making videos more accessible to the deaf and the hard-of-hearing

MAKING VIDEOS MORE ACCESSIBLETO THE DEAF AND THE HARD-OF-HEARING

Olivier NOURRY – Qelios.fr

@OlivierNourry

A11YLDN 2012 1

What is it about?

Accessible videos? You have seen that already –everything is in the WCAG.

True – WCAG and similar resources tell you all about the technical side of things:

Implement captions – ok

Ensure sufficient audio contrast – nice

Implement sign language version – makes sense

But what about the editorial point of view?

A11YLDN 2012Olivier NOURRY – Qelios.fr@OlivierNourry 2

Things we will discuss here


As a video maker, how can I make more educatedchoices when preparing, shooting, editing, or post-producing my movie?

We’ll try to answer questions like:

Which fonts are best suited for captions and on-screen texts?

How to insert a sign language version?

Which angles or framing are preferable?

How to select voices in order to optimise audio contrasts?

A word on creativity

All these tips will somehow limit your creativefreedom.

I admit it.

Now, when you make a video for the Web, are youcreating a message vehicle, or a piece of art?

The answer to that question will determine whetherwhat follows is useful to you, or not.


Some things you need to know

There’s not just one kind of hearing impairment:

Some people don’t hear at all

Some have never heard; others have heard, but not anymore

Some people hear only loud sounds and voices

Some people hear only certain frequencies

Some people hear well, but are disturbed by some sounds(hyperacousis, tinnitus)


Different situations, different needs

Some people will heavily rely on captions, otherswon’t use them

Some will need sign language exclusively

Some will combine hearing or reading with lip-reading

Some people will require louder sounds, others willneed a constant volume or pitches


Captioning and on-screen texts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58558794@N07/5750588439/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/58558794@N07/5750588439/

Users needs for on-screen texts

Generally, texts remain on screen for a very short time.

The reader must be able to read them quickly, with as few errors as possible.


Your top priority: be legible

Factors that affect on-screen legibility:

Consistence of fonts, sizes, and effects

Font face

Relative size

Colour contrasts

Colour combinations

Spacings, alignment, orientation

Quantity of text

Spelling and punctuation


Consistence of fonts, sizes and effects

How fast can you read that?

“Giddy Fortune's furious fickle wheel,That goddess b l i n d ,

That stands upon the rolling RESTLESS stone.”William Shakespeare (in Henry V)

Simple rule: be consistent, vary only whennecessary


Font face: What makes a good choice

Looks familiar to most (avoid exoticism)

Limits confusion between characters (f & t, l & 1, S & 5, etc.); some combinations (rn & m, cl & d, oj & g, etc.); and symetric characters (p & q, b & d).

Works well at low resolutions (media and/or device)

Includes a large set of characters: accented, graphicsymbols (like music notes), etc.

Allows a sufficient density (lines will be short)

Variations like Bold, Italics, Condensed, should be available


Font face: What makes a poor choice

Fonts designed for printing

Serif types (Times, Courier, etc.)

Palatino, Bookman

Fonts from the Grotesk family (Arial, Univers, Helvetica)

Tiresia, Geneva

Cursive and scripted fonts in general

Note: fonts like Verdana, Trebuchet, Georgia, are ok for sometexts, but not for captions and subtitles


Font face: Some good choices

– Officina Sans Book

– Officina Sans Medium

– Unit

– Fago

– Taz


Font face: about captions/subtitles

Fonts like Verdana, Trebuchet, Georgia, are ok for some texts, but not for captions and subtitles.

Font of the slabserifs type work well at lowresolutions, therefore they are appropriate for captions and subtitles:

Rockwell:

Serifa:

Lucida:


Size

Text height between 1/10th and 1/25th of the media height.

A practical value of 1/20th is generally applied.

(so, yes, size matters)


Contrasts

A good contrast will make your viewers happier!

Apply WCAG rules:

At least 4,5:1 for sufficient contrast

At least 7:1 for improved contrast.

Tips:

Insert a background (eg. very dark grey, half transparent) behind captions

Insert borders or shadows around the characters.


Colour combinations

Some colour combinations are more legible thanothers, especially for people with dyslexia or colourblindness:

Avoid pure black on pure white; look for very dark grays on very light grays

Avoid red/green, orange/green, yellow/green, blue-green/magenta, blue-green/purple, blue-green/blue

Prefer couples of colours chosen in {rust, terracotta, pale yellow} or {light purple, navy blue, magenta}


Spacing, alignment, orientation

Stick with the default letter spacing

Too wide reduces the quantity of text on screen

Too narrow reduces legibility

Line spacing: 1.5 times the characters height.

Left, right, or centered. Do not justify.

Avoid vertical, reversed, or mirrored text.

Avoid moving, flashing, or blinking texts.


Quantity

Per line: 75 to 85 characters.

One or two lines if possible, 3 being a maximum.

Note: captions must be synchronized with the video, so theremight be some tough choices to make in some cases.


Spelling and punctuation

Provide correct spelling and grammar.

Use accented letters where appropriate, even on capital letters.

Provide correct punctuation, especially for long texts and phrases.


Sign language

http://www.flickr.com/photos/istolethetv/71915/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/istolethetv/71915/

Sign language: things to know

A language of its own:

Not a mere transposition of oral languages

Syntax and grammar differ totally

Defines a whole culture

See written language as a « second language »

All the body participates: hands, chest, face…

Different countries, different SLs.


Filming a signer

Active parts of the signer’s body must be visible

Show face, chest, hands and arms

Find the right distance

Good lighting, clear background


http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/c/cat.htm

http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/c/cat.htm

Size of the signed video

The smaller the insert, the harder it is to interpret.

If possible: make the signed video as large as the main content.


Signing complexity

Sign language can convey complexity as well as oral languages do.

However, expect difficulties when interpreting humour, complex narration, destructured times or places, or jargon-laden content.

Ask an SL interpret for advice at pre-production level.


Lip reading

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebusybrain/2973536916/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebusybrain/2973536916/

A bit of myth busting

Lip reading is not a super power that replaces hearing. It may be used to help comprehension, but is not reliable enough in itself.

Only 30 to 40% of English sounds are distinguishablefrom sight alone.


Lip reading, a misnomer

It’s not only the mouth, but the whole face that is« read ».


Not enough OK

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scazon/3617748008/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scazon/3617748008/

Filming talking subjects

Face or three-quarter shots.

Find the right distance, the right lighting.

Avoid obstructions (facial hair, veils, masks…).


Not good Better

Low literacy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindaaslund/3231686432/



A common issue

For native signers, written language is a second language, at best.

Reading can be difficult, when not impossible.

Avoid large chunks of text

Aim for clarity

Apply tips on legibility (on-screen texts section)

Whenever possible, provide a signed version.


Improved audio comprehension




A note about users needs

People who are hard-of-hearing may use amplification:

Via the content player, or their system

Via hearing aids.

Some people hear fairly well, except for somefrequencies:

They don’t hear them, or not well enough

Or they hear them too well (hyperacousis).

Some people do not recognize or differentiate soundsor voices (auditory agnosia).


Ensure sufficient audio contrast

WCAG2 recommend a 20dB contrast between dialogues and background. What does that mean?

A quiet conversation in a library

A normal conversation in a forest

In a noisy street or restaurant, this would require to shout

Avoid filming in noisy places.

Whenever possible, at post-production, muffle background noises and enhance (or re-record) voices.

Insert captions or visual cues where appropriate.


Avoid overlapping sounds

One voice at a time.

Reduce background noises, music, or dialogues, or anyother interfering sounds.

Bonus: it also improves focus on the main dialogue.


Choose distinct voices

If there is a narrator, choose a voice very distinct fromthose in the video.

A male voice if most voices in the video are female

An adult voice if most voices in the video are from childrenor youngsters


Avoid pitch and volume variations

From the beginning of the video, the users should beable to tune their system or hearing aid appropriately.

Important variations will cause pain or discomfort, and will require constant adjusting.


Thank you!

Olivier NourryBusiness Development Manager at Qelios

@OlivierNourryabout.me/oliviernourry


https://twitter.com/OlivierNourry

http://about.me/oliviernourry

References

W3C/WAI : Media Accessibility User Requirements: http://www.w3.org/TR/media-accessibility-reqs/

W3C/WAI : Media Accessibility Checklist: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Media_Accessibility_Checklist

Joe Clark : Best practices in online captioning: http://joeclark.org/access/captioning/bpoc/

Wikipedia : article : « Comparaison du volume de sources courantes de bruit » (in French): http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparaison_du_volume_de_sources_courantes_de_bruit

UX Movement : 6 Surprising Bad Practices That Hurt Dyslexic Users: http://uxmovement.com/content/6-surprising-bad-practices-that-hurt-dyslexic-users/

UX Matters: Ensuring Accessibility for People With Color-Deficient Vision: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2007/02/ensuring-accessibility-for-people-with-color-deficient-vision.php


http://www.w3.org/TR/media-accessibility-reqs/

http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Media_Accessibility_Checklist

http://joeclark.org/access/captioning/bpoc/

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparaison_du_volume_de_sources_courantes_de_bruit

http://uxmovement.com/content/6-surprising-bad-practices-that-hurt-dyslexic-users/

http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2007/02/ensuring-accessibility-for-people-with-color-deficient-vision.php

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