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Guide to an Accessible Video Submission

Any video content for CHI should be accessible.

CHI attendees represent a diverse group and there may be attendees who are blind or have other vision impairments (e.g., low vision and impaired color vision). Many are not native speakers of English. Some attendees may rely on lip reading, may have difficulty reading words on the slides, or may be sensitive to animations or flashing lights. Therefore, it is important that you carefully design all aspects of your video so that every CHI attendee is able to access the information you are sharing.

Closed-captioning is mandatory for all video content at CHI. We also strongly encourage CHI contributors to follow good practices detailed below to make your video accessible to all.

Closed-captioning

You must submit a closed-captioning file in .srt or .sbv format with your video. Allow time to prepare this, especially if using an AI-based service. If you use automatic speech recognition, or other AI-based captioning tools (e.g. otter.ai), it is essential to review your closed captions and correct any error.

Here are two examples of closed captioning done well: Example 1, Example 2.

YouTube provides free tools for generating closed captions, either starting from a transcript of the dialog (recommended), or using their automated speech recognition and correcting the result. YouTube will add the timings to sync it to the audio. Download the .sbv or .srt file and delete your video when you are finished.

Please follow SIGCHI instructions for closed-captioning. You can also find step-by-step instructions for generating a caption file with YouTube.

If you have a question related to creating a caption file, contact CHI 2023 Accessibility Chairs ([email protected]).

Good Practices for Accessibility

In addition to providing closed captions, use the tips for creating an accessible presentation in this 5 minute video. Remember that some people will not be able to see your visuals, so the presentation should be understandable from the script alone – if visuals are important you should verbally describe them.

Please avoid using effects in your video that could trigger an adverse reaction. For example, flashing lights can induce seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid using animations (simple appear/disappear is ok), unsteady camera work, flashing strobe lights, loud sounds, or repetitive alarms. If you include components, such as police car lights and sirens, consider warning viewers at the start of the video or right before the content so they can look away or mute their computers. The Trace Center offers an analysis tool to help authors assess their video is safe for people with photosensitive epilepsy (https://trace.umd.edu/peat/).

Below are additional recommendations about the three components of video content: script, visuals and audio.

  1. Script:
    • Include all important information – don’t assume everyone can see the visuals
    • Describe images and charts
    • Avoid using slang and colloquialisms – use simple direct language
    • Avoid pointing and saying “as you can see …” or “… here” without giving additional information verbally
    • If your visuals need more description than can be included in the script, consider providing an audio described version of the video, or give a link to a written description
  2. Visuals:
    • Remember that viewers may have captions showing on the bottom part of the screen and avoid using that area for important information
    • Use a color scheme with good contrast
    • Avoid small text
    • Use more than just color to communicate information
    • Avoid animations and visual effects that could trigger an adverse reaction. For example, flashing lights can induce seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid unsteady camera work and flashing strobe lights. If you include such components, warn viewers before this content so they can look away.
  3. Audio:
    • Provide a closed caption file (required) that captures the audio content of your presentation. Some CHI attendees are not native speakers of English, and some cannot hear the audio. See information above on how to do this.
    • Avoid loud sounds, or repetitive alarms that could trigger an adverse reaction. If you include components such as police car sirens, warn viewers before this content so they can mute their computers.