How the IRS Ensured Section 508 Compliance with Captioning

The Situation

The IRS has a training branch that maintains a streaming media page where self-serve training videos and archives of previously recorded training programs are housed as streaming media files. The site is SharePoint-based. Closed captioning and transcription of recorded training programs are required in order to meet Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Transcripts are also helpful for students reviewing lecture content.

The Approach

The IRS needed a simple, reliable, and secure way to submit and download video files for captioning. They needed a reasonably fast turnaround time and a high-quality conversion with few errors or distortions. 3Play Media met all of these requirements and submitted the winning bid during a competitive bidding process.

The Results

The IRS has been able to implement a cost-effective, streamlined workflow to comply with Section 508 accessibility requirements. Users have communicated that the closed captions and transcripts have met their needs very satisfactorily. Even students without disabilities appreciate the video transcripts as a tool to review lecture content.