Accessible Podcast
Reference Guide

Compiled by Lily Crandall and Meghan Murakami

Background

For our term project for the Media Access Research Studio course at New York University, we set out to render an episode of the Contra* podcast accessible. Due to scheduling conflicts, we were unable to record with Contra* host Aimi Hamraie and guest Jai Virdi, but we put our research on accessible podcasts to use and created an accessible podcast about accessible podcasts, which can be found here as a video and here as an audio file (a transcript can be found here). The episode explains how to make a podcast accessible, and this guide shows the process behind the episode and credits the sources we found that informed our podcast. Here you will find links to videos, articles, and interviews that provide insight into the benefits of accessible podcasts, how to incorporate these features, and more detailed explanations of each.

Part 1: Research

Because podcasts are primarily in audio-only format, one of the first things we wanted to learn more about was making podcasts accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing folks. We created a “bible” of sorts to store all of our notes and information. We were able to learn a bit from correspondence between Aimi, Jai and our professor, Kevin, in addition our own individual research. Jai, who is Deaf, gave us a bit of insight on practices she would personally like to see in a podcast, like the centering of American Sign Language (ASL).

  • Rikki Poynter: How Would A Deaf Person Do A Podcast?
    Rikky Poynter, a Deaf podcaster, explains how she has been a guest on two podcasts. The first was an in-person conversation, and she read the lips of the host and answered the questions orally. The second was over the phone, so the host typed up their questions and provided them to her and she answered the questions orally over the phone. 

  • INDATAProject: Podcast-Apps that every person who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing must have
    In his podcast, the host simultaneously spoke into a mic and signed to the guest. The guest then signed his responses and the host said those answers aloud. 

  • Karen Putz: How Can a Deaf Person Do Podcast Interviews?
    Karen Putz explains that for her to do a podcast interview over the phone, she used ZVRS – a video service that provides a sign language interpreter for every phone call. She then responded orally to the questions.

  • Indiana University: Accessibility Information for Podcasters
    This article outlines three basic features of an accessible podcast: a transcript, captions in video podcasts, and audio description in video podcast

  • The Podcast Host: Making Your Podcast More Accessible

Nic Steenhout, an independent accessibility consultant for private businesses and nonprofits, explains the difficulties around automatic transcription services:

“...The second part would be to purchase the service of automatic transcription. And there's all kinds of service but you can find it from about 10 cents per minute, US. There's a high error rate for that and by high it might be maybe 85%, 87% accurate, which still means that 1 word in 10 is actually incorrect, and that can really change the meaning quite a bit and lead to … confusion into what's going on.”

Part 2: Transcripts

Providing a transcript is essential. This allows those who cannot access audio to engage with podcasts which are an audio-only medium. Although this is a pretty common practice among podcasts, there are still ways to improve on them. Through looking through podcasts that we enjoy (like “This American Life,” we were able to find interesting ways that some podcasters format their transcripts. Here’s an example of a transcript that includes some tips for making one.

[ upbeat electronic music ]

TRANSCRIPTS [0:32]

LILY CRANDALL : There are many ways to make podcasts accessible, and the first one we’re going to talk about is the transcript.

MEGHAN MURAKAMI : A transcript is a written record of every word and sound included in the podcast. So this includes what is said, who says it, and descriptions of any music and sound effects. 

LILY CRANDALL : If your show is unscripted, there are automatic transcription services out there, but it’s best for it to be done by a real human. Automatic services sometimes result in typos, lost meanings, and overall lose the organization and clarity of it being done by a person.

MEGHAN MURAKAMI : This is something the podcast producer can do themselves, or they can hire someone to do it. 

LILY CRANDALL : Also, we’ve noticed that some podcasts take a week or two to upload the transcript to their show.

MEGHAN MURAKAMI : Yeah, transcripts should be released at the same time as the podcast episode.

LILY CRANDALL : We hope you have learned something about transcripts for podcasts.

MEGHAN MURAKAMI : Next up, we’re going to talk about video components for podcasts. 

Part 3: Video

Including a video element to a podcast allows opens the door for many opportunities for accessibility. 

  • Lipreading: Filming the podcast makes it possible for d/Deaf/hard of hearing individuals to experience it through reading lips.

  • American Sign Language Interpretation: There are a few ways to go about including ASL interpretation in a podcast.

There are two ways of going about this:

  1. In real time: Hire an ASL interpreter to be in the room during filming. This is beneficial to those who release podcasts frequently (daily, weekly) because the production timeline is shorter. 

  2. After recording: Send footage after recording to the interpreter with a transcript and captions added to the video. It is crucial to confirm a timeline when reaching out to an interpreter to ensure they have enough time to complete it. 

Note: ASL interpretation should not be expected to be done for free. This is a service and thus should be compensated for. 

Because Jai and Aimi are not able to meet in the same place, we were planning on using the video chat platform Zoom and have each participant record their screens. Audio could then be extracted from the conversation and we could also caption and transcribe the video footage to be sent to an interpreter (Jai also expressed that she would really like the interpreter to be Deaf.) We were thinking of using the second option of ASL interpretation (after recording) for this particular case because Aimi and Jai were in two different places, so coordinating with a third person all over Zoom would have been complicated.

Part 4: Captions

Video podcasts require captions, especially if there is not an ASL component. Automated captioning services can result in the same issues as automated transcriptions (lack of clarity, errors, etc) so it is best for the podcast producer to do it, or hire someone. Captions are also not just helpful to Deaf or hard of hearing audiences; hearing audiences may also benefit from being able to read what is on screen.

Incorporating creative captioning elements can enhance the experience for the viewer. These include text placement on the screen (this can be based on who is speaking), text size, and color. In our episode, we decided to utilize color coding, screen placement and text size to enhance our captions. 

Note: There are two different kinds of captions:

  1. Open: These are “burned” into the video and cannot be turned on or off by the viewer. 

  2. Closed: These can be turned on and off by the viewer. 

Part 5: Publication

Whatever accessibility features are chosen to be included in the final product, it is important that everything is released at the same time. You can still publish your podcast on your preferred audio-only platform, but be sure to link to the podcast website with the accessible features somewhere (social media, show notes, description, etc). 

Unlike some podcasts, which charge a fee or delay the release of accessible components like  transcripts, the Contra* podcast ensures that all of its materials are released at the same time.

Citations

“Accessibility Information for Podcasters.” Knowledge Base, Indiana University, 27 Aug. 2019.
Gray, Colin, and Nicholas Steenhout. “Making Your Podcast More Accessible (& Growing Your Audience as a Result!).” The Podcast Host, The Podcast Host Ltd., 29 Mar. 2019.
INDATAProject, director. ATU355: Podcast-Apps That Every Person Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing Must Have. YouTube, 9 Mar. 2018.
Putz, Karen. “How Can a Deaf Person Do Podcast Interviews?” Ageless Passions, 28 Nov. 2017.
Rikki, Poynter, director. How Would A Deaf Person Do A Podcast? YouTube, 31 July 2017.