Summary: Closed captions make audio and video content accessible by providing a written version of what is spoken.

Who it helps: Deaf or hard of hearing individuals, neurodivergent learners, and  visual learners

Additional benefits: Supports individuals in noisy or quiet environments, English Language Learners, individuals who process information visually, and anyone who learns best by reading along while listening.

Think about when you scroll through social media in a noisy cafe - or in a quiet office - without your earbuds.  How often do you skip videos that do not have subtitles because you do not want to turn the volume up?  Or watch a film in another language with subtitles in your language so you can follow along? That is exactly what closed captions do - they make audio content accessible to everyone.

Closed captions are not just for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They help anyone trying to access content in a busy or quiet environment, language learners who benefit from seeing words while listening, and visual learners who process information more effectively when reading along. Neurodivergent learners, and older adults with mild hearing loss. Even multi-taskers can benefit from captions, making them a tool for universal accessibility. Learn more about captions from Captions (Ta11y).

Creating meaningful captions goes beyond simply displaying spoken words. Many of us have seen captions that are incorrect, out of sync, or confusing.   High-quality captions include accurate dialogue, proper punctuation, and clear speaker identification. They also describe important sounds such as “music playing” or “door slamming” to provide full context for learners.  Properly synchronized captions make it easy to follow along without confusion, improving comprehension and engagement for all individuals, not just those with hearing disabilities.

The good news? Adding captions does not have to take hours. Many platforms such as YouTube, and Microsoft video editing software can generate closed captions for you. Auto-generated captions are a great starting point, but it is best practice to proofread and correct any errors to ensure clarity, accuracy, and meaningful sound cues before sharing your content.
Actionable Item: Take a video or audio clip you have already created and add captions using your platform’s auto-caption feature.  Spend some time reviewing and correcting them to make sure they are clear and synced with the audio.