New E-learning
Video and Audio
A video or audio piece is a time-based medium that conveys information in sound and/or visual form. Its accessibility relies on equivalents — captions, text transcript, audio description — and on playback controls usable with the keyboard.
On this page
Fundamental rule: no essential content must exist solely in sound or visual form. The media illustrates; it never alone carries information essential to completing the course.
Three configurations, three levels of requirement :
- Audio only (narration, podcast): text transcript
- Video with sound: synchronized captions and transcript
- Video carrying visual information not described by the soundtrack: audio description or a text equivalent
Narration synchronized with animations: provide playback controls and never auto-advance without the ability to pause.
When to use media
- Demonstrating a movement, a piece of software, or a procedure that is difficult to describe in text.
- Testimonial, scenario, or dialogue: when voice and image carry their own instructional value.
- Varying learning modalities, as a complement to text rather than a replacement for it.
When not to use media
- Media with no equivalent: no captions, no transcript, no audio description when one is needed.
- Critical information conveyed solely by sound or image, without being repeated in the slide content.
- Autoplay, media that cannot be controlled by keyboard, or background music layered over a voiceover.
On this page
Captions
- Import a VTT or SRT file, or use the built-in caption editor.
- Caption all spoken content, including secondary speakers, and flag meaningful sounds.
- Two lines maximum, roughly 40 characters per line, synchronization within half a second.
- Identify speakers as soon as more than one person is speaking.
- Any auto-generated captions must be reviewed and corrected: delivered raw, they are not compliant.
Transcript
Full transcript including dialogue and meaningful visual elements.
Made available in the Resources tab, on the slide, or via the player's transcript panel if the deployed version offers it.
Audio description
Record or import an audio track and synchronize it on the editing timeline.
Failing that, work the visual information into the original narration, or provide a complete text equivalent.
Not permitted
- Text burned into the video as the sole source of information: repeat it in the captions and the transcript.
- Flashing at more than three flashes per second.
- An instruction delivered only verbally.
- Background music: avoid under spoken content; if present, provide a way to mute it.
On this page
Expected reading order
- Slide title
- Media context, stated duration
- Player controls
- Access to the transcript
- Subsequent elements and buttons
Keyboard navigation: all controls must be reachable by TAB and activatable by ENTER or SPACE — play/pause, progress bar, volume, captions, full screen.
Never hide the player controls or the progress bar: a video with no controls cannot be operated by keyboard and prevents any pausing.
Autoplay: to be avoided. If used anyway, provide an immediate, keyboard-reachable stop control and never layer two audio sources at once.