Accessibility Requirements for Video and Live Streaming Content in Higher Education

Accessibility Requirements for Video and Live Streaming Content in Higher Education
Content Type New Requirements (Effective April 2026) Implications
PRE-RECORDED VIDEO IN AN LMS Must include accurate captions that meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
  • More video content will need to be captioned
  • Audio descriptions will need to be provided from the start
  • Accuracy will need to be defined
  • Locus of responsibility is much broader – all video content creators must be informed and comply
  • OSU content will be more inclusive and students with disabilities will have equitable access to video content
PRE-RECORDED VIDEO ON A PUBLIC WEBSITE Must include accurate captions that meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
  • Same as above
LIVE STREAMING VIDEO Must provide real-time captions for all live streamed content.
  • Same as above
AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS Required for video with essential visual information not conveyed in audio.
  • Not currently able to automate this
  • Not as straightforward as captioning
  • Manual, time- and labor-intensive process
  • More costly to contract out
  • New to many video content creators – will require significant training
VIDEO PLAYER (KALTURA, ZOOM, VIMEO) ACCESSIBILITY Video players must be keyboard navigable and support screen readers.
  • OSU doesn’t currently have a designated unit/person to validate accessibility of players
VIRTUAL EVENTS All virtual events must be accessible by default, including captions and accessible platforms.
  • All events must be accessible from the start, not by request
THIRD-PARTY CONTENT Institutions responsible for ensuring third-party content in instruction is accessible.
  • More video content will need to be captioned and audio descriptions will need to be created
Topic
Video and Audio