Evaluating the Accessibility of Multimedia Players
When it comes to digital accessibility, a great deal of focus is given to the accessibility of websites in general. When it comes to providing an accessible experience, special attention should also be given to the platform through which users access multimedia, since it can play an integral part in the accessibility of multimedia, or lack thereof. In order to achieve full inclusiveness and accessibility, images, audio, and video must be rendered in ways that users can interact with while using their preferred input methods and assistive technologies.
The Far-Reaching Benefits of Incorporating Accessibility
The
“POUR” principles—from WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 which applies to web
content—offer a solid foundation for understanding the core principles of an accessible user experience. The broad nature of the guidelines means they can, and should, apply to any multimedia platform as well, and not be device or operating system specific.
What are often considered “accessibility” features within a multimedia player, such as
adjustable playback rate and transcript
search, can also offer tremendous value to all individuals, not just people with disabilities. For example, most people without hearing loss who have used closed captions can also benefit from accessibility features such as captions and audio description.
Research reveals that sighted individuals who use audio description (a verbal depiction of key elements in video content) tend to better understand and retain knowledge.
Conformance Levels: From the Bare Minimum and Beyond
The conformance levels A, AA, and AAA differ in the range of accessibility features made available to users, and become progressively more stringent. Meeting Level A generally requires the least effort, but may not always take advantage of the full breadth of accessibility features that benefit all users. These conformance levels appear throughout the W3C’s various guidelines.
Typically, federal and state agencies, including recipients of grants and contracts, require AA conformance. Most notably, the
Revised Section 508 Standards reference level AA success criteria as technical requirements for content that falls under its
scope.
While AAA success criteria are not universally required, they can nonetheless yield an improved user experience. For example, a mechanism for the user to
report accessibility issues is only required at the AAA level. However, any platform that solicits feedback or provides a mechanism to report issues has the potential to provide invaluable information back to the design and development team, thereby improving user experience for others.
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG)
The User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (
UAAG 2.0) represents a set of guidelines published by the Worldwide Web Consortium (
W3C). Whether you are mandated to meet UAAG requirements or not, UAAG offers invaluable guidelines on how to present content accessibly to as broad of an audience as possible. The W3C
defines a user agent as “any software that retrieves, renders and facilitates end user interaction with web content.” Examples include Firefox, Chrome, Windows Media Player, and ePub readers, as well as mobile apps, web add-ons, and extensions.
Similar to WCAG, UAAG requires that a platform and all its elements and controls be perceivable, operable, and understandable. Any elements or controls should also enable programmatic user access through assistive technology.
For content to be perceivable, the platform must allow users to access
alternative content (i.e., alternate language tracks for speakers of other languages or audio description for blind/low-vision users). Users of closed captions should also be free to
customize its appearance and position on the screen, and move the captions off-screen if the user feels they are blocking portions of the video.
Students and other users benefit tremendously when they’re provided with a complete and accurate transcript. Interactive transcripts also allow users to
search and click the results to navigate to the desired position within the video.
Websites that offer their own keyboard interfaces or shortcuts should always consider how their shortcuts might interfere with keyboard commands used by screen reader users. Websites should be unambiguous in defining their shortcut commands and allow for users to customize those keystrokes.
Many users with limited mobility rely on keyboard input rather than mouse input. Testing the accessibility of a website or platform by first unplugging your mouse is a great first step in testing for accessibility for non-mouse users. The following are some aspects of video players worth considering for accessibility:
- Can you access a video and its controls with the keyboard alone?
- Does the video play automatically when accessing a particular page, and if so, is there a shortcut key available to stop or pause the video?
- Is there sufficient visible focus when tabbing through the various elements of the page, and video player, to effectively track where the focus of attention is?
One especially frustrating issue with keyboard interfaces is experiencing a keyboard trap, which prevents a person from moving beyond a specific point on a webpage or within a media player. A
keyboard trap can also cause a user to immediately lose interest in your webpage or product.
Archived Webinar and Resources: Evaluating the Accessibility of Multimedia Players
As a valued member of the Captioned & Described Media Services unit at the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) at Georgia Tech, Jesus Pulido coordinates captioned media and transcription projects with student workers and staff. Below is the archived webinar and resources from his presentation on August 7th, entitled "Evaluating the Accessibility of Multimedia Players."
To learn more about captioning, audio description and other described media services, and to answer any additional questions you may have, feel free to reach out to Dr. Sheryl Ballenger, Manager of CIDI Accessibility Captioning and Described Media Services:
sheryl.ballenger@design.gatech.edu
