Towson

 University  Captioning  Guidelines      

Purpose  

Under  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  (ADA)  a  public  entity  must  ensure  that  its  communications  
with  individuals  with  disabilities  are  as  effective  as  communications  with  others.    This  requirement  is  
referred  to  as  “effective  communication”  and  it  is  required  except  where  a  public  entity  can  show  that  
providing  effective  communication  would  fundamentally  alter  the  nature  of  a  service  or  program  or  
would  result  in  an  undue  financial  or  administration  burden.  

“Effective  communication”  means  that  whatever  is  written  or  spoken  must  be  as  clear  and  
understandable  to  people  with  disabilities  as  it  is  for  people  without  disabilities.    The  effective  
communication  requirement  applies  to  all  people  with  disabilities,  including  job  applicants,  program  
participants,  and  people  seeking  information  about  programs,  services  or  activities.  

In  order  to  provide  equal  access,  a  public  entity  is  required  to  make  available  appropriate  auxiliary  aids  
and  services  where  necessary  to  ensure  effective  communication.  

Captioning  of  Media  at  Towson  University  

Captioning  may  be  necessary  and  required  to  make  audio  and  audiovisual  media  accessible  to  people  
who  are  deaf  or  hard  of  hearing.    This  media  includes  videos,  DVDs,  and  other  technologies.    Given  the  
continuing  increases  in  media  used  for  instruction  and  increases  in  media  produced  by  the  University,  
the  following  guidelines  must  be  adhered  to:  

Captioning  Required  

Captioning  is  required  for  the  following  audio  and  audiovisual  media:  

• Media  used  for  instructional  purposes  for  a  student  enrolled  at  the  University  who  is  deaf  or  
hard  of  hearing  and  registered  with  Disability  Support  Services;  
• Media  used  to  orient,  publicize,  promote  or  explain  the  University  and  its  services  that  is  
intended  to  reach  the  general  public  (e.g.,  Admissions,  Orientation,  University  Advancement,  
etc.).  
• Media  intended  to  reach  the  general  public  that  is  linked  to  the  University  website.    

Captioning  Encouraged    

Captioning  is  strongly  encouraged  for  online  audio  and  audiovisual  media  that  will  be  used  in  the  future  
for  an  unrestricted  audience  even  in  cases  where  the  current  audience  has  been  restricted  to  a  group  of  
users  who  are  known  not  to  need  captioning.    For  example,  if  a  video  is  used  regularly  to  teach  a  class,  
there  is  an  increased  likelihood  that  a  student  in  the  future  will  need  it  captioned.    Therefore,  captioning  
it  is  encouraged.  

 
Captioning  Not  Required  

Captioning  is  not  required  for  media  that  will  be  used  for  a  limited  duration  when  the  audience  has  been  
restricted  to  a  group  of  users  who  are  known  not  to  need  captioning.    For  example,  if  access  is  restricted  
by  some  means  such  as  Moodle,  and  it  is  known  that  no  one  in  the  class  needs  it,  captioning  need  not  be  
done.  

Funding  for  Captioning  

While  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the  individual  or  department  placing  a  video  on  the  web  to  ensure  that  it  
is  captioned,  some  funding  is  available  through  the  Division  of  Marketing  and  Communications.    To  
request  captioning  assistance,  please  complete  the  Caption  Request  Form.    

If  captioning  is  needed  as  an  accommodation  by  a  Towson  University  student,  faculty  or  staff  member,  
funding  is  available  through  Disability  Support  Services  if  the  person  is  registered  with  the  office.    Please  
contact  DSS  at  410-­‐704-­‐2638  for  assistance.  

Towson  University  Captioning  Solutions  (TUCS)  

TUCS  is  Towson  University’s  captioning  and  transcription  service.    TUCS  is  a  non-­‐profit  entity  with  very  
competitive  rates.    For  a  rate  sheet,  contact  TUCS  at  410-­‐704-­‐6297.    Prices  are  quoted  per  minute  of  
transcript  and  based  on  turnaround  time.  

Captioning  Committee  

The  purpose  of  the  Captioning  Committee  is  to  develop  and  update  policies  and  procedures,  determine  
which  media  requires  captioning  when  in  question,  establish  the  order  of  priority  for  captioning  
requests,  and  approve  any  exceptions  to  policies  and  priorities.    The  Committee  will  consist  of  a  
representative  of  the  Division  of  Marketing  and  Communications,  a  representative  of  the  Disability  
Support  Services  Office  or  member  of  the  Disability  Advisory  Committee,  and  a  caption  writer  as  
needed.    

Videos  on  the  University’s  YouTube  channel  or  public  website  that  have  not  been  captioned  should  be  
reported  to  the  Division  of  Marketing  and  Communications  so  that  the  video  owner/editor  can  be  
contacted.