audio-and-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Include Transcripts for Audio and Video"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most of us realize the importance of captions<\/a> – not just for people who are deaf, but also for language learners or people who\u2019re situationally unable to play the sound on videos. But did you know that transcripts are equally important as captions and not just for audio-only files?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Transcripts Are Important for Accessibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why Transcripts for Audio Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the case of audio-only media (like a podcast), transcripts are vital to allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing equal access to the information shared in the audio since these files typically don\u2019t have synchronized captions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying – and yet, I am going to say it anyway – if you have an audio player on your website but no transcript for any of the spoken audio in the linked media file, someone who is deaf or hard of hearing has no way of perceiving whatever is being said in the audio. In contrast, if you add a full transcript on the same page as the media player, everyone can access your content even if they can\u2019t (or don\u2019t want to) listen to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Include Transcripts for Videos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Transcripts for audio files seem obvious, but do you need a transcript for a video if that video has open (always visible) or closed captions on it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes! Videos need transcripts too! People who are Deaf-blind cannot see or hear, and they rely upon a device called a refreshable Braille display (short video of how a refreshable Braille display works<\/a>). These assistive technology devices cannot access most video captions, so if you want the video content to be translatable into Braille for people who are Deaf-blind, you need to provide a transcript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video transcripts are also easier to translate than captions, which can help the content reach a wider audience of people who may still be learning the video\u2019s language. For people with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorder (ADD)\/ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), accessing the information via reading rather than listening may increase their comprehension and facilitate deeper learning, particularly if they feel distracted by the visuals in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Benefits of Transcripts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to helping accessibility and being more easily translatable, adding transcripts also has other major benefits for websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transcripts Improve SEO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adding transcripts of audio and videos can hugely improve both search engine ranking and user engagement. Adding transcripts, particularly for long videos or podcasts, can add thousands of words to a web page, typically with the exact keywords for which you\u2019re hoping to rank the page. This helps search engines better understand what the page is about and can increase traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transcripts Increase User Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The NPR podcast This American Life<\/em> has a case study on the 3PlayMedia website demonstrating the impact of adding transcripts to their podcast website<\/a>. This American Life<\/em> transcribed its archive of radio and podcast episodes from April-October 2011, and since then, they regularly add transcripts for all new episodes. They reviewed Google Analytics data before and after the transcription of their archive and found that adding transcripts resulted in the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n