We are thankful for all the progress that has been made this year in the world of accessibility. At AST we have made many improvements to our CaptionSync platform, adding several new features and integrations. Our focus has been on the quality and accessibility of our services, along with conveying the benefits that accessibility brings to our communities and society. Thank you for making 2016 another great year for accessibility!
Video Transcript:
>> Hi, this is Noelis with Automatic Sync, and during this Whiteboard Wednesday I’d like to review some of the trends and topics we’ve covered this past year. When coming up with new ideas for posts and videos over the past 12 months we focused mainly on three topics.
The first topic we commonly covered was the improvements and new features that we developed for CaptionSync. This included our new VoiceThread Integration, which allows customers using VoiceThread to request captions for new threads and comments directly through the platform. Another area we’ve continued to expand is account structure and user management. Now customers can create an account hierarchy with multiple child accounts, and customize permission settings.
Another topic that came up frequently had to do with our mission and values, including quality. With the delay of new rules for web accessibility from the DOJ, institutions have to take it upon themselves to set quality standards. There has also been controversy over the use of speech recognition to create captions, like YouTube’s automatic captioning tool. We’ve tried to convey to our customers the importance of quality, and let them know what they can do to provide the most accessible content to their students as possible.
Finally, a topic that relates to our mission is how effort from universities and other entities can affect the lives of the deaf and hard of hearing. It’s easy to lose touch with why captions are important when thinking of them as just another requirement. But if you choose to look at accessibility as a civil right you’ll understand that it is essential, regardless of whether or not it is required by regulations. By taking a look from a student’s perspective, we hope to inspire our customers to understand the importance and value of what they are providing.
You can review these topics in more detail in the links we’ve compiled below. Thank you for watching our final Whiteboard Wednesday of 2016.
Resources:
New & Improved Features
- Account Structure & Hierarchy: In CaptionSync accounts can be structured with hierarchy and custom permissions for each user.
- VoiceThread Integration: How adding captions to VoiceThread is simple and quick with our new integration.
Quality, Mission and Value
- Quality & Values are two of the most important factors of choosing a Captioning Vendor.
- Online Class Offerings should not be limited due to presumed cost and effort.
- Department of Justice Delays Rules for Web Accessibility: The SANPRM is a list of questions that solicits public assessment of the current accessibility of government websites and the cost and benefits of regulating web accessibility.
- What to Submit to a Captioning Company: Providing certain details with your submission can ensure better quality captions.
- YouTube’s Automatic Captions: Their low quality is below ADA and quality standards.
Students’ Perspective
- What it’s like to be a Deaf student on Campus: Kristen Pribula, a student at Ohio University tells The Post about her experience on campus and in classes.
- Captioned VoiceThreads: Enhance class discussions and benefit the student.
- Echo360: An inside look at how students use the platform.
- Accessibility as a Civil Right: Promote accessibility as a civil right on your campus
- The CaptionSync Smart Player: See it in action from a student’s point of view