Important for the accessibility of all PowerPoint presentations is that any videos they contain are accessible to those who are deaf or have difficulty hearing. That involves ensuring that the videos have closed captions or subtitles. Not sure of the difference between the two? 3PlayMedia explains them well in this article, Captions vs Subtitles: Breaking Down the Differences.
Many videos available on the internet already have closed captions or subtitles, but what if the one you want to include does not? Or, perhaps you’ve produced your own videos. You can use YouTube to add subtitles. They’ll need to be edited to correct mistakes, but YouTube is often quite accurate and saves a lot of time. The process is essentially the same as that explained in my earlier post, Use YouTube to add Subtitles to Narrated PowerPoint Lectures.
Now, Microsoft has announced that it is possible to insert closed captions and subtitles into presentation videos in PowerPoint for the web. The process is explained in their Microsoft 365 Insider blog post, Present more effectively and inclusively with video and closed captions in PowerPoint for the web. Closed captions and subtitles can also be added in multiple languages. Instructions and tips and tricks are included in the post. The post also includes the reminder that in addition to being accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, having closed captions or subtitles in videos aids those who have difficulty with accents, those whose native tongue differs from the language in the video, and in noisy situations.
So, don’t forget that an accessible course needs to have closed captions or subtitles for all videos. Yes, it can take a lot of time to add them. But doing so is absolutely necessary for many students with disabilities and will help a great many of their classmates as well.
Accessible Science 