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Post-Production Captioning

Video Captioning

Communication Access Services (CAS) provides accessible media services (post-production captioning and transcription) to students and departments on campus. By federal law, all instructors are required to make all classroom materials available to students with disabilities at the same time that it is made available to all other students.

Important Information

  • For ADS students with a captioning accommodation, the cost of creating accessible media for course-related materials shown in the classroom or posted on ELMS is covered by ADS 
  • For rates for accessible media services not covered by ADS, contact CAS 
  • CAS processes materials for ADS students first and then we will work on non-ADS student material 
  • Materials are completed on a first-come, first-served basis; the earlier requests are submitted, the faster the turnaround

If you have any questions, please contact our CAS at ads-cas@umd.edu or 301-405-8058. For information about live captioning and remote transcription services, including for Webex or Zoom meetings, please refer to this article from DIT that discusses how CAS can assist and options for contracting with a third party independently.

Captioning Services

After you have registered for classes, send your finalized schedule to CAS and CAS will contact your instructors about captioning needs.

  • If students do not send their schedules to CAS, the assumption will be that captioning is not needed for any classes that semester 
  • Before the start of the semester, share your accommodation letter with your instructors 
  • During the private meeting with your instructors to discuss how your accommodations will be implemented, explain your accommodation for video captioning 
  • Ask your instructor if they will be utilizing any videos or podcasts during the semester or have plans to record their lecture via Panapto

If your instructor is using videos during the semester…

  • Inform your instructor that CAS can assist with any captioning or transcription needs
  • Notify CAS via email at ads-cas@umd.edu which of your courses will be using some type of media that may require captioning or transcription services

If your instructor is not using videos during the semester…

  • Thank them and ask them to contact you if that changes so you can be sure the videos are captioned.

By federal law, all instructors (as agents of the University) are required to make all classroom materials available to students with disabilities at the same time that it is made available to all other students.

  • All videos and/or clips that you plan to show during the semester must be checked by you for closed captioning 
  • YouTube’s automatic captions do not meet ADA requirements and are not considered accessible media

If any videos (to be viewed in class or assigned outside of class) are scheduled to be shown, please follow these instructions. 

  • Check to ensure your videos are captioned. 
  • A YouTube video may not have captions (or the captions may not be accessible), however, a captioned version of the same video may exist elsewhere (e.g., the original website where the video first appeared, Vimeo, etc.). 
  • Please check other sources/websites to see if a captioned version is available

If your video is not captioned, select one of the following options:

Video Clips (YouTube and other links) MP4s (including class recordings) DVDs or Streamed Media
Work with CAS Work with DIT Contact Library Media Services to see if UMD already owns a captioned version of the video. If Hornbake does not already own the video, request that the accessible version be purchased.
Submit a completed Caption Request Form to CAS Submit a Caption Request form to DIT Contact Library Media Services to see if UMD already owns a captioned version of the video. If Hornbake does not already own the video, request that the accessible version be purchased.

1.) Requesting Captioned Media through CAS 

CAS handles caption requests for video links (e.g., YouTube videos, video clips on websites, etc.). 

Please use the following form to submit a captioning request through CAS. In addition, read more information about Resources for Instructors and Departments. 

To process caption requests quickly and efficiently: 

  • Instructors should review their captioning needs as soon as they are made aware of the need to create accessible media 
  • Caption requests should be submitted with as much advance notice as possible to ensure accessible media is completed by the time it’s needed in class 

The current turnaround time to complete caption requests is approximately five (5) business days. Caption requests are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis and should be submitted to CAS as soon as possible. If a captioned video is needed before the five-business day turnaround, please contact the CAS Assistant Coordinator at ads-cas@umd.edu or 301-405-8058 to discuss available options. 

Captioned media is returned as an MP4 file through UMD Box. 

Note about YouTube Videos 

  • If you have videos that are hosted on your own YouTube channel, CAS can connect you with a vendor who can create and upload captions directly to your account. Please contact CAS for additional information about this option. 
  • If you have MP4s not yet uploaded to YouTube, requesting captions through DIT is much faster than connecting your YouTube account with an outside vendor as mentioned above

2.) Requesting Captioned Media through DIT 

DIT handles caption requests for all MP4 files, including Panopto class recordings. For DIT to caption your videos: 

  • Upload your videos (class recordings and/or MP4s) to the Panopto Recordings folder on Canvas 
  • Complete the DIT Caption Request Form 

The Caption Request Form can be accessed here: Request Professional Captioning for Panopto Videos. Please note: 

  • The link to the caption form is at the top of the article 
  • Sign in through CAS with your UMD credentials to access the form 
  • If you have multiple recordings ready to be captioned, you can include up to 20 files on a single request form 
  • If you are recording as you go (e.g., weekly class lectures), a new request form needs to be submitted to DIT for each video/recording that is uploaded to the Panopto Recordings folder 

For additional questions, please contact DIT at itaccessibility@umd.edu.

 

3.) Requesting Captioned Media through Library Media Services 

Library Media Services (formerly Hornbake Library) handles caption requests for DVDs and streaming videos. 

To request captioned videos for streaming on your ELMS course site: 

Note: The Library Streaming Reserves module must be enabled in your ELMS course site before submitting a request. If you have questions, please refer to the Library Media Services tutorial. For additional questions, please contact Library Media Services at askmckres@umd.edu.

(Not ADS Related)

For a fee, CAS can caption videos for campus departments that require accessible media. 

To discuss your captioning needs and for additional information, including current rates and turnaround times, please contact CAS at ads-cas@umd.edu or 301-405-8058.

For a fee, CAS can caption videos for the general public. 

To discuss your captioning needs and for additional information, including current rates and turnaround times, please contact the Assistant Coordinator of CAS at ads-cas@umd.edu or 301-405-8058.

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