Responsive Audio-Video For Deaf and hearing-Impaired Persons
Integrated Captions

[Author: Bill Fischer]

Overview

Universal Responsive Media is Based in Progressive Enhancement

An equal quality of experience for sight, hearing, physically, and cognitively impaired persons is the goal of responsive media. At the baseline of the progression is text. Then, multi-sensory enhancements are added for those persons that have the physical abilities to engage with them. Research has shown that captions, improve learning and retention for all sensory abilities (Video captions benefit everyone by Morton Ann Gernsbacher (external link)

Integrated Captions

These eliminate the need for added captions which are typically hurried and interrupt the natural flow of the video, animation, or film. This I-See-U specific approach aims to create an experience that sight, hearing, and cognitively impaired persons can organically experience together. One that is optimized to provide a quality experience for all, at the same time, in the same place. They're designed for accessibility from the start, they flow with the action, they're integrated and make time for viewers to both read the captions and watch the action. Their organic integrations eliminate the stigmatization that blind and sight impaired persons can experience when watching with sighted persons.

Traditional Captions

are the most common accessibility feature in film and video for the deaf and hearing-impaired. It typically utilizes added text at the bottom of the screen, to provide a description of the dialogue and/or narration. This method attempts to 'fix' video and film that was not initially designed for blind and sight-impaired persons. They interrupt the flow of the action, leave little time for an accurate description, and stigmatize disabled persons in group viewings due to the employment of an obvious ‘fix’. However, traditional captions are far better than no captions. Read more about Traditional Captions here.



Integrated Captions Examples

Captions can be integrated into the animation as part of the initial design. This is a more universal approach. The video reel below contains excerpts from six examples that were created as part of The Epic Project. Try, first, watching them with the sound off to get a feeling for the experience a deaf person may have. Then listen with the sound own to get a feeling for how the captions work in tandem with the audio. One of the challenges that designers face with integrated captions is leaving enough time to both read and watch the visual action.

Integrated Captions Composite.mp4

See the Full Videos and Credits for the Examples