Translate the request into testable deliverables

“Make this video ADA compliant” is not a complete brief. The answer depends on the organization, the content, the website or platform, and how viewers operate the player. The U.S. Department of Justice identifies synchronized, accurate captions with speaker identification as one way to make video content accessible in its web accessibility guidance.

For prerecorded marketing video, start by asking whether the message depends on sound, visuals, or both. Speech and meaningful sound point to captions. Visual-only information points to audio description or another suitable alternative. The page and player also need accessible controls.

What an agency should normally quote

  • Caption production: dialogue, speaker identification, and meaningful sound cues synchronized to the source video.
  • Visual-information review: an assessment of actions, product details, names, graphics, prices, and calls to action not communicated in the soundtrack.
  • Audio description: concise narration delivered as a described video or compatible audio track.
  • Player and page review: keyboard access, visible focus, clear control names and states, contrast, responsive layout, and a reliable way to enable captions and AD.
  • Human quality review: names, numbers, claims, pronunciation, timing, and the final published experience.

Marketing videos have predictable risk areas

Ads often reveal the product name, offer, URL, price, or phone number only on screen. A blind viewer can miss the entire conversion step even when the soundtrack sounds complete. Fast montage edits also tempt producers to narrate too much. Prioritize the facts that change the offer or the viewer’s next action.

Captions should not be treated as a transcript pasted onto the picture. They need useful line breaks and accurate timing. Avoid placing essential campaign text in the same lower area where captions must appear.

Do not erase the creative

Accessible production should preserve the campaign’s pacing and message. Write description early enough to use natural music or silence. If a critical visual has no available space, a short extended pause can protect both the information and the original speaker. Low-value scenery should not interrupt a tightly written ad.

Set the client’s expectations correctly

An agency can deliver accessible media files and test a publishing implementation. It should not claim that one exported MP4 certifies the client’s whole site or organization. State the criteria reviewed, the player tested, the languages included, and any assumptions about the client’s publishing environment.

Make repeat work profitable

Create an intake form for names, pronunciations, required text, target platforms, due dates, and languages. Keep caption and AD edits independent, then archive the approved master files according to the client’s retention policy. This turns accessibility from emergency remediation into a repeatable production service.

Use the VoxDescribe video accessibility workflow to prepare editable captions and audio description, or process a short client video free.