COE Accessibility

Individuals who cannot view images rely on alternative text (also known as "alt text"). Alt text provides a brief description of an image and is designed to convey the image's content to users who are unable to see it, such as those using screen readers or Braille devices. Alt text should be concise and sufficient to describe the image without including excessive detail. Screen readers typically announce "Image" and then read the associated alt text aloud.

• Class of students sitting at desks paying attention to a female instructor teaching at the front of the classroom.
• Aubie the Tiger giving high fives to children outside of the Auburn University football stadium.
• Diagram showing the stages of mitosis in a eukaryotic demonstrating how one cell divides into two cells. 
• Young man wearing a blue graduation gown, smiling and tossing a graduation cap in the air.

Important Note: You do not need to state "in this photo..." or "image of ...."

Examples of poor alt text:

• Image428.jpg
• Picture of people
• [blank]
• student_center_1

Learn more about alt text and view examples at Auburn's alt text core skill webpage. 

All graphics must have alt text, and it must convey all the information presented in the graphic. Therefore, an overabundance of text is discouraged—graphics are not meant to convey all information and are just a visual support.

Avoid saving out tables, charts, graphs, etc. as image files (.jpeg, .png) because all the information will have to be conveyed through alt text, which is tricky. 

Videos without any audio require an equivalent alternative, such as a transcript of visual words or an audio track.

If there are no spoken words in your video, a transcript or audio description—a narration track that communicates important visual content not available through audio alone—must be provided.

Audio-only content, like a podcast, requires an equivalent alternative, i.e. a transcript.

Transcripts are text versions of audio or video content. They serve as an alternative to viewing the video or listening to the audio. Transcripts can be provided as a Word document, a link to a SharePoint site, an accessible PDF or an .SRT file made through video-editing software or other websites (see more information below).

For audio presentations such as podcasts, this is the only method used to provide content access for individuals who are unable to hear it.

How to create a transcript (.srt file) for your videos in Adobe Premiere Pro

*Note: You can upload a completed video created in another platform (example: Adobe Express) into Premiere Pro to create a transcript. You do not have to create your video in Premiere Pro.

1. Open Your Video Project 

   1. Open Adobe Premiere Pro. 

   2. Click “New Project” and name your project to resemble your video. Save in desired location. 

   3. Select “none” for template and uncheck the box, “Skip Import Mode.” 

   4. Now, in the Import panel, navigate to where your video is saved. 

   5. Click the check box over your desired video. Click the blue “Import” button at the bottom right of the screen.  

2. Open the Text Panel

   1. With Premiere open, navigate to the top Mac navigation bar and click “Window.”

   2. From the dropdown list, select “Text.” This opens the Text panel on your screen.

3. Transcribe the Video

   1. Ensure your video is selected on the timeline sequence (single-click your video).

   2. In the Text panel, select the “Transcript” tab and click the blue Transcribe button.

   3. Allow time for the sequence to be transcribed. This may take time, depending on the length of the video.

4. Create Captions

   1. Once transcribed, select the “Captions” tab.

   2. Click the blue “Create captions from transcript” button.

   3. A caption preset box will open in a window. Click the blue “Create captions” button.

   4. You should now see timed captions in the “Captions” tab of the Text panel. Caption blocks should also appear on your timeline.

5. Review and Edit

   1. Read through the captions generated.

   2. Correct spelling or grammatical errors by double-clicking text to change and making desired corrections.
      ***Reminder: Captions are public-facing accessibility content. Accuracy is required.

6. Export the SRT File

   1. Click the ellipse (three dots) in the Captions tab of the Text panel.

   2. Select “Export” from the drop-down menu.

   3. Select “Export to SRT file” from the secondary drop-down menu.

7. Save and Name the File

   1. Save the SRT file in the same location as and using the same name as your video file for ease, followed by ( .en_US ) to denote the captions are in English. A finished file name may look like this: examplevideo.en_US.srt

8. Upload the Video and Caption File

   1. Upload the video file to the platform you are using.

   2. Upload the SRT file in the captions or subtitles section of that platform.

Common Mistakes to Avoid 

• Using only burned-in captions (not audibly read by those needing accessible captions) 

• Skipping transcript review (typos and mistakes happen) 

Captions display text for spoken content and important audio cues in sync with video playback. Users can usually turn captions on or off using the CC button in their media player.

• Use captioned video files.
• Keep captioning auto-play off.
• Show captions in courses, trainings, and large or public meetings.
• Use transcripts for audio-only files.
• Include transcripts with prerecorded audio and video.
• Check captions and transcripts for completeness and accuracy, including technical terms, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

• Alt Text
  • In Meta Business Suite Composer
    • Upload your photo in the "Media" box
    • Click the button with the pencil, the "edit photo" button
    • Click "Alt Text" under the "Creative Tools" menu on the left
    • Type in your alt text, and click "Apply"
  • From Facebook timeline
    • Upload your photo
    • Click "Edit" in the top left corner of the photo
    • Click "Alternative Text" on the left
    • Type your alt text and hit "Save"
• Closed Captioning
  • In Meta Business Suite Composer
    • Upload your video in the "Media" box
    • Finish all tasks on this page, including caption, thumbnail, etc.
    • Click "Next"
    • Click "Next" again on the Edit page
    • In the "Closed Captions and Translations" box, select "Settings"
    • Click "Upload" next to "Upload caption files"
    • Load your .srt file, making sure that [ .en_US ] is at the end of the file name but before [ .srt ] to denote the captions are in English
    • Click "Save"
    • Share your post
  • From Facebook timeline
    • Upload your video and type out your caption
    • Click "Next"
    • Click "Text Transcripts" in the menu on the left
    • Click "Upload" and then select the correct language
    • After you upload your file, make any necessary edits on the last page before sharing your post.

• Alt Text
  • In Meta Business Suite Composer
    • Upload your photo in the "Media" box
    • Click the button with the pencil, the "edit photo" button
    • Click "Alt Text" under the "Creative Tools" menu on the left.
    • Type in your alt text, and click "Apply"
  • From the app
    • Select the photo, and hit "next"
    • Bypass the next set of options by hitting "next"
    • Click "more options" at the bottom of the composer
    • Scroll to the very bottom and click "Write Alt Text"
    • Type your alt text and hit "Done"
• Closed Captioning
  • Note: captions that are edited into a video using a text tool are insufficient for accessibility standards because they are not picked up by a screen reader as an independent component of the video. However, auto-generated captions through social media platforms that are edited for accuracy are acceptable.
  • Instagram does not allow users to upload transcripts, and to create captions, you must use Instagram's auto-generated captions tool. This can only be done through the Instagram app.
    
    • Create a new post
    • Select your video to upload and click "Next"
    • Click "Edit Video" at the bottom of your screen
    • Click "Captions" in the bottom menu.
    • Read through the captions and make any necessary edits by clicking and editing the text. 
    • Click the next arrow
    • Make additions to the post (caption, location, etc)
    • Publish

• Alt Text
  • Add your photo
  • In the photo editor window, click "ALT" below the image
  • Type in your alt text and click "Add"
  • Click "Next" to return to the post editor
• Closed Captioning
  • Upload your video
  • In the video editor, click "CC" below the image
  • You can either
    • Add auto-captions, but make sure to check the box stating "Review captions before viewers can see them"
    • Upload a transcript file by clicking "Upload SRT"
    • Click "Apply" to return to post editor

• Alt Text
  • Add your photo
  • Click "Edit" in the top left corner
  • Click "ALT" in the top menu bar
  • Add text in the "Description" box
  • Click "Save" and then "Back"
  • Make any additions to the post and then share.
• Closed Captioning
  • Upload your video to the post composer
  • Click "Upload Caption File (.srt)"
  • Upload your file, and click "Done"
  • Make any additions to the post and then share

• Closed Captioning
  • Upload your video
  • Fill out the fields on the "Details" page of the composer, then hit "Next" to go to the "Video Elements" page
  • Click "Add" next to "Add Subtitles"
  • Click "Upload File"
  • Check the box for "With Timing" and click "Continue"
  • Select your .srt file and click "Done"
  • Fill out the remaining details as necessary and publish your video

All digital newsletters must be made accessible. Below are some best practices to keep in mind when creating newsletters.

• All Photos/Graphics must have alt text.
• Tables, charts, graphs, etc. that are saved out as photo files are discouraged, because all the information will have to be conveyed via alt text. 
• It is best practice to avoid the use of gifs and emojis 
• Links
  • Descriptive links indicate the destination or content that users will encounter upon selection. Rather than generic phrases such as "click here" or "read more," descriptive links incorporate specific wording to clarify their purpose. This approach assists all users with navigation, including individuals utilizing assistive technologies and those scanning content quickly.  
  • Ex: Instead of "For more information about the College of Education click here" try "For more information, see the College of Education website."
  • URLs: URLs should generally be avoided as link text because they can be challenging for screen reader users to interpret and for voice input users to articulate. For instance, a screen reader may read a URL as "h-t-t-p-colon forward slash forward slash..." Using descriptive link text helps reduce the length and complexity of what is read aloud.
  • Auburn's Links Core Skill Page
• Headings
  • Headings and subheadings are essential components of accessible design. Most web pages and documents contain a main heading to indicate the title or primary topic, with subheadings marking the beginning of new sections. Visually, headings are typically displayed in a larger and bolder font than regular text. The use of headings supports all users by maintaining organizational structure and facilitating the efficient location of specific information.
  • Headings are used to outline page content, with Heading 1 indicating the main heading and Heading 2 designating the first level of sub-headings. This structure helps screen reader users understand the organization of the page. If heading levels are skipped or reversed, it disrupts the outline and makes it more difficult for users to determine the relationships between different sections.
  • See tools for creating headings on Auburn's Headings Core Skills Page.
• Text Readability
  • Clear, readable text is foundational to digital accessibility. Factors such as font choice, appropriate font size, and using styles for emphasis all contribute to legibility. High color contrast between text and background ensures visibility, while thoughtful line spacing and left alignment support easy reading. Structuring content in manageable chunks and maintaining an accessible reading level further help users process information efficiently, making digital content truly inclusive.
  • See tools for checking text readability on Auburn's Text Core Skills Page.

When creating digital content for course materials, these documents should be designed with digital accessibility in mind. In this section you can find the digital accessibility guidelines for Word documents, PowerPoints, or PDFs.

View guidelines and best practices on the LRC's Digital Document Accessibility Guidance page. You can also contact Ariel Rocker in the LRC for help remediating documents.