Accessibility (commonly abbreviated as a11y) is a vital consideration that should be at the forefront of all your course materials. As of April 9, 2024, Panopto, the University of Chicago’s video management system, has introduced updates that make it easier for you to make your videos accessible.
Download Clean Caption Transcripts
You can now download transcripts of Panopto closed captions that are “clean”–that is, without timestamps. This is particularly vital for audio-only Panopto recordings, which are required under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to have accompanying transcripts. Even if a recording is not audio-only, it is still a recommended practice to furnish it with an accompanying “clean” transcript. (For further guidance, see the UChicago Center for Digital Accessibility’s resources for captioning.)
To download a clean transcript, simply:
- Open the video in Panopto.
- Click on Captions.
- Click the download icon at the top. Your download should start immediately.
Panopto video with Captions tab selected. A blue arrow is pointing to the download icon at the upper right of the image.
Generate Better Automatic Captions in Multiple Languages
Panopto has improved its automatic speech recognition (ASR) capabilities with the latest release. You can now generate higher-quality automatic captions in multiple languages, notably Norwegian. To learn more, please see Panopto’s documentation on ASR captioning. (Please note, however, that while ASR technology is constantly improving, ASR captions usually need human correction in order to reach acceptable levels of accuracy.)
Other Accessibility Enhancements
Other updates to enhance accessibility include:
- Improvements to the Panopto viewer
- An accessible quiz row keyboard
- Improving ARIA labels on the volume slider
- Screen reader search result announcements
General information about Panopto’s accessibility features can be found on their Accessibility Features page.
Find Out More and Get Help
- If you’d like to learn more about Panopto, we invite you to check out UChicago’s Panopto service site, which includes a link to log into Panopto, Knowledge Base articles on various aspects of the software, and more.
- If you’re encountering problems with Panopto, you can call their 24/7 helpline at 855-765-2341. You can also email academictech@uchicago.edu or drop by our hybrid office hours with your questions.
- For more information on digital accessibility generally, we invite you to contact the Center for Digital Accessibility.
