How to Succeed in a YouTube ADA Audit for Your College’s YouTube Channels

by Scott Griffin

As colleges expand their digital presence, YouTube has become an essential platform for sharing educational content, lectures, and events. However, universities face legal accessibility requirements to ensure that these videos comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An ADA audit of your YouTube channels can help identify and resolve potential accessibility issues, particularly with captions. Here's a step-by-step checklist on how to succeed in a YouTube ADA audit for your college's YouTube channels across multiple departments.
Availability of Captions
  • Are captions provided for all videos? Videos should have captions available for all content, including lectures, discussions, and any spoken or audio information.
  • Do captions accurately reflect spoken content? Captions should transcribe not only the speech but also other important audio information like sound effects, music, and non-verbal cues (e.g., [laughter], [applause]).
  • Are captions available for videos with external media or embedded content? If videos include third-party content (e.g., guest speakers or external clips), captions should be provided for those parts as well.
Accuracy of Captions
  • Is the transcription accurate? Captions should accurately reflect the spoken words, including proper names, jargon, and technical terms relevant to the course or subject matter.
  • Are there any errors or omissions in the captions? Mistakes in the text could hinder comprehension, especially for students relying on captions for understanding academic material.
Timing and Synchronization
  • Do captions sync with the audio? Captions must be well-timed with the audio, appearing and disappearing at the right moments.
  • Is the timing consistent? Captions should not lag behind or appear too early compared to the spoken dialogue.
Captioning Options
  • Are closed captions available (not embedded)? Captions should be available in a format that allows users to toggle them on or off, rather than being burned into the video (which can be problematic for those who don’t need captions).
  • Can users adjust caption settings? YouTube offers customization for caption display (e.g., font size, color). This should be tested to ensure students know how to adjust it based on their needs.
Quality and Formatting of Captions
  • Are captions easy to read? They should be clear, with proper line breaks, punctuation, and spacing.
  • Are captions appropriately styled? Font size, color, and background contrast should be sufficient for readability. For users with visual impairments, high-contrast or large-text options should be considered.
  • Are captions consistent across videos? There should be uniformity in how captions are presented across all videos to ensure predictability and ease of use.
Language and Clarity
  • Are captions available in multiple languages (if needed)? If the videos are used by a international student body, it’s important to offer captions in multiple languages or at least ensure that the primary language is accurately captioned.
  • Are captions clear and concise? They should convey the meaning of the speech in a way that is easy to understand, avoiding unnecessary complexity or ambiguity.
Compliance with Accessibility Standards
  • Do the captions meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards? The audit would check if the captions comply with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines, specifically:
  • Text alternatives for multimedia (Success Criterion 1.2).
  • Synchronization of captions with the media.
  • Clear and readable formatting of text.
User Feedback and Testing
  • Have students with disabilities provided feedback on the captioning quality? The audit may include testing with students who rely on captions to ensure they meet accessibility needs.
  • Is there a process for updating or correcting captions based on feedback or errors? An audit would look for systems in place to fix caption errors and continually improve accessibility.
Third-Party Content Accessibility
  • Are captions provided for guest speakers, interviews, and other third-party content? If the video includes content that is not directly produced by the institution, the audit will check whether captions are provided for all parts of the video, including third-party audio and video content shown on the projector to the class.
Stay Updated on Legal and Technological Changes
ADA compliance is an evolving landscape, and so is YouTube’s platform. Stay up to date on both legal requirements and technological changes. Keep track of updates to YouTube’s captioning features and any shifts in accessibility law, so you’re always prepared for the next audit or compliance review.
Conclusion
An ADA audit for your college's YouTube channels is a vital step in making your content accessible to all students. By ensuring that captions are accurate, well-timed, and comprehensive, you provide an accessible learning experience. It’s not just about compliance—it’s about fostering an educational environment where all students, regardless of their disabilities, have equal access to information. Taking the time to do this right will not only improve accessibility but will also position your college as a leader in online learning.
Ensure Your YouTube Content is ADA Compliant – Join Our Pilot Program!
At Recap Innovations, we’re excited to offer universities a unique opportunity to participate in our private pilot program for a custom-developed YouTube accessibility audit. If your department is looking to ensure ADA compliance across your YouTube videos, we can help create a tailored solution for your institution’s needs, including comprehensive audits and captioning improvements. Our YouTube integration was granted millions of daily YouTube Data API Quota credits, enabling us to have the bandwidth needed to perform a full-scale audit of your enterprise YouTube content on a one-time or recurring basis.
Interested? Join our pilot program today and be part of developing a seamless, accessible video experience for all students. Contact us to learn more and get started!
Footnotes
  1. Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.1: Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | WAI | W3C. (2024). W3.org. https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/audio-only-and-video-only-prerecorded.html

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