You know that all videos must be captioned to meet the minimum WCAG level A, don’t you. But have you ever stopped to think about that you also need to create accessible captions?
Well if you haven’t, you definitely should. The web is rife with unreadable captioning styles favoured by trend-setters with a large audience, that do more harm than good. I call it “the spin cycle effect”: captions that make you feel like you’re trapped in a washing machine. Just as fun as it sounds: i.e. not at all!
How influencers think accessible captions should be
Open Captions (can’t be turned off)
A basic UX tenet for interactive design is: give people options and agency. Open captions are baked into the video, thus removing the viewer’s choice to toggle captions on or off.
I understand that open captions are needed on that most inaccessible social network of all, Instagram, because the platform doesn’t offer any captioning at all. But anywhere else, please don’t do it, if you want your captions to be truly accessible. Some of your audience may be people with neurological disorders or ADHD that get distracted by captions and would rather turn them off. We can’t assume that everybody will want captions.
Also because people who opt for open captions usually commit all of the crimes against accessibility in this list. That’s also why open captions are hardly even accessible captions.
One Word at a Time
Another influencer’s favourite, and a personal pet hate of mine. This disrupts the natural reading flow, violating the UX principle of consistency and standards. For those with cognitive disabilities, it can be particularly challenging, as it makes it harder to form coherent sentences and understanding.
For everyone else, it’s a massive pain in the arse even when you’re lucky enough to not feel seasick: you find yourself staring at each word passing by, unable to concentrate on the bigger picture (and the actual content of the video).
All in Caps
Newsflash for the typographically challenged: text in all caps significantly reduces readability, particularly for people with dyslexia. It can make letters appear more similar and harder to differentiate, violating the UX guideline of readability and accessibility.
Plus, it is the equivalent of shouting: and nobody likes to be screamed at, do they.
Example: Steven Bartlett
Steven Bartlett is a good guy. He is an amazing British entrepreneur: an immigrant who achieved massive success at a very young age, and is now helping others with their lives. There is a lot to admire about him: he is an influencer of real substance.
It’s a shame about the captions, though. In the example below, the all caps, one-word-at-a-time captions, in a different colour every time and with a thick black outline, run like crazy across the screen in the middle of the frame, often – like in this case – on top of an already very busy composite image, and combined with other crazy transition effects in between frames and scenes.
It is a digital train wreck, virtually impossible to watch. And it’s real pity, because the content is interesting, educational and well-meaning! Still: this is the demonstration of the opposite of accessible captions.
With flashing effects
Flashing effects, reckless animations and other sleek influencer favourites can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. In people like me, living with a vestibular disorder, they trigger immediate motion sickness. Using flashing effects is a slap in the face of the UX and accessibility guideline of ensuring safety and avoiding elements that can cause physical harm.
In a fancy typeface or style
Complex typefaces (scripts, handwriting, outlined, italics etc) challenge the UX principle of simplicity and clarity. They can be especially problematic for people with visual impairments or reading disorders like dyslexia, as they make character recognition more difficult. They are also annoying for everyone else, because they increase the cognitive load. And once again, they distract from the actual content.
Against a colourful background
This often violates the contrast guidelines essential for people with visual impairments. High contrast is crucial for legibility, and colourful backgrounds can reduce this, making text harder to discern.
In the middle or some other awkward placement:
This goes against the UX principle of user expectation and consistency; and the Gestalt principle of familiarity. Placing captions in unconventional areas can obstruct important visual information and disorient viewers, especially those with attention disorders. I have a vestibular disorder and it makes me so dizzy.
Example: Steven Bartlett, again
This style of video captioning is even worse than the one I showed you above. This time, the captions are not all in caps and you do get to see more than one word at a time: however, the layout of the words changes all the time, the placement is also random, the type changes in size, style and colour constantly, and the fancy effects are multiplied and coupled with other video effects. The final effect? An absolute nightmare. And the ironical bit is that the conversation is about health!
Steven Bartlett I beg you, on behalf of the silent millions that can’t watch your videos: please make your captions accessible. Thank you.
How accessible captions should actually be:
Closed Captions (can be turned off)
Respecting the UX principle of user control, and letting people do what they want: closed captions offer the choice to engage with or without them, catering to diverse user needs and preferences. There may be people with neurological disorders or ADHD that get distracted by captions and would rather turn them off. We can’t assume that everybody will want captions.
A short sentence at a time (ca. 40 characters max on max 2 lines)
This aligns with the UX principle of clarity and cognitive load management. Short, concise captions are easier to process, especially for those with cognitive or learning disabilities. They are also more readable by everyone (see Google’s Material Design guidelines Opens in new window).
In sentence case
Simple: sentence case is the most readable and natural to the eye. This format is crucial for individuals with cognitive disabilities as it aligns with standard reading practices. If you want accessible captions, go straight for sentence case and you’ll be all right.
No flashing effects. Ever
Adhering to the UX principle of safety first and “cause no harm”: avoiding flashing effects and any kind of animated gimmicks is crucial for preventing seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy, just to mention one. Plus, weird strobe effects and super fast animations can trigger seizures even in people who’d never experience one before. Also, and crucially important, having no fancy effects will also reduce cognitive overload.
Simple sans serif font
Just make it legible! This follows the UX principle of simplicity and legibility. Sans serif fonts are easier to read for individuals with dyslexia and other reading disorders.
White type against black (with exceptions)
High contrast is key for visibility, aligning with the UX principle of perceivability. It ensures that individuals with visual impairments can easily read the captions. White against black keeps it simple, although other colours can sometimes be used to differentiate speaking voices.
At the bottom of the frame
This placement respects the UX principles of familiarity and predictability. It prevents obstruction of key visual elements while being accessible to viewers with attention disorders or those who rely on peripheral vision. It avoids visual clutter and prevents legibility issues.
Plus, any film maker worth their salt (not the influencers, then) knows that when they film and choose their frames, they need to keep the “lower third area”, that is to say the bottom area of the frame, title-safe: because that’s where captions need to go.
Conclusion
Bummer that you can’t make your type fly across the screen anymore? Tough!
Find another outlet for your visual creativity. Bad captions are almost worse than no captions.
Make it easy for people to understand your content – and buy from you.
Accessibility improves conversions! Always. And that includes accessible captions.
In fact, captions for me are the most obvious example of an accessibility feature that’s essential for some, and brilliant for all.
