6. Accessible Video
Video is the most shared format online — and the easiest to get wrong for accessibility. Two things do most of the work: captions and audio description.
Captions
Captions are the spoken words (and important sounds) shown as text on screen. They are essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, and they help the majority of people who watch with the sound off. Studies consistently show most social video is watched muted, so captions also boost reach.
| Subtitles | Captions |
|---|---|
| Assume the viewer can hear; show speech only, often translated into another language. | Assume the viewer cannot hear; include speech plus speaker changes and meaningful sounds like [music], [laughter]. |
- Prefer closed captions (the viewer can turn them on/off) over captions burned permanently into the video.
- Always review auto-captions — they misread names, numbers, and local terms.
- Keep captions in sync, two lines at a time, easy to read.
Audio description
Audio description narrates the important visual information for blind and low-vision viewers — actions, on-screen text, who appears, scene changes — during natural pauses in the dialogue.
- When filming, plan short gaps where a description can fit.
- If adding a separate description track is too much, provide a descriptive transcript that includes both speech and key visuals.
- Read any important on-screen text aloud, or describe it.
Avoid flashing and strobe effects
Content that flashes more than three times per second can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid rapid flashing, strobe, and intense flickering effects.
Other video courtesies
- Don’t autoplay with sound; let people choose to play.
- Provide clear play/pause controls.
- Consider adding sign-language interpretation for key videos (a strong plus for the Deaf community).
Step by step: adding captions
YouTube
- Upload your video, then open YouTube Studio → Subtitles.
- Select the video and the language.
- Let YouTube auto-generate captions, then click Edit and correct every error.
- Publish. (You can also upload a caption .srt file you prepared elsewhere.)
- Upload the video to your post or Page.
- Open the video settings / Edit video → Captions.
- Use auto-generated captions and review them, or upload an .srt file.
- Save and publish.
Instagram / Reels & TikTok
- After recording or uploading, open the Captions sticker (Reels/Stories) or the auto-caption option in settings.
- Turn captions on and edit the text for accuracy.
- Share. (Tools like CapCut or Veed can add styled, accurate captions before you upload.)
Video checklist
- The video has accurate captions (auto-captions reviewed and fixed).
- Captions include speaker changes and meaningful sounds.
- Important visuals / on-screen text are described or narrated.
- No content flashes more than three times per second.
- Video does not autoplay with sound; controls are available.