To learn more about creating accessible course content, please see the links below:
Captioning and Transcription Options for Remote Tools
For students who are documented as needed accommodations, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center (SASC): 631-632-6748 or email SASC@stonybrook.edu
Zoom
- Can process recording for automatic speech recognition (ASR) only if recording is saved to the cloud
- Once the cloud transcription is complete, it will need to be edited in the recording
- Turn on captioning option in settings for the host or a participant to type in live captions
Zoom article on captioning
Zoom video tutorial on captioning
VoiceThread
We upgraded to VoiceThread Platinum on March 30th! All VoiceThread recordings made after that date feature automatic captioning which will process and appear soon after you complete a recording.
VoiceThread Universal site is compatible with screen readers (accessible site)
VoiceThread page on captioning
Echo Personal Capture
- Integrated automatic speech recognition (ASR).
- This is a setting that needs to be turned on for your course
- You will have to correct errors afterwards
How to Edit Echo 360 Closed Captions
*Students who require captioning due to accessibility issues should contact the Student Accessibility Support Center. https://www.stonybrook.edu/sasc/ to get the Echo360 recordings for their course captioned.
Google Meet
- Has a toggle button for closed captioning, *live only- captions do not save to a file that a screen reader can process
- Record meeting and upload to YouTube (private)
- Transcribe by hand from recording
Google Meet captions help page
Google Slides
- Click CC to turn on captions (auto-captions) *captions do not save to a file
- Write a script for each slide that you can turn into a transcript
Google Slides captioning help page
YouTube
- Has an auto-captioning feature
- Can upload your own captions
YouTube help page on captions
Blackboard
Blackboard help page for captioning video content
Accessibility Best Practices for Zoom Meetings and Classes
(Adapted from original by Kristina England, Digital Experience and Accessibility Specialist at the UMass Office of the President, with information provided by Indiana University's Board of Trustees and other sources)
Turn off HD Video and Stereo Audio
Turning off HD Video and Stereo Audio will improve the user experience for everyone attending, especially if they have bandwidth limitations, restricted data usage on mobile, or unreliable internet access.
Turn off HD video from within the Zoom Client (this is not an option at stonybrook.zoom.us but to ensure it is disabled, please check your Zoom client):
- Select the "Home" tab.
- Select the Settings “Gear” icon. A settings pop-up window will open.
- Select Video Settings and make sure “enable HD” is not selected.
Turn off Stereo Audio in your settings at stonybrook.zoom.us
- Navigate to stonybrook.zoom.us and log in with your NetID and password
- Select “Settings” in the left navigation menu and click or scroll to In Meeting (Advanced) settings
- Disable “Allow users to select stereo audio in their client settings”
Enable the Closed Captions Feature
Enable the Closed Captions feature on your account for any meetings or classes that will require closed captions. Closed captioning services will be identified based on accommodation requests. In addition, please be familiar with how to assign a participant to type closed captions should a request arise.
Enable “Always Show Meeting Controls”
By selecting the “Always Show Meeting Controls” checkbox, the controls at the bottom of the zoom screen will remain up. This improves the user experience for many participants as they don’t have to worry about the bar appearing and disappearing upon hover (especially if they are new to Zoom and don’t know how to make the bar at the bottom show up after it’s disappeared).
Check this setting both within the Zoom Client and your online account:
- Select the "Home" tab.
- Select the Settings “Gear” icon. A settings pop-up window will open.
- In “Share Screen”, select “show Zoom windows during screenshare”.
- Select the View More Settings link under General settings. The Zoom website will open. Login if you are prompted with the login screen. The Meeting Settings page will open.
- Navigate to the In Meeting (Basics) section of the Meeting Settings page.
- Enable the “Always Show Meeting Controls” setting.
Enable the “Mute Participants Upon Entry” Feature
In your meeting settings, select the “Mute participants upon entry” checkbox (located under Meeting Options when scheduling a session). Participants will have to unmute their mics to participate. This feature will ensure less disruptions at the start of a meeting or class.
Communicate Keyboard Shortcuts
Send out the Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts ahead of time. These instructions are valuable for anyone using keyboard only navigation or assistive technology. In addition, it could be helpful to anyone who may have had their mouse stop working unexpectedly.
Remember to describe images and other visual content that’s displayed
Describing visual content that is displayed will help anyone with a vision or cognitive disability, as well as someone that may have needed to call in due to a local internet outage.
Provide instructions on how participants can ask questions
There are a couple ways people can ask questions. First, participants can use non-verbal feedback, such as raising their hand and unmuting when called upon. In addition, they can post a question in the chat feature. The recommendation is to use both features, but to always repeat questions that are provided through chat. By repeating the questions, you will help anyone that can’t access the chat during the session (people using assistive technology will have too much screen reader interference if they enable chat) and you will improve the captioning quality of any recorded sessions.
Send any resource links you post in Chat via email as well
It’s okay to use the Chat feature. However, keep in mind that anyone using assistive technology may not be able to copy or activate the links. It’s recommended that you send any resource links you’ll be sharing either prior to or after the session. You can also speak out the URL when posting it in Chat. If your resource link is long, consider using a URL shortener, such as bit.ly or Tiny URL, to help with communicating the link verbally and so that the link is cleaner for anyone copying it from the chat box.
Confirm the best polling technology in advance
Please reach out to DoIT or SASC to identify which polling product is the most accessible to all your participants. Currently, the Zoom polling tool has significant barriers for both presenters and participants with disabilities.
Describe what you are annotating if using the Whiteboard feature
Similar to using a white board in the classroom, you should always describe what you are writing on the board for anyone with a disability or anyone that is using their phone due to internet connection issues in your virtual room.
Record Your Zoom Session
We recommend recording to the Cloud, which includes automatic speech recognition. If you do record locally to your computer, we recommend uploading the recording to Google Drive instead of Blackboard (note: Blackboard file upload size is limited to 250MB).
There are a few reasons to consider recording your Zoom session for distribution after a meeting or class:
- Occasionally, due to local outages, students or employees may not be able to access a live Zoom session.
- Currently, there are several countries or regions where international students are unable to access live Zoom sessions for regulatory reasons.
- In addition, other unexpected distractions may come up that cause your meeting or class participant to miss portions of your class.