Captioning helps ensure that everyone can access the key content in videos, screencasts, and recordings. Captions provide a verbatim, time-synced display of spoken words and relevant sounds, enhancing accessibility and comprehension for all viewers.
Panopto
- Panopto provides lecture recording, screencasting, video streaming, and video content management. Panopto is integrated with Canvas and has a self-paced online tutorial in which individuals may self-enroll.
- Panopto offers automatic captions and tools for editing captions, as well as an option for manually adding audio descriptions to video. In general, Panopto is the recommended captioning tool at UM for most basic audio/visual needs, as these services are available at no additional cost. UM employees can create an account and log in with their NetID.
- Panopto learning resources:
UM IT: Accessible Technology Services
- Accessible Technology Services (ATS) provides guidance on using the various tools available for captioning services.
- There is a cost associated with some captioning services. For example, UM departments may use Rev.com or other approved vendors for paid captioning. UM employees must obtain appropriate approvals and follow the procurement process for these purchases.
- In general, ATS does not caption third-party media (commercial content) but may collaborate with the Library to assist in obtaining accessible copies.
Office for Disability Equity
- The Office for Disability Equity (ODE) supports captioning for courses with identified student accommodations.
- ODE sends out letters to faculty, asking them if their media is captioned - can go through library for library owned or for commercially produced media, or through ODE for free online or self created media.
- First ODE asks the library to purchase the media in DVD format.
- Faculty inform ODE about the media content. ODE captions that media using Camtasia Studio and sends faculty the link.
- If not available in DVD format, ODE uses Career Services conversion equipment to convert VHS to DVD.
- Sometimes the Library can find transcripts.
- Visit the ODE website for more information:
Mansfield Library
- Mansfield Library provides access to commercially produced media for checkout or classroom use and will work with faculty, ODE, ATS and/or other third-party vendors as needed to ensure those commercially produced media materials are accessible.
- Classroom scheduling of media is completed via an online form. Please indicate on the form if there are any known accessibility related needs.
- Course reserves makes physical items such as textbooks, library books, videos, CDs and copies of readings or exams available for check out. Instructors specify the checkout period for items placed on course reserve. Reservations are scheduled via a form; please indicate on the form if there are any known accessibility related needs.
- The library will verify the level of accessibility of the media being used in class or placed on reserve. If a title does not have captions the library will first try to purchase a captioned version. If a captioned version is not available for purchase the library will:
- Contact ODEto provide captioning if there is an identified student in the class
- Provide the material as is for a one time use if there are no identified students in the class. Once the material is no longer needed for the current class the library will utilize 3rd party vendors to create a captioned version to have on hand for potential future use.
- In the event that a media item is only available in an obsolete format, such as 16 mm film, or VHS the library will attempt to purchase a captioned version in an updated format such as DVD. If the material is unavailable for purchase in an alternate format, the library will refer the instructor to Presentation Technology Services (PTS) for necessary audio/video equipment.
- If the faculty member intends to continue to use media only available in an obsolete format, the library will utilize a 3rd party vendor to convert the material to DVD and will then add captioning as appropriate. Format conversion is allowed under copyright if it is done for preservation purposes, and if the library retains the original purchased material and only circulates one copy of the title.
Educational Initiatives and Innovation (formerly UMOnline)
- Educational Initiatives and Innovation (EII) incorporates captioning and media accessibility information into trainings.
- During the course development process, EII educates faculty one-on-one about digital accessibility guidelines and helps them submit a ticket to the Solutions Center if they need help further guidance or assistance captioning their videos.
Third party free online videos (Ted Talks, YouTube videos, etc.)
- If these videos are not captioned and are going to be used more than once, send link(s) to Solutions Center (one ticket per course, no more than five videos a ticket).
- ATS will contact Library if content seems like it might be easily purchased with a captioned version.
- ATS will decide if the captions are created in house or sent out via REV.
- ATS will send instructor back the caption .srt file and it is the instructor's responsibility to contact the owner and request that they upload the caption file. If the owner of the video does not respond or will not do this, we download the video, re-upload to UMTV and add caption file.