NOTE: Captions needed for an immediate accommodation request should go through Student Disability Accommodations.
The Digital Accessibility Office (DAO) is thrilled to present the Course Caption Grant to UNC instructors and faculty. This initiative allows for proactive professional captioning of course videos by 3PlayMedia, enhancing accessibility for all students.
UNC utilizes a video hosting platform called Panopto that does a good job with automated captions. However, a good job does not mean an accurate job! Captions, especially those for courses where vocabulary is integral, must be as accurate as possible to meet accessibility requirements and best fulfill student needs.
What media is eligible?
- Pre-recorded videos and audio
- Used in official UNC courses (present or future).
- Video must have been created by the instructor for the primary purpose of UNC student instruction.
- Downloadable by DAO: Panopto is perfect for this!
What factors are considered?
- Duration of use: How long will the content continue to be used?
- Learning objectives: Is the video essential for achieving course learning goals?
- Student reach: Will the video be used by a large or small number of students?
- Captioning length: How many minutes of video require captioning?
- Complexity: Is the video too complex to be easily captioned manually via Panopto?
Limitations
This year academic year (2024-2025) is a trial run for this grant using funds that the DAO already has with 3PlayMedia. We hope to use it as a proof of concept for the campus wide need of funds designated for professional accessibility remediation. This means that funds are limited and may run out before all requests can be handled. We will keep this page updated on the status of the grant if anything changes.
Complex captioning involves detailed descriptions of dialogue, sound effects, and other audio cues that may be difficult or intensive to caption manually. If you have complex captioning, transcript, or audio description needs, please contact [email protected].
Application Process
Note that the entire process from DAO receiving the request to delivering captions may take up to 2 weeks.
- Complete the Course Caption Grant request.
- Ensure DAO has access to download the file.
- For videos that live on Panopto, you can give your DAO contact “creator” access to the video and we can handle the entire process including uploaded the finished captions!
- In 3-5 days, DAO will contact you to confirm submission details and ask for further information as needed.
- If approved, your accurate captions will be delivered back to you in about 5 business days!