Video Accessibility
Captioning Kaltura Videos
Quick Start Guide
Videos uploaded to MediaSpace after October 2022 will have machine-generated captions automatically added. For videos uploaded before that date, you can manually order machine-generated captions. All machine-generated captions must be edited for accuracy.
On this page:
Captions are a synchronous text equivalent of the audio content in a video. Closed captions are toggled on or off by the viewer in the video player interface.
Closed captions are an accessibility requirement and essential for viewers that are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, closed captions benefits:
- Viewers for whom the video’s language is an additional language
- Viewers in noisy or loud locations where they cannot listen uninterrupted or at a comfortable volume
- Viewers new to the subject matter who are unfamiliar with the unique terminology, jargon, or important names
- Neurodivergent users who have trouble focusing or following along
Captions help learners with:
- Accuracy when taking notes on a video
- Greater information retention and comprehension through both listening and reading
- Better engagement with content
Statistics indicate that around 5% of the general population has some form of hearing loss. However, studies suggest that 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds regularly watch videos with captions turned on. Captions are not simply an accessibility requirement; they are an excellent learning tool.
To order captions
- Navigate to your media on Langara College MediaSpace or in Brightspace go to My Tools > My Media
- Open the Actions menu
- Select Caption & Enrich
- Click Order and then Submit
Editing Captions
- Navigate to your media on Langara College MediaSpace or in Brightspace go to My Tools > My Media
- Open the Actions menu and select Edit
- Navigate to the Captions tab and select Edit Captions or Edit beside the desired caption file
- Edit captions for accuracy, especially focusing on spelling of names and terminology
- Click Save and then Back
Edit Captions in Word
As an alternative method for editing captions, consider exporting the captions file, making changes in a word processor, and uploading the edited file. To do so:
- Navigate to your media on Langara College MediaSpace or in Brightspace go to My Tools > My Media
- Open the Actions menu and select Edit
- Select the Captions tab
- On the Captions tab, select Download
- A file will be downloaded to your computer in either .SRT or .VTT
- By default the file should be opened in Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on macOS. However, if it does not, right-click on the field and select Open with and choose the appropriate text editor
- Press Control a or Command a on macOS to select everything in the file. Press Control c or Command c on macOS to copy all of the content
- Open a new Word document and press Control v or Command v on macOS to paste all of the content
- Use Word’s spellchecker, find and replace, and other editing tools to ensure the text matches the audio of the video
- In Word press Control a or Command a on macOS to select everything in the file. Press Control c or Command c on macOS to copy all of the content
- Move back to the .SRT or .VTT downloaded from Kaltura and press Control a or Command a on macOS to select everything in the file. Press Control v or Command v on macOS to paste the edited text
- Save the .SRT or .VTT file
- Navigate to the Captions tab and select Upload captions file
- Select your edited .SRT or .VTT file, complete the required fields, and click Save
For more information on captions, consult Closed Captioning Quick Start Guide.
The Kaltura player allows viewers to customize the appearance of captions.
Videos are not finished until they are accurately captioned. New uploads to MediaSpace will automatically trigger a request for machine-generated captions. Verify spelling, terminology, and accuracy of those captions.