WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

RE: audio-only alternatives for video?

for

From: Carol Foster
Date: Oct 24, 2001 6:56AM

Thanks! I'll pass this along. We are using QuickTime.
Carol
Andrew Kirkpatrick wrote:
> Carol,
> 1) What kind of video? Real, QT, WMP?
> 2) What is ideal, from the user's perspective, is to be required to download
> only the data that is useable to them. If a user is blind, the program
> audio and audio descriptions are the pieces that are useable, so a version
> with no program video will be a faster download. You are right about people
> who are visually impaired wanting the video as well as the audio
> descriptions (or a blind user sitting with a non-blind user), so these
> people need all three parts. People who don't need the audio descriptions
> only need the program audio and video, and shouldn't need to download the
> extra data.
>
> Compounding this problem is the fact that not all players provide
> functionality to allow the user to turn audio descriptions on and off. The
> new RealONE player does, but it is a beta. QT does, but all tracks need to
> be downloaded and a toggle inserted into the movie just turns the audio
> description track on or off.
>
> There are different strategies for dealing with this situation depending on
> the type of video you are serving up. Let us know what you are using...
>
> Andrew
>
> On 10/23/01 4:51 PM, Carol Foster ( <EMAIL REMOVED> ) wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > We are looking at our first attempt to add audio descriptions of visual
> > information to a video clip. The question came up about whether or not
> > it would be okay to make a separate audio-only version of the clip and
> > add the extra descriptions to that, rather than having to combine
> > everything and have to pause the video to fit in all the extra words.
> > The only drawback I could think of off the top of my head would be for
> > people with low vision who would need the enhanced audio but may want to
> > also see the synchronized video. I have never seen any examples of this
> > being done. I think the only examples I've seen of audio descriptions
> > are the WGBH ones where everything is combined, including the Pivot
> > project where the video is stopped. Our multimedia person thought it
> > might be easier to edit just the audio on its own, but we are all pretty
> > new to making multimedia accessible.
> >
> > What do you all think?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Carol
> >
> > --
> > Carol Foster, Web Developer
> > Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
> > University of Massachusetts, President's Office
> > (413) 587-2130
> > <EMAIL REMOVED>
> > http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
> > http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
> > --
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> > visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
> >
>
> --
> Andrew Kirkpatrick, Technical Project Coordinator
> CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
> 125 Western Ave.
> Boston, MA 02134
> E-mail: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
>
> 617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
> 617-300-3400 (main NCAM)
> 617-300-2489 (TTY)
>
> WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate,
> inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of
> learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.
>
> ---
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
--
Carol Foster, Web Developer
Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
University of Massachusetts, President's Office
(413) 587-2130
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
--