Students soon will be returning to the classrooms (or, in some cases, already have) over the next couple of weeks. While for most, this means signing up for classes, meeting new teachers and classmates, learning the ins-and-outs of turning in assignments and connecting to online classes.
For some students, however, back to school can be more challenging. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 20% of undergraduate students and 12% of graduate students reported having a disability. For these students, registering for classes, communicating with instructors, and navigating school websites and online classrooms isn’t always an easy task when accessibility resources and technologies aren’t available.
As schools, colleges and universities strive to create more inclusive environments for all students and faculty, accessibility services such as captions, transcripts, audio description, and other assistive technologies have become increasingly important. These tools not only support students with disabilities but also enhance the learning experience for everyone.
Captions: Making audio-visual content accessible
Captions provide a textual representation of spoken dialogue and essential sounds in videos, making content accessible to students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In education settings, captions – both live and recorded – are used in various ways.
- Lecture recordings and videos: Professors often record their lectures or use educational videos as teaching aids. Adding captions ensures that students with hearing impairments can access the content. It also benefits non-native speakers and students in noisy environments.
- Live captioning for classes and events: Live, realtime captioning services enable students to follow along during live lectures, discussions and events. This can be particularly useful in large lecture halls or virtual classrooms where audio quality may vary.
- Online courses and e-learning: With the rise of online education, captions have become essential for making course materials accessible. Platforms like Canvas, Blackboard and other university-specific learning management systems often include captioning to support diverse student populations.
Audio description: Enhancing visual content for all
Audio description provides spoken narration of visual elements in videos, making them accessible to students who are blind or with low vision. This service enhances the educational experience in several ways, including:
- Narrating visual content: In subjects like history, science and art, where visual aids are crucial, audio description can help students understand images, graphs, charts and demonstrations. Descriptions of these elements are integrated into the audio track, providing context that would otherwise be missed.
- Supporting independent learning: Audio description can empower students with low vision to engage with video content independently, fostering a more inclusive learning environment where all students can participate equally.
- Accessible multimedia projects: When students create multimedia projects, including audio description ensures that their work is accessible to all classmates. This practice also raises awareness about the importance of accessibility in media production.
Additional access services in education
Beyond captions and audio description, various other accessibility services play a crucial role in educational settings.
- Transcription services: Transcripts of lectures, classroom discussions and webinars provide a written record that students can review at their own pace. This is especially beneficial for students with auditory processing disorders or those who prefer reading to listening.
- Assistive technologies: Tools like screen readers, speech-to-text software and adaptive keyboards support students with diverse needs. These technologies enable students to access and interact with digital content more effectively.
- Accessible course materials: Ensuring that all course materials, including textbooks, handouts and online resources are available in accessible formats (Braille, large print, digital text) is important. This ensures that students with visual impairments or learning disabilities can fully participate in their studies.
- Inclusive teaching practices: Educators can adopt inclusive teaching strategies, such as using plain language, providing multiple means of representation and offering alternative assignments. These practices help accommodate different learning styles and abilities. (For more details on this, check out our on-demand webinar that offers expert tips on creating successful classrooms for neurodivergent learners.)
Benefits of classroom access
Building accessible classrooms ensure that all students can effectively acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions and achieve their full potential, regardless of ability. Providing more inclusive learning environments creates myriad benefits all students.
- Promotes inclusivity: By implementing accessibility services, educational institutions demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and equal access to education for all students, regardless of their abilities.
- Enhances learning outcomes: Accessibility tools improve the comprehension and retention of information, leading to better academic performance. For instance, captions can help students focus and take more accurate notes, while transcripts can provide the perfect after-class study guide.
- Complies with legal requirements: Many countries have laws and regulations that mandate accessibility in education. Providing captions, transcripts, description and other access tools satisfies ADA, WCAG, Section 504 and other accessibility requirements and helps avoid potential legal issues.
- Supports diverse learning needs: Accessibility services benefit not only students with disabilities but also those with different learning preferences, non-native speakers and neurodivergent learners.
Looking ahead
As technology continues to advance, educational institutions have the opportunity to further enhance accessibility and offer even more inclusive experiences for students and faculty.
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning: AI-powered tools like Verbit’s Captivate™ provide high-accuracy captions and transcripts, offering personalized solutions based on advanced language models and domain-specific dictionaries. Such technologies improve the accuracy and relevance of accessibility services at a fraction of the cost of traditional captioning.
- Generative AI for enhanced learning: Tools like Verbit’s generative AI technology Gen.V™ offer additional features such as automatic summarizations, quizzes, chapters and keyword highlights. These tools make transcripts more actionable and provide valuable insights for students and educators.
- Interactive and adaptive learning platforms: Developing platforms that adapt to individual student needs and preferences can further support an inclusive learning environment. Features like customizable captions, adjustable playback speeds and interactive audio descriptions can bolster the overall learning experience.
Work with an education accessibility expert
Captions, transcripts, audio description and other accessibility services are vital in creating inclusive educational environments. By leveraging these tools, educational institutions can ensure that all students have equal access to information and opportunities for success.
Verbit is trusted to deliver inclusive learning experiences at institutions around the world, and our transcribers and AI-driven technologies are trained for educational environments. We offer a wide variety of cost-effective, easy-to-use education-focused accessibility services and solutions, including live and post-production captioning and transcription, audio description and translation.
Contact us for more details on how we can help your schools and classrooms become more inclusive for all.