Illustration of audio and video file icons connected to a central eye symbol, with surrounding icons for headphones, collaboration, and search, representing accessible multimedia content.

Contributors:Kari Goin Kono, Misty Hamideh, Lindsay Murphy

This teaching guide outlines best practices for creating accessible video and audio content, emphasizing that high audio quality is essential for accurate captions and an improved learner experience. To support digital accessibility, instructors should review and edit captions for accuracy, describe visual elements, and consult the Accessible Media Worksheet for comprehensive WCAG-compliant standards.

Digital accessibility changes for PSU faculty

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to set clear requirements for accessible web content and mobile applications used by public entities, including public universities. The updated rule adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard and sets a compliance deadline of April 24, 2026 for large entities. Learn more about Title II compliance at PSU.

Explore instructional accessibility topics

What are my top priorities for creating accessible multimedia?

Ensure videos include captions: Make sure all videos you share have captions and are enabled for students.
- In some cases, your MediaSpace video captions are turned on automatically; if not, you will need to turn on your captions in MediaSpace.
- If you use Youtube videos that do not have captions, add the Youtube video to MediaSpace and turn on the captions.
Edit captions for accuracy: Auto-captions are rarely 100% accurate. You should review video captions carefully, especially for technical terms and names, and edit your captions for accuracy.

What does an accessible video look like?

The PSU Library video Finding Resources in the Database, America: History and Life (02:09), is a strong example of accessible media. In this video:

The narrator describes what is happening on screen so viewers do not miss important visual information.
Steps are explained using headings and structure rather than relying only on visual cues. This supports viewers navigating via keyboard as well as those following along visually.
It has accurate captions and a transcript available.
The narrator could read aloud the final URL displayed on screen to support listeners who want to easily type it into a browser.

What should I do next to make my media even more accessible?

Review these tips before recording to reduce the amount of editing needed later to make your video accessible.

Ensure high audio quality in your recording by using headphones with a mic or an external mic when possible.
Prepare a script or notes before recording.
Share slides and video resources as an additional access option.
Describe visual elements shown on screen.
Do not include key information only on slides without also describing it in the narration or in the captions. Otherwise, your students will not be able to access all the content in the video.

Note: When updating a previously recorded video to be accessible, you may need to add an audio description file. If you need help doing this, contact the OAI Support Desk.

For a comprehensive list of accessibility standards for WCAG-compliant audio and video, review the Accessible Media Worksheet.