Monday, June 16, 2008

Closed Captioning your Videos

Now I have to stand by Deaf Village w/the closed captioning of videos. I've always tried to caption mine and if I added any uncaptioned videos to my blog I always transcribed what was taking place. Sometimes there just wasn't enough to caption so I just wrote in what was said into my post. So if I or anyone decides to add a video to our posts who are subscribed to Deaf Village, I know that it won't be posted on the board w/out captions or transcription and I'm fine with that. I totally understand that it wouldn't be fair. I can't understand any ASL vlogs so I've been handicapped at reading and learning from their vlogs. Now, if they are on Deaf Village and want a video posted, they'll be required to caption, just like I was asked to from many readers at Deafread some time ago. So I personally applaud Deaf Village for making this a rule. Also there are other supporters as well, I read Jamie Berke this morning who was in favor too.

5 comments:

mervynjames224 said...

If I could suggest the wording be changed in the guidelines ? Caption please if you are able ? and/or provide if possible a text breakdown ? Since we cannot demand someone caption a blog if they lack the ability, by demanding everyone captions or 'else' doesn't make this look fair, ASL bloggers will just ignore the village, forcing the village go it alone excluding ASL people, which I don't think the village wants to do. Where captioning has been done in the past, then deliberately leaving it out to prove a point deserves the non-inclusion, because this is a statement of refusal to provide us access. How to address the equally valid demand the village provides ASL for them has to be answered too.

Mike said...

You have the option to include subtitle/caption or transcript as already shown in DV's guidelines.

"We require all vloggers to include captions, subtitles, or transcripts to their vlogs..."

Deaf Village is making a statement on inclusion by emphasizing that the site support easily accessible videos for all who enters.

See my latest blog entry where I have expanded my explanations:
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2008/06/equal-access-when-village-agrees.html

If you, the vlogger, is serious and want to be a part on helping others gain greater/easier access then either subtitle your video or include a transcript. The premise behind Deaf Village is accessibility and inclusivity. No one is being deliberately left out but the vlogger is doing that to him/herself for not adhering to the guidelines. For a vlogger to refuse additional access (e.g. subtitle or transcript) to others then who is practicing exclusion to Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, hearing people when you have people who sign (PSE, SEE), use ASL, use cued speech, or talk in their online videos? Coming to Deaf Village knowing that any videos or vlogs that come up will know for sure that videos are accessible.

VBnBama said...

Yes, it says transcripts too. I've had to do that myself once or twice. I wouldn't publish a video either as a hearing person that had no caption or transcript if it were spoken English...because other moderators and our ASL or Cue memebers may not be able to understand it. I think most people are going to be okay with this knowing that if they don't caption, it doesn't get published, I'm certainly not gonna be upset if any of mine don't get published, you could still see it if you visited my blog anyway...so it's not like it's being erased, just not published at DV.

justamomtothreeboys said...

MM,
"How to address the equally valid demand the village provides ASL for them has to be answered too."

Now let's address this. Are you implying that those who use ASL do not read or write written English? I would think that the statement you have made should be what folks in the Deaf community are wondering about??

Explain why written blogs should be translated into ASL vlogs?? Does anyone else just not "get it?"

I'm all for either captioning or translating all vlogs. From where I sit, I do not have equal access to the vlogs yet by definition everyone has equal access to the blogs.

Dy said...

In addition - if you make it mandatory that all written blogs be translated into ASL does that mean everyone would also have to ensure that all the COMMENTS made on blogs were in ASL as well?

To suggest that those who have ASL vlogs do not know English well enough to caption/subtitle/transcript their vlogs is doing them a disservice. Besides, I've not seen a single vlogger who ISN'T able to leave an English comment on the English blogs they read. English is an inclusive VISUAL language. ASL isn't.

A "full" transcript / word-for-word translation via subtitles isn't needed. Even just a basic text outlining the concept being discussed should be acceptable if you aren't sure about adapting ASL to English.