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Accessible video

Planning accessible event video and languages

You want everyone in your audience to follow the video, whatever language they speak or how they watch.

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Share your date and area, and we will suggest coverage and confirm what is possible.

In short

  • Decide who needs access and in which language before you ask for a quote.
  • Captions, translated subtitles and transcripts are three different outputs.
  • Automatic captions are a draft. Names and mixed Malay-English speech need checking.
  • Say who reviews the text, because that person decides what the viewer reads.

Accessible event video starts with one question: who needs to follow it, and how? Answer that before filming, because it affects what we record, how we edit and which files we deliver.

Which output answers which need?

These are different jobs. Ask for the one that fits your audience, not all of them by default.

Output What it is Helps
Captions The spoken words as text on screen Viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, or watching with sound off
Translated subtitles Speech turned into another language Guests and relatives who do not speak the language used
Transcript A text document of the talk Readers who want to search, quote or study it later
Description of visuals Spoken or written notes on what is shown Viewers who cannot see the screen

Our guide on captions, translated subtitles and transcripts helps you choose before quoting.

Why plan it early?

The W3C advises specifying accessibility during project planning and procurement. In practice, a speaker who is hard to hear or an interpreter standing out of frame cannot be fixed in the edit. Read planning accessible event videos from the brief to assign who decides what.

What about languages in Malaysia?

Many events mix Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil in one sentence. A caption needs a reviewer who can read all of it, including names and titles. The Malay-English code-switching guide shows what to specify.

Can software do it for us?

Software can produce a first draft quickly. The W3C notes that automatic captions need accuracy checks and usually correction. See checking automatically generated captions for what to look at.

A suggested order

  1. Decide who needs access and why.
  2. Choose the outputs: captions, subtitles, transcript.
  3. Choose how captions appear, using the guide on burned-in captions or separate caption files.
  4. Name the reviewer for each language.
  5. Fill in the caption and language specification planner and bring it to your enquiry.

Our event video captions and subtitles service delivers the files and review steps you agree.

If you already know who needs captions or another language, tell us the event, the languages spoken and where the video will be shown. We confirm what we can arrange for your date.

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Sources

  1. W3C WAI, Planning audio and video media, checked 2026-10-06
  2. W3C WAI, Captions/Subtitles, checked 2026-10-06

Checked on the date shown. Rules and venue requirements change, so confirm them for your own event.

Guides in this topic

Start with these

Plan an accessible event video from the brief

Write accessibility needs into your event video brief: who is responsible, what to specify and when to review, so captions and access are not left to the last edit.

Read the guide →

More guides on this topic

Captions for Malay and English mixed speech

Speakers who switch between Malay and English need a clear caption rule. Decide how mixed speech and names are written, and who checks them before release.

Read the guide →

Names, titles and graphics viewers can read

Plan on-screen names, titles and graphics so every viewer can read them. Agree contrast, size, timing and placement for the screens your video will actually be shown on.

Read the guide →

Filming an interpreter beside the main speaker

Plan how an interpreter is filmed and heard next to the main speaker. Agree framing, visibility, sound and consent with the organiser and the interpreter before the event.

Read the guide →

Useful next steps

Event video planning guides

Plain guides for deciding what event video you need, how to plan coverage, compare quotes and handle permissions. Start with the topic closest to your decision.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between captions, subtitles and a transcript?
Captions show the words spoken in the video, often with key sounds. Subtitles usually translate the speech into another language. A transcript is a text document that can be read without the video. Each one takes different effort, so name the ones you need.
Can automatic captions be used as they are?
Treat them as a first draft. Machine captions often miss names, titles and mixed languages, and they need a person to check and correct them before publishing.
When should accessibility be decided?
At the brief, before the quote. Adding captions or an interpreter shot after filming can change the framing, the editing and the delivery files.
Do you provide translation?
Captions and translated subtitles are available on request. We agree the languages and who checks the wording before the edit begins.

Planning an event? Let’s talk it through.

If you already know who needs captions or another language, tell us the event, the languages spoken and where the video will be shown. We confirm what we can arrange for your date.

Share your date and area, and we will suggest coverage and confirm what is possible.

WhatsApp usUse the short enquiry form
WhatsApp us