Captioning Exceptions

Optional Resource

Becausecaptioning can be labor intensive, many instructors wonder, "Do I have tocaptioneverything?!?" The following short list outlinesexceptions,though these special cases should truly only be used asexceptionsto the rule:

"Raw footage" is exempt

Raw footage is defined as materials that are for a single, restricted use and are not archived. An example might be student videos. If the only audience for the video is the instructor, the students would not need tocaptiontheir work. However, let's say that the instructor makes student videos a part of a class assignment--each student needs to view and write a reaction to a given video, for example--then the student video would need to becaptioned. In other words, the status of the video's creator as a student does not mean it should or should not becaptioned; rather, the status of the video asrequired instructional materialor not determines whether it should or should not becaptioned.

Another example might be a longer video from which only clips will be taken. If the compendium of clips is archived and reused, then that would need to be captioned; however, the original from which the clips were taken would not need to be.

Feedback to students is exempt

Video feedback to your students would be considered "raw" footage, and thus does not have to becaptioned. There is a caveat to this strategy, however. In an online course, students do not need to self-identify as hearing impaired. Before providing video feedback to students (which is a terrific feedback form that many students love!), let your students know you will send video feedback, and allow them to "opt out" if they would like written feedback.

Restricted-access materialsmight be exempt

When a video will be shown only to a restricted set of users and none of those users requirecaptions, you do not need tocaption. An example might be a password protected class in which a video specifically for that class is shown. Please note that if the video is meant to be a permanent part of the class term after term, then this exemption no longer applies as you do not know who might be taking the class in the future.