Last week, the Trump administration argued in court that providing ASL interpretation at White House briefings "would severely intrude on the President's prerogative to control the image he presents to the public." The National Association for the Deaf has sued to restore real-time ASL interpretation.
This controversy highlights something important: different people in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community have different needs, and captions alone don't serve everyone equally.
The Standards
WCAG 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) - Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media.
WCAG 1.2.4 Captions (Live) - Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media.
WCAG 1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded) - Sign language interpretation is provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. (Level AAA - recommended but not required for WCAG AA)
Why Sign Language Matters
American Sign Language is not English - it's a completely separate language with its own grammar and syntax. For people born deaf, ASL is often their first language, and English is learned as a second language. Reading captions means processing information in a second language, which requires more effort and often loses nuance.
Sign language also conveys tone, emotion, and emphasis through facial expressions and signing intensity - things written captions can't capture. According to research, about 1% of the 48 million Americans with hearing loss use sign language as their primary communication method. For those who do, it's essential - not just a preference.
That said, most people with hearing loss rely on captions and text, not sign language. This is why both are important, and why providing multiple options matters.
Captions for Prerecorded Content
For videos you produce and upload, captions are required at WCAG Level A (even more fundamental than Level AA).
What Makes Good Captions
- All spoken dialogue with speaker identification when needed
- Sound effects - [door slams], [phone ringing], [applause]
- Music descriptions - [upbeat jazz music], [ominous music swells]
- Proper timing - Synchronized with audio, on screen long enough to read
- Readable formatting - Good contrast, appropriate size, doesn't cover important visuals
Creating Captions
- Automated services - YouTube and Vimeo offer automatic captions. These are a good starting point but require human review and editing for accuracy.
- Professional services - 3Play Media, Rev, and others provide human-generated captions with high accuracy. Expect $1-3 per minute of video.
- AI tools - Descript, Otter.ai offer more accurate automatic transcription than basic auto-captions.
- DIY - Most video editing software allows manual caption creation using WebVTT (.vtt) or SRT (.srt) files.
Adding Captions in Drupal
Drupal's media system makes caption management straightforward:
- The Able Player module provides an accessible HTML5 video player that supports caption tracks
- Upload your video and caption file (.vtt or .srt) to the media library
- Associate the caption track with the video in the media settings
- Able Player displays a CC button users can toggle, and supports multiple caption languages
- The player also handles audio description tracks (covered in Day 12)
Adding Captions in WordPress
WordPress caption support depends on how you embed videos:
- For embedded YouTube/Vimeo videos - Upload captions directly to the platform, where they'll automatically appear
- For self-hosted videos - Use the native WordPress video block, which supports adding track files for captions
- For more control - Plugins like Video Embed & Thumbnail Generator or Advanced Responsive Video Embedder provide additional caption options
- Accessibility-focused themes - Some themes include enhanced video players with better caption support built in
The key is testing - make sure captions actually display and are readable with good contrast against the video content.
Live Captions: The Technical Challenge
Professional Captioners (CART)
Communication Access Realtime Translation uses trained stenographers typing 200+ words per minute. The gold standard for accuracy, speaker identification, and technical terminology. Cost: $150-300/hour.
Automated Speech Recognition (ASR)
Services like Google Meet, Teams, and Zoom offer built-in live captioning. Quality has improved, but accuracy drops with accents, multiple speakers, technical vocabulary, or background noise. No speaker identification. Better than nothing for casual meetings, but not for critical content.
Hybrid Approaches
AI generates captions in real-time while a human monitors and corrects mistakes. Balances cost and accuracy.
Sign Language Interpretation
Sign language interpretation is Level AAA (not required for AA compliance), but valuable when:
- Live events - Conferences, presentations, government briefings, emergency announcements
- Educational content - Where nuance and comprehension are critical
- Serving deaf communities - Organizations with significant deaf audiences
- Legal and healthcare settings - Where misunderstanding has serious consequences
Implementation
For live events:
- Hire certified ASL interpreters (work in pairs for events over an hour)
- Proper positioning - visible, well-lit, plain background
- Provide script or outline in advance when possible
For recorded videos:
- Film interpreter during production
- Add interpretation as picture-in-picture in post-production
- Provide separate version with interpretation
What This Means for Your Website
Required for WCAG AA
- Captions for all prerecorded videos
- Live captions for livestreams and webinars
Best Practices
- Provide downloadable transcripts alongside videos
- For important live events, use professional CART services
- If serving significant deaf audiences, provide sign language interpretation
- Make caption controls easy to find
- Ensure captions are readable with good contrast
For Webinars and Live Events
- Enable live captions in platform settings
- Test caption quality beforehand
- Speak clearly, not too fast
- Minimize background noise
- Record events and add edited captions to recordings
The Bottom Line
Captions are required and serve most people with hearing loss. Sign language interpretation is recommended (Level AAA) and essential for those whose primary language is ASL. Transcripts provide another reference option. Each serves different needs.
For your website, start with captions on all video content - that's the requirement. Add transcripts for reference. If you serve deaf communities or produce important live events, consider sign language interpretation.
The key is recognizing that accessibility isn't one-size-fits-all. What works for one person might not work for another. Providing multiple options - captions, transcripts, and when appropriate, sign language - ensures everyone can access your content in the way that works best for them.
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