Case Study

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona joined forces with Verbit to enhance accessibility through streamlined captioning, benefiting students and faculty with disabilities.

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In a Nutshell

The University of Arizona is partnering with Verbit to streamline and ease the captioning process for both online and in-person learning environments. It’s offering a much-needed, reliable solution to students and faculty with disabilities who benefit from multi-language captioning and fully accurate transcripts. The University’s Disability Resource Center (DRC) receives dedicated support to ensure accessibility services are provided to all who need them without delay.

The Challenge

The University was experiencing a growing demand for captioning. Auto-captioning services were providing inaccurate results and, therefore, not a viable option for equity. The University of Arizona sought out the help of Verbit to provide high-quality captions and transcripts with reliable accuracy levels, even for complex educational content.

Annissa Stout M.Ed., Alternate Media Coordinator, Disability Resources, The University of Arizona

“The biggest benefit is that Verbit does English and Spanish videos. That is just absolutely huge and so important considering where the University of Arizona is located. We have a lot of Spanish speakers here and we want to make sure that they have access as well.”

The Solution

University of Arizona stakeholders can now ensure effective communication is offered to all students and faculty. Verbit’s team works closely with the University’s IT experts and captioning coordinators, providing them with a customized captioning solution to meet their unique needs.

Verbit offers:

  • An accessible, WCAG 2.1-compliant platform that provides a user-friendly interface
  • Multi-language captioning to support foreign language courses & non-native speakers
  • 24/7 customer support with access to training sessions and video accessibility experts
Annissa Stout M.Ed., Alternate Media Coordinator, Disability Resources, The University of Arizona

“Bad captions are just as bad as no captions in some cases…I’ve shown examples of [autogenerated] captions and [in one case], it had misspelled the name of a Native American Nation, which is really important to spell correctly and portray with respect. That’s why we like to use Verbit, to ensure that names and other important words are spelled correctly.”

The Results

Verbit offers a trusted solution that powers the University’s system-wide captioning and transcription process.

Multi-language captioning capabilities

“In Spanish language classes, the instructor might start off in English saying, ‘Here’s what we’re going to talk about today,’ but then move to Spanish for the rest of the video…AST’s [a Verbit company] [mixed English/Spanish] captioning is ESPECIALLY helpful for students who may be hard of hearing.”

Seamless submission process

“I always say, ‘Look at how easy it is. It’s three steps.’ AST [a Verbit company] just emails the files directly back to you.”

Quick turnaround time for equal access

“[With Verbit], now I can get everything captioned before the semester starts, so there’s no delay… Our goal is to make sure that the student has equal access, which includes having access at the same time as everyone else… Equal access means timely access, and it doesn’t mean a day later.”

Dedicated customer support

“It’s not hard to get in contact with someone at AST [a Verbit company]. AST has always been reaching out to ask, ‘What can we do better? Let’s set up monthly meetings.’ They want to know how they are doing and how they can do better.”

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a renowned public research university with multiple campuses located across the state. It serves nearly 50,000 students across and offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across its 20 colleges and 23 schools.