Media that is provided on TU Dresden websites such as videos, audios and graphics must be as visible, audible and operable as possible for all user groups. The only exceptions are recorded time-based media released before September 23, 2020, and live broadcast time-based media.

Images

For graphics and other visual content, this means that an alternative text that is appropriate for the function at hand must be provided. In the Practical Guide for Creating Text-Based Alternatives for Graphics (in German), you will find helpful tips for describing images for people with visual impairments. In addition, you are also welcome to contact the Services Disability and Studies Group for help.

Videos

Detailed information on video accessibility can be found, for example, in the Guide to Making Accessible Online Videos. In general, you should make sure that the videos are accessible and operable, i.e. controllable via keyboard. For people with hearing impairments, you must offer subtitles. You will find helpful explanations on the Subtitles page in the Internal Area. Furthermore, there are already tools that can create subtitles automatically (e.g. YouTube subtitles or paid tools like f4transcript). By the way, subtitles are not only essential for people with a hearing impairment; they can also be very helpful for international students.

For blind people, there must also be audio descriptions, which describe the essential image content of a video. For lecture videos, a short description of the scenery is sufficient (e.g. “Professor Müller is wearing a blue shirt and standing in a lecture hall. His slides are displayed on his right.”). In explanatory videos, it is best for the narrator to describe important illustrations as well as visual events and actions (e.g. “I’m now clicking on the red button in the upper left corner.”). Alternatively, you can offer a detailed textual description in addition to the video. When making your decision, keep in mind that textual alternatives on a dedicated website can also be helpful for users without limitations for reference purposes.

Audio content

Analogous to the audio tracks of videos, other audio content, such as podcasts, must also be prepared in an accessible manner. Instead of subtitles, however, you can use audio transcription for this purpose. This converts the audio track to text. If you have not created a detailed transcript before, you can use supporting tools such as f4transcript (for a fee). Further information on transcription can be found on the Transcription of Audio Content page in the Internal Area.