Audio and Video

• Why: Anthology Ally does not scan for audio files, but it does scan YouTube videos.
• How: Upload your audio as a video to YouTube. Use YouTube Studio to add captions or a transcript. You can also request captioning services to assist you if the audio is too long to transcribe.

If your audio is hosted somewhere else (not YouTube), include a transcript:

• Add it as a linked document near the audio file.
• Or place the text directly under the audio player.

• Option 1: Ask the content creator to provide a transcript.
• Option 2: If they cannot provide one, ask if you can provide the transcript and request captioning services to assist you.
• Option 3: If the content creator refuses to accept the transcript, just provide the transcript to your students. This is a last resort because it does not support making accessible Open Educational Resources (OER).

Step 1: Use the Ally Course Accessibility Report.

Step 2: Look for the issue: "The HTML has videos without captions or with automated captions."

Step 3: Review each flagged page manually.

While this example shows only one page, several pages could be listed here. The "2" next to this example page represents the number of accessibility issue types, not the number of poorly captioned videos. Each page will need to be reviewed.

Once you are viewing a Canvas page under the "This item has videos with automated or no captions" error listing, you can review the highlighted errors.

Note: The score is inaccurate, so ignore it at this time. All embedded videos and links to videos should be manually checked:

• Links to YouTube on a Canvas page: Ally's scan of YouTube links are usually accurate. If there is a second caption track on the YouTube video player (not just "English (auto-generated)"), the captions are more likely to be quality-checked.
• Embedded YouTube videos on a Canvas page: Turn on captions (press C). If captions appear one word at a time, they are auto-generated and need quality-checking (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation). Use YouTube Studioto fix or request captioning services.
• Embedded videos uploaded to Canvas: Ally does not properly scan these, so you would need to find the closed captions button on the video player and quality-check the captions. Note: These videos can cause streaming issues, along with accessibility issues. You are highly recommended to move videos to YouTube.
• Embedded videos in PowerPoint or other documents: Ally does not properly scan these, so you would need to find the closed captions button on the video player and quality-check the captions. Note: These videos can cause streaming issues, along with accessibility issues. You are highly recommended to move videos to YouTube.

• Use YouTube to upload your video, and edit auto-generated captions for accuracy in the YouTube Studio.
• Keep videos short (under 5 minutes) for easier captioning. For longer videos, consider requesting captioning services to assist you.

• Option 1: Ask the content creator to provide captions.
• Option 2: If they cannot provide them, ask if you can provide the caption file and request captioning services to assist you.
• Option 3: If the content creator refuses to accept the captions, just provide them to your students. Our current captioning services provider includes a link to their video player that can contain the third-party video content and captions. This is a last resort because it does not support making accessible Open Educational Resources (OER).

Even if a video comes from a third-party provider, it still needs to be accessible, especially if you are using it for a class. You are responsible for making sure everyone can access and understand the material. That means checking whether the video has accurate captions. If it does not, try to find a more accessible version, ask the content creator to add captions, offer to add captions, or provide captions to your class by requesting captioning services.

It is important to communicate with content creators first. They should know that their videos are valuable and appreciated, as they contribute meaningfully to learning. However, it is equally important to let them know that some students with disabilities may not be able to access or benefit from the content if it is not made accessible. By sharing this information, you give creators the opportunity to improve their materials so that all students can engage with the content equally.

Even if a video is optional, it still needs to be accessible. Optional content can still provide important context, examples, or enrichment that help students learn. If a student with a disability cannot access that content, they may miss out on valuable learning opportunities. Making all materials accessible—whether required or optional—helps ensure that everyone has an equal chance to succeed.

Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there is no distinction between required and optional content when it comes to accessibility. If a university provides a video as part of a course, whether it is for core instruction, enrichment, or supplemental learning, it is considered part of the university's services, programs, or activities. Therefore, it must be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.