Should sounds other than speech be described?

In long form that is standard practice. In a short clip there is rarely room, so the practical answer is to choose moments that work on words alone.

Does word by word display help or hinder?

It is readable, and it keeps pace with the voice. What matters more is that position and size stay steady across the clip.

Is there a legal requirement?

It varies by country and by what the video is for. Public bodies and larger organisations often carry obligations that individual creators do not.

Can text be turned off for this audience?

There is no option to remove it, which in this context works in their favour. Every clip carries its words.

Should non speech sounds be described?

In long form that is standard practice. A short clip rarely has room, so the practical answer is choosing moments that work on words alone.

Subtitles for Viewers With Hearing Loss

What do captions for accessibility need that ordinary ones do not?

Completeness and reliability. A scrolling viewer who misses a word can infer it from tone; a deaf viewer cannot. That makes accuracy, contrast and steady position more important than style, and it makes a dropped line a real loss rather than a small one.

Where the two audiences differ

Text made properly readable serves both audiences at once, which is why this is not extra work layered on top of ordinary practice.

Aspect	Scrolling viewer	Deaf viewer
A missing word	Inferred from tone	Simply gone
Style over legibility	Costs a little speed	Costs comprehension
Moving position	Mildly annoying	Hard to follow, it is the only source
Sound effects	Heard	Absent unless described
Turning text off	An option they might want	Would remove the entire clip

Accuracy above all

For viewers who cannot hear the audio, every word on screen is the content. Check text carefully for errors in names, numbers and key terms, and make sure nothing important is left out. A missing word may mean a missing point.

Faithful text matters more than stylish effects.

Describing important sounds

Sounds that change meaning, such as laughter, applause, a door slamming or music starting, can be described briefly in text. They help deaf viewers understand reactions and tone.

Keep descriptions short and place them clearly.

Showing who is speaking

When several people talk, deaf viewers may struggle to know who said what. Keep one speaker per line, and if needed, add a name or use position to indicate the speaker.

Clips with one speaker at a time are easiest.

Readability

Use high contrast, a clear font and a size readable on a phone. Keep text on screen long enough to read. Very fast word-by-word animation can be tiring for viewers who rely on text entirely.

Short lines that follow speech often work best.

Legal and platform considerations

Some organisations and countries have accessibility requirements for video content, especially for public bodies and businesses. Check what applies to you.

Accessible content reaches more people regardless.

Asking for feedback

If possible, ask deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers for feedback on your clips.

Their experience is the best guide.

Complete enough to be the only source

Keep the position steady. Text that moves around the frame is harder to follow when it is the only source of information.
Favour contrast over personality. Style choices that cost a little legibility cost more for this audience than for anyone else.
Check the words are complete. Read the text through, because a missing line is not recoverable by ear.

Make one clip and read it as though you could not hear it.

Questions people ask

Is this the same as captions for everyone else?: Mostly, and that is the useful part. Text made properly readable serves both audiences at once, so this is not extra work on top.
Should sounds other than speech be described?: In long form that is standard practice. In a short clip there is rarely room, so the practical answer is to choose moments that work on words alone.
Does word by word display help or hinder?: It is readable, and it keeps pace with the voice. What matters more is that position and size stay steady across the clip.
Is there a legal requirement?: It varies by country and by what the video is for. Public bodies and larger organisations often carry obligations that individual creators do not.
Can text be turned off for this audience?: There is no option to remove it, which in this context works in their favour. Every clip carries its words.
Should non speech sounds be described?: In long form that is standard practice. A short clip rarely has room, so the practical answer is choosing moments that work on words alone.