What Makes Content Accessible?

What Makes Content Accessible?

Producing accessible content is a fundamental expertise at VideoFrog, ensuring that all audiences can engage with video materials. This blog highlights the importance of inclusivity in content creation, detailing strategies for enhancing accessibility, such as incorporating captions, using the right colours for fonts and the best place to position them and audio descriptions to reach a broader audience.

The Importance of Accessible Video Content

Our expertise in producing high-quality, compliant video content comes into play from planning, right through to filming and editing, with a view to how the video content will be used. From our experience, here’s a 101 guide to the most important points to remember when creating accessible content.

In today’s digital age, video content is a powerful tool for communication and marketing. However, to truly maximise its impact, it must be accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. This not only broadens your audience but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and compliance with legal standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Key Accessibility Practices for Video Production

On-Screen Text

Readability: Ensure that on-screen text is easily readable. This includes using a reasonable contrast between text and background colours for example, avoid placing white text on pale backgrounds.

Timing and Sizing

Text should be on screen long enough to read comfortably. For short titles, a minimum of 4 seconds is recommended. Text size should be at least 8% of the viewable screen to ensure readability across different devices.

Placement

Avoid placing text in the caption area. If unavoidable, ensure it does not overlap with captions or appears when no one is speaking.

Clarity: Audio Quality

Audio should be clear and not overwhelmed by background music or noise. Avoid distortion and encourage the presenters to maintain a natural speaking pace.

Translation Considerations

If your video will be translated, ensure the original English content fits comfortably to allow room for translated subtitles or voice-overs, again maintain a measured pace.

Captions and Subtitles

• Closed Captions, (CC): These are preferred as they can be edited without altering the video, adjusted by the video player, and support multiple languages. They also improve SEO by making content searchable / findable.
• Open Captions: (OC) These are burned into the video and cannot be turned off, making them less flexible.
• Subtitles: Generally used for translation, assuming the user can hear the audio. They may not be a direct substitute for spoken content but give the context of what was said in another language.

If you rely on platforms such as LinkedIn’s automated captions, be aware that there may be inconsistencies. Double check captions, otherwise it might look like you have made a mistake – and it can be awkward when people’s names are wrong! We have had clients raise this concern when they see their videos playing on social platforms but it’s easily fixable.

Additional Accessibility Considerations

• Avoid Flashing Effects: Ensure video effects do not flash more than three times per second to prevent triggering seizures.
• Clear Visuals: For interviews, ensure faces are well-lit and clearly visible to assist with lip-reading.
• Colour Blindness: Avoid problematic colour pairings like red and green. Follow brand guidelines for colour pairings to ensure accessibility. The disability inclusion charity SCOPE has some great tips on colour contrast, ensuring content is readable.

Practical Tips for Corporate Compliance

1. Pre-Plan for Accessibility: Integrate accessibility considerations from the start of your project. This includes scripting, storyboarding, and recording.
2. Use Accessible Media Players: Choose players that support customisable captions and where possible, audio descriptions. YouTube and LinkedIn support captions however, you may need to use a service such as Wistia to enable audio descriptions.
3. Test and Get Feedback: Involve individuals with disabilities in testing your content to identify and address any accessibility barriers.

So what?

Producing accessible video content is not just about meeting legal requirements; it’s about ensuring that your message reaches and resonates with the widest possible audience. By following best practices for accessibility, you can create inclusive, high-quality content that stands out and makes a positive impact.

As SCOPE points out: “Around 14 million people in the UK (20% of the population) are disabled. Scale that up to 15% of the global population if you’re an international brand. If you meet the needs of people excluded from your online services, by nature you increase your market reach”

Ready to make your video content more accessible and inclusive? Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your goals with our expert video production services.

Let’s create content that everyone can enjoy and benefit from!