Are captions working for you?
Accessibility is a nuanced subject. Different disabilities share different access needs, and can make a feature less accessible or inaccessible for other disabilities.
To find out whether captions are working for you, listen to your audience. Refining your captions by listening to users’ requests and feedback, partnering with community organisations. Enabling user customisation of captions allows users to change the size, colour, contrast, placement, font, capitalisation, background transparency, word highlights, for example, to suit their preferences. This means that your captions are accessible to more people; more people hear your message.
Planning for including captioning
Providing access to meetings or events is the event organiser's responsibility.
The need for captioning can often be overlooked by organisers (and participants) who are unaware of captioning and/or believe that communication accessibility requirements are met through a hearing loop system, Auslan interpreters, personal aids and post-event material. While this may be sufficient for some participants to fully participate in some situations, organisers can include captioning as an example of an accessibility request as part of registration and advertising processes. This attracts interest and invites participants to let you know what they need to fully participate ahead of time.
Even if they will not be used it is good practice to book services early on in your planning. Such services are in high demand so the longer notice they have, the better the chances of you being able to secure them. Discuss the cancellation policies to make sure there is time between the close of registration and the event for you to cancel the service if there has been no request for them.
For any event, the process takes time and planning so begin the conversation early. Captioning providers can work with you to identify the optimal screen placement, technological requirements and resources required to include captioning to enhance your listers journey. This includes the ideal physical placement of the provider when on-site, uninterrupted access to the internet (or VOIP) if captioning remotely, and continuation of captioning if the session is running over its allotted time. Providers will generally provide you with a full transcript of event proceedings afterwards.
Tips for displaying captions at a live meeting or public event
The screen on which captions are projected should be a suitable size and placement so that the words are clearly legible from the rear of the room. In big events, audio‐visual equipment will play a significant role to broadcast the event widely in an area where participants can watch from any angle.
• Captions can be displayed at the bottom, top or the full height of a screen. The ideal position depends on where the audience’s view of the captions will be least obstructed by the speaker and lectern, panels, interpreter and people walking onto the stage.
• Captions may be displayed on a dedicated screen/s positioned adjacent to the screen/s projecting the presentation or live output; or on a single screen that is split where captions are shown on one part and the presentation or live output on the other part of the screen.
• Having many lines of captions as possible available better caters for the needs of delegates watching presentation sides, the presenter and reading captions simultaneously, as is the nature of live presentations.
Tips for displaying captions at an online and/or hybrid event
Where events are made available online, or in a hybrid of in-person and remote format, access to captions should be accessible to both in-person and remote presenters and attendees. This includes whether the event is pre-recorded or streamed live.
Ideally, the chosen streaming platform should enable captions to be integrated within the same screen to assist with delivering a similar one-screen experience to your delegates. In addition, enabling individuals to access captions on their mobile phones or computers can aid other access needs by enabling captions to be displayed independently to the streaming video platform.
Tips for video materials
Presenters using videos as part of a presentation are encouraged to caption video materials prior to the event.
Tips when promoting your event
Having made the effort to ensure good access, communication to people in promotional and registration processes that captioning is being provided. This reassures more people that they can fully participate.
• state the event/s that will be live captioned, or be captioned for pre-recorded content. Suggested wording: ‘This event will include real-time captioning.’
• in all promotional videos (both broadcast and on the website), ensure that the contents are captioned.
• approach disability advocacy organisations to promote your event to their members
• allow for participants to select ‘SMS’ or ‘text only’ next to the mobile phone contact option.
If you're unsure whether you need to arrange for captioning, invite participants to specify what communication access they require as part of the registration process. This informs you ahead of time to ensure that communication access requirements are covered by the event. Suggested wording on registration form: ‘If you have any dietary, accessibility or support requirements in order to participate fully, please let us know when you RSVP to ensure we can arrange the service.’ or (Tick here) ‘I require communication access. I would appreciate the following services: “captions”). You can include captioning as an example.
Event staff should be briefed about both the accessible and inaccessible features of the event and be able to provide detailed information, if required.
Tips for self-advocating for captioning at an event
You want to attend an event but there’s no mention of communication access nor captioning. Yet, captioning would enable you to fully participate and enjoy the experience. Contact the event organiser and request access to live captioning. Pro tip: Make this contact and request early – booking of captioners often have lead times.