Multimedia

Creating accessible media content involves several considerations.
Here are 8 tips to guide you:

1. Ensure that on-screen text is easy to read, using colors thoughtfully with good contrast.
2. Encourage speakers to talk directly into the camera to assist users who lip-read.
3. Keep key objects away from the lower part of the screen to avoid interference with closed captioning.
4. Describe all important visual content audibly, including names and affiliations of speakers.
5. Ensure speakers maintain a steady rate of speech, incorporating appropriate pauses.
6. Avoid using flickering or rapidly blinking content, as this can trigger seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy.
7. Minimize the use of acronyms; when necessary, clearly state their full form the first time they are used.
8. Provide clear and concise verbal descriptions of charts, graphs, and other visual elements.

Creating videos that reduce or eliminate the need for audio descriptions is an important step towards making content more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience. Audio descriptions are typically used to convey visual information to people with visual impairments and added postproduction.  

Here are some tips for video creators to help reduce the need for audio descriptions: 

1. Planning: Plan your video so that the script includes describing all meaningful visual elements through narration.
2. Generic phases: Avoid phrases such as “As you can see” “See how things change” “as you can tell”. 
3. Clear and Concise Visuals: Ensure that your video’s visuals are clear and convey information effectively. Use high-quality footage and graphics and avoid cluttered or distracting visuals. 
4. Narrative Clarity: Make sure that your video’s narrative is easy to follow without relying solely on visual cues. Clearly explain the content, context, and any important visual elements through narration. Avoid phrases such as “This part over here represents the slope of a line.”
5. Descriptive Audio: While aiming to eliminate the need for audio descriptions, make sure to describe important visual elements on the screen. This includes if an instructor is writing on a whiteboard, he or she should describe what they are writing. 
6. Use of Text: Incorporate on-screen text in the audio to provide important information such as titles, key points, and context. Ensure that the text is large enough to be easily readable and use high-contrast colors for legibility and met a 4.5:1 contrast ratio. 
7. Graphics: If you display graphics, charts, diagrams, or tables on the screen, make sure you describe important content that a sighted user would get. 
8. Consistency: Maintain a consistent style and format throughout your videos to help viewers anticipate how information will be presented. Consistency in fonts, colors, and layout can be particularly helpful. 
9. Awareness and Training: Educate your team and content creators about accessibility best practices. Ensure they understand the importance of creating content that is inclusive from the outset. This will save time and money in postproduction.