Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires all agencies receiving federal funding to make their electronic and information technology accessible to all people including those with disabilities. The Subpart B Technical Standards 1194.24(c)(b) of Section 508 for Video and Multimedia product further specifies:
“All training and informational video and multimedia productions… that contain speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content shall be open or closed captioned.”
Captions and transcripts are required for course content where a student has requested an accommodation, however best practice is for all instructional content to be accessible. Please keep in mind that students are not required to disclose their disability information unless they choose to share or need your help.
Furthermore, closed captions help all students, whether they have a disability accommodation or not. Closed captioning and transcripts benefit all learners:
- For students where English is their second language
- Students with an instructor whose second language is English
- Students who review content in noisy spaces (during commutes, while at the gym, etc.)
- Students who learn from repetition (hearing and seeing the words at the same time) or seeing new vocabulary or acronyms spelled out
Captions and transcripts help learners focus on the content, which makes them a powerful tool in your arsenal for increasing student success.