Panopto Accessibility Features
Panopto includes built-in features for accessibility:
- Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)— Auto-generates captions
- Caption editing— Correct and improve auto-captions
- Searchable transcripts— Users can search within video content
- Keyboard navigation— Full keyboard support
- Screen reader support— Compatible with major screen readers
- Adjustable playback speed— Viewers can slow down or speed up
Adding & Editing Captions
Enable Automatic Captions
Auto-captions generate automatically, but you can check the setting:
- Open your video in Panopto
- ClickSettings(gear icon)
- Go toCaptions
- Ensure "Automatic captions" is enabled
Processing time: About 1x the video length (a 30-minute video takes ~30 minutes to caption).
Editing Captions (Essential!)
Auto-captions are typically 70-80% accurate. Youmust edit themfor compliance.
- Open the video in the Panopto editor
- ClickCaptionsin the left panel
- Click any caption segment to edit
- Make corrections—technical terms and names need special attention
- Use keyboard shortcuts:
- Tab— Move to next caption
- Shift+Tab— Move to previous caption
- Enter— Save and move to next
- ClickApplywhen done
Caption Accuracy Requirement
Aim for99% accuracy. Auto-captions alone don't meet accessibility requirements. Always review and correct them.
Uploading Captions
If you have caption files from another source:
- Open the video Settings Captions
- ClickImport captions
- Upload .srt or .vtt file
- Choose language and apply
Caption Best Practices
- Speaker identification:Add [Professor:] or [Student:] for multiple speakers
- Sound descriptions:Add [music playing], [applause], [pause] as needed
- Technical terms:Double-check spelling of jargon and proper nouns
- Timing:Ensure captions don't fall behind the audio
Transcripts
Panopto automatically generates a searchable transcript from captions.
Viewing Transcripts
- Click theTranscripticon in the video player
- Transcript appears in a side panel
- Click any line to jump to that point in the video
Downloading Transcripts
- Open video Settings Captions
- ClickDownload captions
- Choose format: .srt, .vtt, or plain text
Recording for Better Accessibility
Improve caption quality and viewer experience by following these tips when recording:
Audio Quality
- Use a good microphone (external USB mic recommended)
- Record in a quiet environment
- Speak clearly and at moderate pace
- Minimize background noise
Speaking Tips
- Spell out unusual names and terms the first time
- Pause briefly between topics
- Avoid filler words (um, uh) that clutter captions
- Describe what you're showing on screen
Visual Content
- Verbally describe important visual content
- Read text shown on slides aloud
- Describe diagrams and images
- Don't say "as you can see" without describing what's visible
Accessibility Settings
Viewer Controls
Students can customize their viewing experience:
- Playback speed:0.5x to 2x speed
- Caption toggle:Turn captions on/off
- Caption appearance:Some browsers allow caption styling
- Full screen:Enlarges video and captions
Keyboard Shortcuts (Viewer)
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| SpaceorK | Play/Pause |
| / | Seek back/forward 5 seconds |
| J/L | Seek back/forward 10 seconds |
| M | Mute/Unmute |
| F | Toggle fullscreen |
| C | Toggle captions |
Embedding in Brightspace
- In Panopto, clickShareon your video
- Copy theEmbed code
- In Brightspace, create or edit content
- In the HTML editor, clickInsert Stuff Enter Embed Code
- Paste the embed code
Embedded videos maintain all accessibility features including captions and transcripts.