Captions (Live)
Success Criterion 1.2.4 Level AA

Question:

Are you providing real time captions for all live media that includes audio?

Why is this important

To understand the audio components of live-streaming events, such as webinars and live newscasts, users who are deaf or hard of hearing need live captions. Live captions identify who is speaking and include the dialogue, sound effects and any other significant audio.

Whom does it benefit?

Example 1:

As a student who is hard of hearing,
I want live captions provided during webinar lectures
so that I can gain a full understanding of the parts of the presentation that are spoken by the instructor.

Example 2:

As a person who is deaf,
I want captions provided during live news broadcasts or alerts
so that I can be aware of any emergency situations, disaster alerts, and other relevant information.

What should you do?

Provide real time captioning for all audio content in live media.

This success criterion is intended for content being delivered by the speaker or presenter (e.g., live presentation, live news webcast, town hall meeting), not for two-way communications or meetings.

How do you do it?

  • Contract with a Communication Access Real Time (CART) vendor to provide captions remotely via a separate online platform.
  • Give participants instructions on how to connect to CART content online.
  • After the live event, post an edited transcript.

Note: The source of the audio needs to be clear and at the appropriate volume to be properly live captioned.

Need technical guidance?

Additional Resources to help you: