What is Extended Audio Description?
It is possible to add Extended Audio Description (EAD) to media. This feature makes videos more accessible for viewers with visual impairments. Extended Audio Description is an additional spoken narration that describes what is happening visually in a video, such as actions, facial expressions, or important elements within a scene. As a result, viewers who are partially sighted or blind can better follow and understand the content.
How does it work?
Media owners can upload an EAD file in VTT format via the Captions tab on the edit media page. To do this, use the Add extended audio description button.
After uploading, the following happens automatically:
- The descriptive text is linked to specific timestamps in the video.
- The video player converts this text into spoken audio.
- Viewers can enable this description while watching the video.
How do viewers use this functionality?
When a video contains an Extended Audio Description, viewers can easily activate it via the AD button in the video player. Once enabled, the additional description will automatically play at the appropriate moments. Watch the video below to see an example.
How do you create an Extended Audio Description (EAD) file in VTT format?
An EAD file is created in VTT format (WebVTT). This is a simple text file in which you describe what is visually happening in the video, linked to specific timestamps. You can create this file using a standard text editor, such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac), and save it with the .vtt extension.
WEBVTT
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:09.000
Een man loopt de vergaderruimte binnen en gaat aan tafel zitten.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.000
Hij opent zijn laptop en kijkt geconcentreerd naar het scherm.
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.000
Een grafiek verschijnt op het scherm achter hem.