Why this matters
More than 430 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss. Captions also help non-native English speakers, learners in open-plan offices, and anyone who processes written text better than spoken audio. WCAG 1.2.2 requires captions on every pre-recorded video that includes audio — no exceptions unless the video is purely decorative.
Storyline 360 example
A Storyline slide has an embedded MP4 of a manager explaining a code-of-conduct policy. There is no caption file attached. A deaf learner cannot complete the mandatory training.
Rise 360 example
A Rise lesson uses a YouTube embed. The video does not have captions turned on in YouTube, and no transcript is provided anywhere in the lesson.
How to fix it
- 1Check every video in your course for a caption file
- 2Create accurate captions in WebVTT (.vtt) or SRT format
- 3Make sure captions are timed to match the audio
- 4If there are multiple speakers, identify who is talking
- 5For audio-only content, a text transcript is an acceptable alternative
Fix in Storyline 360
- 1Click your video on the slide
- 2Open the Video Tools > Options tab
- 3Click Add Captions and upload your .vtt or .srt file
- 4Preview the video to check captions appear and stay in sync
- 5Test captions again in the published output
Fix in Rise 360
- 1Click the video block in your lesson
- 2Upload a .srt caption file in the block settings
- 3For YouTube embeds, enable captions in the YouTube video settings
- 4Add a Text block below the video with a full transcript as a backup
Common questions
What is the difference between captions and subtitles?
Captions are designed for deaf viewers — they include both speech and non-speech audio like sound effects and music cues. Subtitles are translations of speech for viewers who can hear but do not understand the language.
Does Storyline 360 support caption files?
Yes. Storyline 360 supports WebVTT and SRT files. Add them through the Video Options tab on the Video Tools ribbon.
Are auto-generated captions from YouTube good enough?
No — not on their own. Auto-generated captions regularly fail on technical terms, names, and accents. Review and correct them until accuracy reaches at least 99% before treating them as WCAG compliant.
Do I need captions on a screen-recorded software demo?
Yes, if the recording includes narration. Add a caption file in Storyline, or place a scrolling transcript panel next to the video.
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