- Video Tip - 360 Captions: Key Considerations for Accessibility
- TOPkit Survey - We Need Your Input
- Announcements: Call for TOPkit Digest Contributors, FL-IDN webinar "Supercharge Your Slides: Accessible PowerPoint Design"
-
Top Tips - Captioning 360-degree and VR Videos: Where Accessibility Meets Immersion
- From the Community - Shaping the Future of Accessible Immersive Video
- Top Community Topics
|
|
|
In this Video Tip, Eric Fabra and Faith DeLorenzo from the University of Central Florida identify and demonstrate key accessibility barriers and considerations when adding captions to 360-degree videos. Note: This video includes 2D and 360-degree media. Click and drag with your cursor to interact with the 360-degree content.
| |
|
The future of the TOPkit initiative is under evaluation, and your feedback plays a crucial role in shaping what comes next. Please take a few moments to complete the Needs Assessment Survey today. Your input helps determine TOPkit's goals for effectively supporting the instructional design and faculty development community.
Begin survey →
|
|
|
|
-
Call for TOPkit Digest Contributors - We invite you to share your expertise in instructional design or faculty development with the TOPkit community. Additionally, you have the option to collaborate with another author. As a TOPkit Digest author, you'll have the support of a TOPkit team member throughout the process. To start the contribution process or if you have questions, email us at TOPkit@ucf.edu.
-
FL-IDN webinar - Supercharge Your Slides: Accessible PowerPoint Design. Guest speaker Steven Kolberg, MA Senior Coordinator, Accessibility and LMS Administration, Office of Information Technology, Florida SouthWestern State College. Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Registration is free. Sign up for other FL-IDN webinars.
|
|
|
Captioning 360-degree and VR Videos: Where Accessibility Meets Immersion |
Rethinking Captions for a World Where Learners Control the View |
| |
With growing access to consumer-grade 360 cameras and virtual reality (VR) platforms, interactive 360-degree media players have become increasingly popular for education and training. Unlike traditional 2D media, which presents a fixed perspective, 360-degree media immerses viewers in a dynamic environment where they can look in all directions. This opens the door to rich, learner-centered experiences such as virtual field trips, interactive storytelling, and role-playing.
With these exciting possibilities come new challenges for digital accessibility. The freedom of movement and technological complexity in immersive environments can hinder efforts to ensure access for all learners. However, many best practices from traditional 2D captioning still apply and can help you build immersive content that’s accessible from the start. Use the tips and considerations below as a launchpad to create more learner-centered experiences using captions:
|
|
|
-
Plan Captions from Day One. It’s more efficient and often more cost-effective to build accessibility into your workflow from the beginning rather than retrofitting it later. Before recording, decide whether your 360-video will use open captions (burned into the video), closed captions (toggleable and customizable by the viewer), or subtitles for language translation. Each option affects how you export your video and your delivery platform requirements.
|
| |
-
Default to a “Head-locked” Placement in VR. Research shows that viewers generally prefer captions that remain fixed in their field of view, likely due to the familiarity of static captions in traditional 2D video. When adding open captions in a 360-degree video, position them at a comfortable eye-level and test the legibility across all viewing angles. As with 2D captions, use high-contrast text, a sans-serif font, consider adding a background color, an appropriate text size, and be sure not to block important visual elements.
|
-
Add Spatial Cues for Advanced VR Experiences. Depending on your content, audio may be heard from multiple directions within the 360-degree space. Consider using “world-locked” captions that appear near the speaker or source and are only visible when the viewer looks in that direction. You can also add visual cues, like arrows or icons, to help guide the viewer’s perspective and direct their attention towards the source.
|
-
Know Your Tools and Proofread AI Captions. Some 360-degree media players and online learning tools may support closed caption formats like WebVTT and SRT, while others may not. Be sure to research your platform’s capabilities and prototype early to avoid unexpected limitations. If you’re using AI to generate captions, always review and revise them manually. Errors in spelling, grammar, or timing can negatively impact clarity and learner comprehension.
|
-
Test with Real Learners and Iterate. Continue to apply traditional best practices for captioning, such as synchronized timing, limiting captions to two lines, and avoiding overlap with important on-screen visuals when using burned-in text. When possible, involve learners with hearing disabilities, neurodivergent learners, those with learning disabilities, and even learners without known disabilities to test readability and comfort within the 360-degree experience. Their feedback can help identify and fix issues early in the development process.
|
|
|
Captioning 360-degree videos and VR is still evolving, but you don’t have to wait for perfect tools to get started. Explore what’s possible with your current platforms, share your wins and workarounds, and help shape the next generation of accessible and usable media.
|
|
|
Shaping the Future of Accessible Immersive Video |
Studies, Prototypes, and Frameworks |
|
|
Curious how others are tackling the challenges of captioning immersive videos? The following studies and projects offer practical insights, prototypes, and inspiration for making 360-degree and VR content more accessible:
|
-
TopKit's Using AI to Generate Captions and Transcripts – Watch this April 2024 TOPKit workshop video that offers a clear introduction to key captioning terms and walks through popular transcription tools and services for making all video content accessible. You’ll also pick up practical tips and strategies for maintaining ADA compliance throughout your workflow.
-
Universal Access: User Needs for Immersive Captioning – This article explores a user-centered prototyping framework for identifying effective captioning methods in virtual reality and 360-degree experiences across multiple devices. It summarizes key research findings, outlines the authors’ design and testing process, and highlights areas for future innovation and improvement in immersive media accessibility.
-
W3C Recommendations for Accessible Captions in 360-degree Video – Introduces key technical terms and design considerations for captioning in virtual reality environments and headsets. Highlights early prototyping by the W3C Immersive Captions Community Group and outlines a technology-focused roadmap for future standards, tools, innovation, and collaboration.
- Captions in VR and AR: Enhancing Immersive Experiences – This resource highlights the benefits of captions in virtual and augmented reality technologies, shares tool and software recommendations and real-world case studies for entertainment and education, and explores the future of immersive captioning alongside evolving accessibility standards.
|
|
|
Generative AI may have been used to retrieve relevant research, generate suggested language, and enhance original content.
|
|
|
Bren Bedford, MNM, SFC®, Web Project Analyst II, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida
|
|
|
Florence Williams, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida
|
|
|
You are receiving this email because you are a member of the TOPkit Community.
Manage your preferences | Opt Out
|
| |
|
This email was sent to bbedford@ucf.edu. Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
