Section 3.4: Evaluation approaches
In most cases your own judgment and testing is the only way to determine if a video or audio presentation is accessible.
For video- Are captions available and do they match the audio?
- Is there an audio description available for information that is visible on the screen but is not available in the sound track?
- If you look away from the movie and listen, can you still understand the content?
- Is a text transcript provided?
- Does the transcript match the audio and the intent of the audio?
- Does the user have control over stopping and starting the media?
- Can you start and stop the movie with your keyboard?
- Are links to all necessary plug-ins available? (Quicktime player, Flash player, etc.)
- For Flash in particular, use a demo version of a screen reader to determine:
- If the screen reader can read all the content and reads it in a logical order
- Has access to any controls such as buttons or links and they can be activated with the keyboard.
Activity 4
Take a look at these video and audio examples. See if you can determine if they have some accessibility concerns.
Question 1
Look at the last video, called "Video: Edison's tinfoil phonograph", on the Smithsonian website. 
This video would need audio description and captioning. Captioning is needed because the video includes sound. Those unable to hear the movie could get the content from the caption. This video also includes actions that are important to the content of the movie but are not represented in the sound track. The actions would need to be described for those unable to see the movie through the use of audio description.
Question 2
Review the video "Video: Uplifting Physics" on the Smithsonian website.
This video needs captioning. Because the speaker sufficiently describes his actions during his presentation, the video does not need audio description. However, audio description might be a nice bonus.
Question 3
Review the Flash movie Swimming in Rivers.
This video does not have an accessibility issue. The screen reader reads the text and reads it in the order it is presented on the screen (although it may not still be visible on the screen at the time). In this case the movie has no sound to interfere with the screen reader's reading. There are not forms or buttons to use and the movie only loads one time so the motion stops.
Question 4
Review the clip from the LBJ Library collection. This clip is a conversation with Tom Watson from March 16, 1965.
This audio clip needs a transcript for the conversation for those who are unable to hear it.
Question 5
Review this video from the University of Texas Accessibility Institute.
No accessibility issues are identified. The video is captioned, and the description of the dance happens in the sound track so the audio description is already included in the audio track.
