Videos and Captions

State entities frequently produce videos as a way to communicate with the public and consumers of their services. These are developed by State of Vermont employees and with marketing vendors. Additionally, recordings of a completed presentation or public meeting are considered video content. For any video, it is important to add written captions to the audio. If the video has automated captions, you need to check these for accuracy. 

Tips for Videos and Captions

• At the beginning of the video include a brief introduction and let viewers know that audio description is available.
• Edit your video to cut out chatter.
• Use a good microphone during a presentation or for the person who is speaking in a video.
• After the event, add captions to the video. Use a quiet room to ensure accuracy. You can start with the script used during the presentation if one is available. Or start with the automatic captions (available with some meeting tools like Teams and Zoom) then edit them for accuracy.
• IMPORTANT! Adding captions takes time. Budget at least 2–3x the length of the video to add captions.
• Most platforms will provide you with auto-generated captions for your video. Before posting the video with the auto-captions, you need to make sure they are accurate. Play back the video to review the automatic captions and edit any inaccuracies. Automatically generated captions that have not been reviewed for accuracy are not acceptable.
• Offer a transcript of the recording. Find more information about viewing, editing and managing video transcripts and captions in Teams.
• Visit the Agency of Human Services Inclusion & Accessibility SharePoint Site for complete guidance and recommendations for Captioning Videos. Note: This site is available to State of Vermont Employees. Employees may be prompted to request access.