Multi-Media

From Library

The Issue: As broadband access becomes more ubiquitous, more web sites are beginning to add multi-media content to the static web pages on their site. While this expands agencies' options in terms of information delivery to the public, it poses yet one more obstacle to individuals with disabilities.

STANDARD 11.1 Audio

State agencies will provide synchronized text captions for multi-media content containing speech, or other audio necessary to understand the content, in accordance with the following schedule:

 1. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multi-media content containing speech, 
    or other audio, will be captioned.

 2. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multi-media content containing speech,
    or other audio, will be captioned.

 3. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multi-media content containing speech, 
    or other audio, will be captioned.

 4. For all multi-media content containing speech a transcript will be provided 
    until a synchronized text caption is made available according to the schedule.

 Comments:  Multi-media content that have an audio component used to transfer 
 information (e.g., narrative audio track of video, audio presentations, etc.) must 
 include an alternative to provide that information to individuals with hearing 
 impairments, or those viewing the multi-media content in a less than optimal 
 environment (e.g., a noisy Internet cafe or a factory floor). The test for this 
 standard is whether or not the audio portion of the multi-media content is necessary
 in order to be able to fully understand the multi-media. If, for example, you are 
 using an unnarrated video clip with a musical soundtrack to demonstrate the behavior 
 of a mother fox with her kits, then an alternative version of the audio track (music,
 in this case) would not be needed.

 For that content that does include informational speech audio, a text transcript 
 must be provided until synchronized captioning can be achieved.

 NOTE: This web site includes a full copy of MAGpie, a tool for captioning video 
 from the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM). 

 HTML Elements Affected:  N/A. This is inherently a content issue and does not 
 affect HTML code.

STANDARD 11.2 Video/Visual

State agencies will provide a video description for multi-media content that contains video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of the content, in accordance with the following schedule:

 1. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multi-media content containing 
    video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of 
    the content, will include a video description.

 2. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multi-media content containing 
    video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of 
    the content, will include a video description.

 3. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multi-media content containing video,
    or other visual information necessary for the understanding of the content, 
    will include a video description.

 Comments:  Video clips or other visual media such as Microsoft PowerPoint 
 presentations are good ways to impart information, whether it is an instructional 
 video on how to tie a fishing fly, a video animation explaining the geographic forces
 that shaped the Adirondacks, or a PowerPoint presentation depicting how the different
 branches of government perform checks and balances on one another. However, relying 
 on visual images to convey information will exclude those members of your audience who, 
 for whatever reason cannot see the video.

 Described video (also known as descriptive audio) is an additional audio track that 
 narrates the significant action and information being shown via the video. For more 
 information on described video, see the Starling Web site.

 HTML Elements Affected:  N/A. This is inherently a content issue and 
 does not affect HTML code.

STANDARD 11.3 Web Cast

All state agency web casts will have synchronized captioning of the speech, or other audio content contained in the web cast, in accordance with the following schedule:

 1. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all web cast hours, residing on the 
    web site, transmitted during the preceding 12 months will include captioning.

 2. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all live web cast hours residing on 
    the web site will include captioning.

 3. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all live web cast hours residing on 
    the web site will include captioning.

Note that the policy direction for the web cast of public meetings varies from the standard listed here. Executive Order #03 from Governor Spitzer calls for the web casting of all meetings deemed public meetings by the Public Meetings Law. The determination from the Office for Technology (OFT) in conjunction with the Chief Information Officer is that all such meetings will be captioned effective immediately.

 Comments:  This extends the captioning requirement of Standard 11.1 to web cast content
 stored on State agency servers.

 HTML Elements Affected:  N/A. This is inherently a content issue and does not affect HTML code.