Promoting inclusivity through video accessibility
The need for digital accessibility and standard regulations has given rise to some guidelines to help people improve the accessibility of web content. The WCAG lists certain guidelines to make web content accessible to all.
The four fundamental principles on which the WCAG is based include:
- Perceivability: Users should be able to identify the content of a website using their senses. A user may perceive the content of a website visually, through sound or touch.
- Operability: It refers to the user being able to navigate through the website using interactive elements, buttons, controls and navigation. To operate digital content, a user may use voice recognition, screen readers, keyboards and other assistive technologies.
- Understandability: Comprehension of website content, readability of text and predictability of webpage navigation and operation comes under this heading.
- Robustness: Sophisticated assistive technologies are of little use if they cannot find wide compatibility and scope for application.
The main objective of accessibility is to ensure video content is comprehensible to a broad audience. For videos, it includes adding captions, providing transcripts or including audio descriptions.
Video accessibility and its significance for web content
Video accessibility is defined as the production, design and distribution of videos to make them accessible to people with physical or cognitive disabilities. Both visual and audio components of videos should be made accessible for users to fully comprehend content.
Common accessibility barriers faced by website users when it comes to videos include:
- Deafness
- Hearing loss
- Blindness
- Low vision
- Tunnel vision
- Color blindness
- Cognitive or learning disabilities like dyslexia
- Neurological conditions like epilepsy
- Physical or motor disabilities
Adhering to accessibility guidelines while including video content on your website is essential for enriching user experience, augmenting comprehension and creating an inclusive digital space.
Webflow features for video accessibility
Now that we know why video accessibility matters, let’s dive into the features you can use to improve Webflow video accessibility.
Canvas
You can interact with visual elements on your website and video on the canvas when you are in Webflow Designer. This enables you to modify text and animations to make them more inclusive.
Style panel
Using the style panel in Webflow Designer you can control and modify the Webflow video player design. This includes caption contrast, colors or style of navigable tabs.
Custom code
In page settings, project settings or by using HTML embed elements, you can insert custom code to insert a global pause button on all media elements. You can also ensure that the space key on the keyboard can be used to pause video playback.
Captioning
You can insert captions into your videos using the Webflow video hosting app Vidzflow. Vidzflow also allows you to add subtitles to multimedia content.
Videos sourced from YouTube use an algorithm that can automatically generate closed captions in real-time. They are not of much use, however, as they are often inaccurate.
Best practices for creating accessible videos in Webflow
Webflow has a handy checklist you can use to ensure that your videos are accessible and inclusive. Some tips and best practices for creating accessible videos in Webflow are as follows:
- The quest for ensuring Webflow video accessibility starts at the planning stage, even before a piece of digital content is created. Use plain language while writing video scripts and avoid jargon and abbreviations. For vision-impaired people, include audio descriptions in your videos.
- Make sure to provide captions for all multimedia content. Avoid open captions as they cannot be read by screen readers and other assistive devices. Instead, use closed captions that can be toggled on and off in the Webflow video player settings wherever you can.
- Ensure that text overlapping videos with busy backgrounds are legible and can be read clearly.
- Include motion or flash warnings at the start of videos or video segments for people who experience seizures, have vestibular disorders or have cognitive disabilities such as ADHD.
- Relying on color to convey visual information makes it difficult for blind, vision-impaired or color-blind people to understand and follow instructions. Instead, consider using link labels that define what the button is and where it will take a user. Rather than instructing the user to click on the red button, you can ask them to click on the “Play Video” button instead.
- Avoid auto-playing video or audio content, as it hinders people from using screen readers to properly hear the text being read out. Sudden visual or auditory stimuli may also be stressful or confusing for persons with cognitive impairments.
Conclusion
Digital accessibility for all is no longer an option - it is the need of the hour. It is important to understand how you can optimize your video content to reach a wider audience using video accessibility tools. Webflow's inbuilt features allow you to customize videos to cater to those with physical or cognitive disabilities.
Webflow supports custom video player settings, enabling you to add accurate captions to your videos. Besides adding captions, consider modifying the appearance and format of your videos and your website to ensure they are understood by a wide variety of people. With Vidzflow, incorporating high-quality, accessible videos on your website is easier than ever.
Frequently asked questions
What is video accessibility and why is it important?
Video accessibility is an essential step in promoting inclusivity, boosting user engagement and creating an accessible digital space for all. It involves the production and distribution of video content that people with disabilities can access.
How can I make my videos accessible in Webflow?
You can make your Webflow videos more accessible by:
- Providing captions for all multimedia content, using closed captions wherever possible.
- Planning your audio and video content keeping accessibility in mind.
- Using plain and simple language while writing video scripts, avoiding jargon and abbreviations wherever possible.
- Including audio descriptions to benefit vision-impaired users.
- Ensuring that text that overlaps videos is legible.
- Including motion/flash warnings at the beginning of videos.
- Using link labels that define the action that occurs when a link or button is pressed.
- Preventing video or audio content from auto-playing.
What are some common accessibility barriers faced by users when accessing video content?
Some common accessibility barriers faced while viewing a video include:
- Impaired hearing
- Impaired vision
- Cognitive challenges
- Physical disabilities
