How to Provide Video to MPR for Embedding on a Webpage

Multimedia, especially video, can enhance web content by making it more engaging, interactive, and easier to understand. When used thoughtfully, video can bring a topic to life and support a wide range of learning styles. However, in keeping with our commitment to accessibility, all video content must meet specific standards to ensure that it is usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities. The information below outlines the requirements for video submissions and how to provide your video content to the Marketing and Public Relations Department for review and embedding on the Bakersfield College website.

Video Requirements

To ensure all multimedia content on the Bakersfield College website is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, all videos must meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. The Marketing and Public Relations (MPR) Department reviews all submissions and reserves the right to decline videos that do not meet accessibility or quality standards.

Requirements for Videos with Sound

To meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standard 1.2.2, 1.2.4, and 1.2.5:

• Captions: All videos must include closed captions. Auto-generated captions (such as those from YouTube or Zoom) do not meet compliance standards.
• Audio Descriptions: Videos must include audio description—narration that describes essential visual elements, in addition to standard dialogue and sound.
• Format: Only approved file types will be accepted for both video and captions (see below).

Closed Caption Requirement

Captions must:

• Be accurate and clearly reflect spoken content.
• Include non-speech elements such as sound effects, music cues, laughter, applause, speaker identification, and location.
• Be synchronized with the audio.
• Avoid obscuring important visual content.

Audio Description Requirement

Audio descriptions are a second video that includes both the dialog and a description of the action. Audio descriptions must:

• Include all spoken dialogue and relevant sounds.
• Describe key visual elements, including actions, characters, setting changes, on-screen text, and other visual information important to understanding the video.
• Be created as a separate version of the video with audio descriptions embedded.
• Examples of Audio Descriptions

Requirements for Videos without Sound (video-only)

If the video is not accompanied by timed sounds or meaningful dialog, it is considered video-only. Standard 1.2.1 requires at least one of the following:

• Accurate text transcript
• Accurate audio description

Accepted File Types

• Video Files
  • MP4
  • MOV
  • WMV
• Caption Files
  • SubRip (.srt) Example SRT file
  • WebVTT (.vtt) Example WebVTT
• Audio Files
  • OGG
  • MP3

How to Submit a Request

1. Prepare your video and caption files according to the standards listed above.
2. Submit a request using the Web Services Request Form.
3. Select "Add Video" under the Web Service Type.
4. Provide all relevant details in the form.
5. Upload your files:
   • Preferred: Upload for posting to the Bakersfield College YouTube channel
   • Alternatively: Provide a link to Vimeo or an existing YouTube video that meets the above requirements.