There are two things you have to remember when mulling about adding captions on your Tampa video production. One, it has to be accessible across all sectors; and two, it has to be compliant to the law. While we mostly think of videos as an audio-visual medium, text also plays an important role in making it more comprehensible. Captions are part of the visuals of a video, right?
Accessibility
Over 350 million across the world are deaf or hard of hearing. There are also people who are non-English speakers. Even in the United States, some immigrants are still learning how to speak the language. If your video does not have captions, you are isolating a part of your audience that are also potential customers. Captions or text overlay will open up your videos to hundreds of millions of people. This is the audience you don’t want to miss out on.
Among the hearing population, there is also a high demand for captions. Since they are using their smartphones while on the bus or the subway, they cannot play most of the videos they see online. Captions help them “watch” the videos even while they are stuck in a traffic somewhere or in an office pantry during lunch break.
When creating a video with captions, make sure to keep the text overlay in mind when filming the videos. You don’t want to put important elements on the bottom of the screen where the text is supposed to be placed.
Compliance
But beyond being trendy, the law also requires that businesses meet certain accessibility standards. Part of these standards is putting captions on videos, so they are accessible to those with disabilities.
The CVAA applies to web video streaming sites and media sites that include movie trailers and clips. The FCC regulates interstate and international communication via TV, radio, and the internet. It applies to TV content producers and distributors, as well as to TV broadcasters in the US. It has strict guidelines for closed captioning of TV programs and live broadcasts. Particularly, it is focused on accuracy, timing, placement, and completeness.
Finally, the ADA applies to online services or products that are publicly available, especially to films being shown in theaters, convention centers, and arenas. This law prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation. Any video that will be shown or display within such a place must always have captions.
Not complying with these laws might put your business at risk. Make sure that your Tampa video production is always accessible to those who need captions and complies with the laws specifically made for captioning videos.
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