Video Accessibility Tools

Creating accessible video content ensures all students can engage with course materials effectively. This page outlines how to record and caption videos using Kaltura, Panopto, and YouTube—three tools supported or commonly used at Rutgers.

Using Kaltura

Kaltura is a video library with the ability to store and create new video content. Kaltura provides professors with the freedom to upload existing video materials such as YouTube videos as well as MP4 videos or the option to create a new video via Kaltura Personal Capture. 

All video materials uploaded via the Kaltura platform will be automatically closed captioned with the “CC” toggle feature appearing at the bottom right corner of the screen. When a student with a disability is identified in your course the closed captioning of all video materials should be manually edited to account for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Using Panopto

Panopto is another video platform available at Rutgers, primarily used by the School of Communication and Information (SC&I) and other units. It is integrated into Canvas and Sakai and offers features for recording, captioning, and organizing video content.

  • Faculty and students can access Panopto through the SC&I Panopto Portal or by enabling the Panopto widget in Canvas.
  • If you’re unsure whether your course uses Panopto, contact help@comminfo.rutgers.edu for access and setup support.

Using Youtube

YouTube is widely used and has built-in accessibility features, though we recommend verifying content accessibility before assigning.

  • Link to this section.
    • YouTube auto-generates captions for most videos.
    • Use YouTube Studio to:
      • Review and edit captions
      • Add timestamps and speaker labels
    • Learn more about editing captions on YouTube’s official guide
    • When selecting YouTube videos, filter results by subtitles/CC.
    • Look for videos that mention “closed captioning” or “audio description” in titles or descriptions.
    • Preview videos before assigning to ensure accuracy and clarity.
    • For a practical guide to making videos more accessible, view the NCDAE YouTube Accessibility Cheat Sheet

Next Module: Accessibility Tools for Conferencing Platforms

Need help?

For help creating accessible videos or captioning your content, contact Rutgers Access and Disability Resources

Resource Category
Faculty Resources
Audience
Faculty
Campus
New Brunswick
Off Campus Locations
RBHS
Newark
Camden