For many people nowadays, it\u2019s hard to imagine watching without subtitles. From letting you watch your favorite show on an airplane or helping you understand a foreign film, subtitles and captions allow you to enjoy video content you otherwise wouldn\u2019t be able to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But captions extend past convenience \u2014 captions allow those with a hearing disability to consume TV shows, films, news and more. That\u2019s why, as a video content creator, it\u2019s important to familiarize yourself with closed captioning laws<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article will discuss closed captioning laws, when they apply, and the consequences of not following them. We\u2019ll also discuss the best way to comply with closed captioning standards. Keep scrolling for more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closed captioning (CC) is the text that accompanies a TV show, movie, or other video clip. It\u2019s used to depict any relevant audio in the clip, such as spoken dialogue and sound effects like floors creaking or footsteps approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captions exist primarily to help viewers understand the story in the absence of sound. They are required by law to increase accessibility for those with hearing disabilities. Furthermore, closed captioning can also help the video appeal to a wider variety of people. For instance, it allows viewers to watch foreign films with closed captions in their native language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, people also prefer captions to ensure they don\u2019t miss any important words in the dialogue. This is useful for a video where the speaker talks fast or has a thick accent that\u2019s difficult to comprehend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we go any further, it\u2019s important to distinguish closed captioning from open captioning and subtitles. Because while they all serve the same purpose, they have subtle differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply put, closed captioning is optional \u2014 the viewer can turn it on or off. On the other hand, open captions are embedded into the video; in other words, it\u2019s part of the clip itself and will thus always appear when viewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So then what about subtitles? The difference is in the details. Closed captions assume that you\u2019re watching the video on mute; thus, it also includes sound cues like footsteps or wind whooshing. On the other hand, subtitles exist primarily to support the dialogue \u2013 they assume the viewer is watching with the sound on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be impossible to discuss closed captioning without touching on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed into law in 1990, it requires government agencies, public services, and private businesses to ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities, including those with hearing impairments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is this relevant? The ADA captioning guidelines exist to guarantee that video content is easily accessible to those hard of hearing or who have lost their hearing entirely. Let\u2019s look at closed captioning laws next, and then we\u2019ll discuss guidelines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closed captioning is strictly mandated by law, and regulations enforce when and how closed captioning should be done and by whom. So what happens if you don\u2019t follow closed captioning laws? Non-compliance may lead to heavy fines or lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, there are four closed captioning laws you need to comply with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the ADA has strict closed captioning requirements for streaming video that Netflix ignored before 2010. This led the ADA to sue them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 504 applies primarily to Federal programs and agencies, including Executive agencies and the United States Postal Service. Its primary requirement is to provide \u201creasonable accommodations\u201d for workers with disabilities, including putting closed captioning on video content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 508 applies mostly to the Federal Government. It focuses on giving anyone with disabilities equal access by using information technology. As such, applying WCAG guidelines can help you comply with this regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CVAA governs closed captioning on one specific type of content \u2013 online videos previously aired on broadcast television. If this is the case, you must ensure that the online version has closed captioning that \u201cmatches the quality as when such programs were shown on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CVAA has the same standards as FCC closed captioning rules. If your video content satisfies that, then it should pass the CVAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guidelines exist to ensure that video content creators correctly apply closed captioning. Accessibility and adherence to ADA closed captioning requirements are some of the metrics covered by these rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can choose from three closed captioning standards \u2014 DCMP, WCAG, and the FCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DCMP stands for Described and Captioned Media Program<\/a>. This non-profit organization focuses on video content accessibility for the hearing and the visually impaired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Its closed captioning best practices are found in a guide called the DCMP Captioning Key<\/a>. Of important note are the characteristics that every good caption should use, which include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines<\/a>. It\u2019s a set of accessibility standards published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international standard organization that governs the Internet. As such, WCAG focuses more on online content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The WCAG lays out 12 best practices, grouped into four main principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, photos should have text alternatives for those who can\u2019t view images. Other practices under this category include using assistive technologies, providing closed captions, and allowing users to see and hear content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FCC stands for the Federal Communications Commission<\/a>, a US government agency regulating the country’s radio, TV, and cable communications. Specifically, FCC closed captioning rules govern any film or show broadcast on US TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to other standards, FCC rules have separate rules for pre-recorded and live or near-live shows. That\u2019s because it\u2019s harder to caption live programming as it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FCC guideline was a result of the organization getting over 1,600 complaints about TV captions that were inaccurate and incomprehensible. Thus, the guidelines were meant to improve the quality of closed captioning for all US TV shows and films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Sonix, we believe that you don\u2019t need laws to tell you to put closed captioning into your videos. Closed captioning is always a good idea, even if it’s not required, because it makes your video content much more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, roughly 20% of the world\u2019s population (or 1.5 billion people) have a hearing disability<\/a>, according to the World Health Organization. That\u2019s a huge market you\u2019re potentially missing out on if you don\u2019t caption your videos. But how do you ensure your videos adhere to closed captioning standards?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at the different closed captioning standards we\u2019ve covered in this article. You\u2019ll find that they all boil down to three factors \u2013 accuracy, timing, and completeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fastest and easiest way to tackle all three is through automated transcription. Transcription is simply the process of turning speech into written text. Traditionally, this process was done by a transcriptionist<\/a>, who watched through a video and wrote down every word they heard. While hiring a human transcriptionist was effective, it was extremely time-consuming and expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A better alternative is to use automatic transcription software<\/a> like Sonix to generate accurate closed captions in minutes. Sonix uses artificial intelligence (AI) to produce one of the industry\u2019s most accurate transcriptions \u2014 all independently reviewed by experts to be as good as a human transcriber. And because it\u2019s automated, it\u2019s very fast and affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But we go beyond just transcription. Sonix also offers audio translation<\/a>, which converts your transcript into over 39 languages. Our software also supports word-by-word timestamps, speaker labeling, and automated diarization. For many people nowadays, it\u2019s hard to imagine watching without subtitles. From letting you watch your favorite show on an airplane or helping you understand a foreign film, subtitles and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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What Are The Closed Captioning Guidelines?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DCMP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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WCAG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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FCC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to Adhere to Closed Captioning Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
These tools make Sonix the best option for creating closed-captioned videos easier, faster, and cheaper. Ready to get started with Sonix? Try our transcription software<\/a> with a free trial today! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"