Transcript A Collaborative Paradigm


Current state of captioning at Mason

What are we proposing?

Tools/Resources to support this project

Questions/Answers/Suggestions
Our mission is to help provide individuals with
disabilities an accessible university environment by
supporting access to all technological, architectural,
and educational resources available at George
Mason University through the incorporation of
assistive technologies, the provision of technical
support, and the development of university-wide
strategies for universal access.
Korey Singleton
Korey Singleton
•ATI Manager
 Manager
Zirkle
Kara Kara
Zirkle
Accessibility
Coordinator
 IT•IT
Accessibility
Coordinator
Elizabeth
Miller
Elizabeth
Miller
 Accessible Text Coordinator
•Accessible Text Coordinator
Nancy Borck
Nancy Borck
 Program
Support Specialist
•Program Support Specialist






Informal AT assessments
Accessible Text Services
Technical Assistance for ITU and Libraries
Web Accessibility/Section 508 Training and
Support
Assistive Technology Labs
Proposed: Centralizing Accessible Media Services
Accessible media includes providing captions for any
audio/video hosted on Mason websites or within
classrooms (i.e., face-to-face, online), as well as
providing video description for any video shown in
classrooms (i.e., face-to-face, online)

21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act
http://www.nad.org/issues/civil-rights/communicationsact/21st-century-act

Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 http://www.section508.gov/

Revised ADA Regs, Title II and Title III http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/ADAregs2010.htm
Stuck on an
Escalator
(Accessible
Version) from
YouTube:
http://www.yout
ube.com/watch?v
=YQUAs3syuJE
Alfred Hitchcock’s The
Lady Vanishes (with
audio description and
closed captions)
from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=zCqN_cCLn
nk&p=85187148EC93E4
75&playnext=1&index=1
8

No centralized support…
 Departments/units operate independently
 Examples:
 Mason Home Page
 Mason Nation Page

In the classroom (f2f, online)…
 More and more classrooms are using web-based resources (i.e., streaming media)
 Examples:
 Blind student in English course
 Deaf/HOH student must access 10 YouTube videos

Library resources...
 Dated reserves – 10K+ titles available in VHS and DVD
 Unreliable database
 Current Practices

Lack of technical knowledge

Last minute solutions are rarely timely and/or inexpensive

No “quick fix” or single solution to solve all of the issues

Biggest Issue: Who pays??

As a result, student suffers!!

Use of the DocSoft AV appliance (jointly supported by KIHd and ATI)
to create captions from electronic media owned by Mason.

Establishment of a protocol for handling video description requests.

Purchase of equipment necessary to convert VHS tapes to a digital
format.

Additional ATI support staff to manage accessible media requests.

Assistance from department chairs to ensure that all electronic media
shown in class or posted online provides equivalent access for
individuals with sensory impairments.

Accessible Media Request Form/Instructions
 Sent by ODS to all faculty that will have students with sensory impairments in their courses
(hopefully prior to first day of classes)

Form/Instructions sent directly back to ATI
 Communicate with faculty regarding formats/technical details/timelines



ATI follows up with Library (i.e., Media Services) and Copyright
ATI determines most efficient method for providing post-production
access (e.g., YouTube vs. VHS vs. Mason-owned media)
Outsourcing handled through ATI Office

Total: $35k-$40K

Costs include:






Increasing one PT position to FT
Graduate student workers (2)
VHS-to-digital media conversion technology
Computers workstations (2)
DocSoft licensing costs
Outsourcing budget for jobs that cannot be
handled in-house
•
•
DocSoft:AV (server
appliance)
DocSoft:TE
(transcript editor
software)
Web:
http://docsoft.gmu.edu
 Server-based software and hardware solution
designed to audio mine (capture) the spoken
content in digital audio and video (AV) files. It can
be used to automatically generate text transcripts
and closed captioning formats and can be
configured to output virtually any text based
format. (The transcripts require editing)
 Uses advanced speech recognition engine to
analyze the spoken content within digital AV files
and converts it to an XML based format.
 Supports output to formats such as Quicktime Text,
RealText, WMP, or plain text. Combining the
generated transcript file with the video will allow
users to create the necessary closed caption
feature for ADA compliance.
 $15,000 cost shared with Kellar Institute;
annual maintenance costs split
 Demo/Training Resources

Dragon Naturally
Speaking (Instructional
Design Office)
 Workstation set up in
instructional design office to
support instructors that will be
using tools like Camtasia or
Captivate to record lectures
 Training Videos – Creating
Accessible Camtasia or
Captivate videos

Some other current resources
 Mason’s Web Accessibility Website
 WebAIM – Web Captioning Overview
 http://webaim.org/techniques/captions/
 CaptionTube – Create captions for YouTube videos (free)
 http://captiontube.appspot.com/
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltXFVo3SjJg
 Descriptive Video Titles
 DBVI Library and Resource Center – Descriptive Video List
 YourLocalCinema.com
Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI)
George Mason University
Aquia Building, Room 238
Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm
Office Phone: 703-993-4329
Fax: (703) 993-4743
E-mail: [email protected]
Skype: GMU-ATI-Office
G-Chat: gmuati
Web: http://ati.gmu.edu