7 Google Accessibility Tips: Video & Audio

A little over 100 years ago, print text was the primary means of entertainment and education. Newspapers helped provide information about current events around the world. Books helped readers travel to faraway places, meet new people, and partake in adventures. While printed texts continue to be powerful, important resources today, as our world has grown increasingly digital, so have our avenues for education and entertainment.

Odds are, if you've taken on a new DIY or home improvement project, you've turned to YouTube as a way to learn how to complete the task. If it's a rainy day, you may binge your favorite Netflix series, listen to podcasts, or enjoy your favorite audiobooks. Audio and video content have transformed the entertainment industry-and now the world of education as well.

As our learning environments have grown more digital, video and audio can be engaging options for our learners who have lived their lives in the era of Netflix, YouTube, Kindle, and technology. While audio and video can certainly provide engaging, entertainment opportunities, more importantly, both audio and video can be powerful means for creating more inclusive, equal educational opportunities. For some learners, audio and video make the difference between an accessible, equitable learning environment or an exclusive one. When leveraged with careful planning and consideration of learners' needs, video or audio options can help support a striving reader, an ELL student, or learners studying difficult vocabulary. Including these options is a significant first step towards creating a more universally designed environment rather than one in which students have limited tools and limited means to showcase their understanding of topics.

Providing audio and video options is a great first step in improving the learning environment by providing more pathways for developing an understanding and showcasing knowledge. However, we need to make sure that when we provide learners with audio and video options, that the options themselves are accessible. We need to ensure they contain features that support the diverse needs of our learners. Digital productivity tools, such as G-Suite, as well as various Chrome extensions can help educators design accessible digital content. In the sections below, we will explore seven different ways you can implement UDL through incorporating audio and video options in digital content as well as make sure these options are accessible.

1. Include Videos

In terms of accessibility, videos can be a powerful mechanism for communicating information in another modality. In a 2018 study, Gen Z students ranked video as their #1 preferred learning tool. Videos can provide another means of representation for learners to understand concepts in addition to text. Videos can help demonstrate written concepts visually for learners if they struggle with difficult words, new vocabulary, or a new language. Plus, videos can help provide chunked, more manageable pieces of understanding for students to store in working memory as they learn.

Insert Videos in G-Suite Tools: Videos can be easily incorporated into G-Suite tools (Slides, Forms, and Drawings) through the "insert" menu. Select "Insert", "Video", and select where you would like to add the image from: Drive, Device, YouTube link, or YouTube search.

Video tutorial for inserting videos into Google Slides presentations:

2. Text-to-Speech

Much like images and video can provide students with another means to understand content, audio recordings can also serve as a learning tool in place of, or to complement, written text. Audiobooks have grown in popularity over the last few years-a new survey in 2019 indicated that half of all Americans over the age of 12 have listened to an audiobook in the past year, up 44% from 2018. Audiobooks were initially created as an accessible option for readers with visual impairments, but now many are reaping the benefit of this form of accessible written text. As we provide students with text, slides, and written information in class, we have a variety of text-to-speech tools available at our fingertips to provide all learners with accessible reading "with their ears". Within Google Docs, Slides, and productivity tools, screen reader support can be toggled on via the "Tools" menu, and "accessibility". However, this feature does not work properly unless the ChromeVox extension is added (if using a Windows or Mac device).

ChromeVox: ChromeVox is a text-to-speech extension provided by Google and can be added to your browser from the Chrome web store for free. After adding the extension, this extension will read aloud anything on your browser-from webpages, to Google Docs, to where your cursor is on the screen. Designed to help those with visual impairments, ChromeVox serves as a screenreader for the Chrome browser but can also function as a way to "read with your ears". Once the extension has been installed, it begins working immediately. If you want to toggle the settings and configure the extension to read some content on your screen but not all, this can be accomplished by clicking the extension and clicking ChromeVox Classic, which opens a settings menu. To enable ChromeVox to work as a screenreader on a Google Doc or Slide, open the file and click the "Tools" button across the top menu. Select "accessibility settings" and then checkmark the "turn on screen reader support", then "ok". To use the screenreader, click the "accessibility tap", and use the "speak" option to have text read aloud.
Read&Write for Google Chrome: Read&Write for Google Chrome is an extension for Google Chrome that provides many accessibility features, including text-to-speech. To use this tool, add it to your browser from the Chrome web store. From here, click the purple RW icon across your chrome URL bar to open this tool. To have any webpage or document read aloud, highlight the text and click the play button on the ReadWrite toolbar. Additional settings in ReadWrite can also alter the speed at which the information is read, the voice, and the language. For more information on how to use the ReadWrite for Google extension, visit this training session.
ClaroRead Chrome: ClaroRead Chrome is a free screenreader extension for Google Chrome. Add the extension from the Chrome web store, and to use, click the extension. A toolbar will appear. Select text on any website or within any document (Docs, Slides, etc.) and ClaroRead will read the text aloud. To alter the voice and speed of the screenreader, click the settings option on the ClaroRead toolbar. Check out more of ClaroRead's accessibility tools on their website.
Turn on Text-to-Speech settings on Chromebooks: Chromebooks automatically have the text-to-speech tool (ChromeVox) built into the browser. To use the text-to-speech functions on a chromebook, go to the accessibility menu in the bottom right corner of the chromebook, and enable text-to-speech.

Video tutorial for text-to-speech in Chrome and Google tools:

3. Create and Insert Audio Recordings

Providing an auditory option to receiving information or feedback can be a helpful option to accompany written or visual information. In addition to text-to-speech options, the teacher (or student) can create and insert their own audio recordings within G-Suite productivity documents, such as Docs and Slides. Not only can teachers provide an audio recordings, but students can use audio recordings as their way of showing their understanding, especially if writing or typing creates barriers.

Add Audio to Google Slides: All users can now insert audio recordings into Google Slides presentations using the "Insert" menu across the top navigation banner and select audio-with one caveat-the audio file must already exist, you cannot record the audio within Google Slides. Thankfully, however, there are many free websites available to record audios which can be saved and uploaded into Slides presentations (two examples listed below). Check out this written guide for tips on recording and inserting audio in Slides as well as the video below.

Voice Notes with ReadWrite: The ReadWrite for Google Chrome extension also supports inserting audio files (only to Google Docs at this point in time) in the extension's premium version (available to all educators, available to students with a fee). The Voice Notes feature allows the user to record a 60-second recording and inserts the recording directly into the Document as a comment along the side of the document's editing view. Multiple comments can be inserted into the document to provide students guidance, instructions, or feedback. Furthermore, if a student has this feature available, the student may also add their own audio files into the document.

Video tutorial for adding audio to Slides or voice notes in Docs:

4. Closed Captions (for videos)

Adding video options to accompany text and images can help provide learners with more pathways to develop an understanding of content. However, the videos provided must be accessible to all. Closed captions ensure full, equal access to audio content by providing written text of what is being said or text descriptions of any noises that provide context in audio or video. Closed captions support anyone who is deaf and hard of hearing as well as the 4.5 million public school students in the United States who are English Language Learners. In addition, closed captions can also help clarify video content and boost understanding if technical terms are used in the audio/video, sound quality is poor, speakers in the video/audio have accents, or if the environment around the learner is too noisy to listen. Essentially, closed captions provide another means for a viewer to understand the video other than relying on the audio alone. There are many ways to turn on closed captions for videos, add and edit captions for your own videos, or even turn on live captions for presentations.

Automatic Captioning in YouTube: All videos on YouTube have automatic closed captions available, made possible through Google's machine learning software. Captions can be toggled on and off using the "CC" button across the bottom banner of the video or by using a keyboard shortcut, pressing the c button to turn the captions on and pressing the c keyboard button again to turn off. For some videos, the captions can also be translated into multiple languages using the "Settings" button (cog) on the bottom of the video as well. The text size, font style, and opacity of the captions can also be configured using the settings menu so that students may personalize the closed captions to fit their needs. Showing students this option is a great idea when showing videos you have not personally uploaded to YouTube, but want students to know that closed captions are still available. Turning on automatic closed captions for videos you have not created, but still want to show the class is also great for video viewing as a whole group, small group, or stations.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

C : Toggle captions on, off

Add Your Own Captions in YouTube: However, automatic closed captions are not always sufficient nor the high quality we want for our learners. If you have created a video and uploaded it to YouTube, you can add your own closed captions (or edit the auto-generated closed captions) by going to YouTube Studio, selecting your video, and selecting "Subtitles" from the menu on the left. Check out the video below for a tutorial.

If adding closed captions to a video is not possible, a typed transcript in a Google Doc, for example, can be another option provided to students as an additional option to audio content.

Captions for YouTube videos tutorial:

5. Live Captions

Just as captions provide an equal opportunity to audio content in videos, live closed captioning during presentations and conference calls can also create a more equal learning experience. Google Slides and Google Meet both support live closed captioning while presenting. While the closed captions are automatic and are not editable, they provide another option for learners during a live event that would not exist otherwise. Furthermore, if you use a screencast software (like Screencastify) to record a Slides presentation or the recording button on a Meet to record the video conference, the video can always be uploaded into YouTube afterwards for automatic, saved closed captions or captions you can generate and edit yourself (see points above).

Live Captions in Google Slides: In a Google Slides presentation, turn on live captions by clicking the "present" button in the top right corner near the "share" button. When the presentation goes into present mode, across the bottom where there is a presenter toolbar, click the "CC" button to turn on closed captions and view closed captions options. Live captions will automatically begin! If not, you may be prompted to give Google permission to access your microphone, if so, grant permission. You can toggle the size and position of the captions using the CC button as well. To turn off captions, click the CC button. Live captions in slides are great for presenting content to the class, or as something students can remember to turn on when they are giving presentations as well.
Live Captions in Google Meet: Like Google Slides, Google Meet also supports a live captioning feature. In a Google Meet call, click the "CC" button across the bottom toolbar. Live captioning will automatically begin. The live captions on your screen are only visible to you; for other callers to see the live captions, they will need to turn on captions by clicking the "CC" button on their screen, or if you share your screen with them. Live captions are not saved in a Meet call if the Meet is recorded, however, the recording can be uploaded to YouTube where captions can be automatically generated or added afterwards.

Live captions in Slides and Meet tutorial video:

6. Translate Closed Captions

As mentioned above in tip #1, closed captions can help provide equal access to audio information and can also support students learning a new language (ELL), vocabulary, and/or fluency. All closed captions in Youtube-automatic closed captions and captions added by a video creator-can all be translated using auto-translation software. Providing students with the opportunity to listen to audio in English but perhaps have the captions in their native language can help make connections between new words or serve as a quick reference when students watch a video. While not all students may want to use this feature, it is a helpful tool to show students so that they are empowered with the knowledge and tools to create a more accessible video viewing experience for their needs. The ability to translate live closed captions in Slides and Meet does not exist currently, but may in the future as Google improves the accessibility of its tools and resources.

Translate YouTube closed captions tutorial video:

7. Video Playback Speed

Playback speed refers to the ability to set the speed at which a video is played, either speed up or slowed down. Providing learners with the ability to determine their video viewing speed can be a powerful means for creating an accessible, autonomous learning environment in which students have control over how they learn best. YouTube videos can be sped up or slowed down by using the video player options. To toggle the video speed, click the "settings" button, or cog, and select "playback speed" from the options menu. Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to toggle the video playback speed (see below). From here, students can speed up or slow down the video, but know that the quality of the video's sound is also altered when changing the video playback speed. The video playback speed can always be set back to its original speed by clicking the settings button again, clicking "playback speed" and selecting "normal".

Playback speed keyboard shortcuts:

SHIFT > : Increase (speed up) playback speed
SHIFT < : Decrease (slow down) playback speed

YouTube video playback speed tutorial:

Want to view all of the accessibility video tutorials featured in this blog post at once?

Check out the YouTube playlist for this post.

With multiple members of my family with significant hearing loss, accessible video and audio content is a particular topic I am passionate about and one that can be addressed thanks to the many educational technology tools available to educators today, if one takes the time to do so. Thank you for reading and please share your feedback via the "contact" tab.

Need more accessibility hacks? Stay tuned for our next blog post which will feature on accessibility tips for reading and writing in Google Chrome and G-Suite tools.

Have an idea for an upcoming blog post? Let us know!