Media Creator Accessibility Checklist

A practical pass list for videos, podcasts, captions, thumbnails, transcripts, and resource pages before they go live.

Use This Before Publishing

Captions

  • Correct names, product terms, acronyms, numbers, and timestamps.
  • Keep most caption lines at 42 characters or fewer.
  • Prefer one or two lines per cue.
  • Check reading speed with the Caption Readability Checker.

Transcripts

  • Publish a clean transcript near the media, not only inside a player.
  • Use headings for topics, not walls of raw speech.
  • Include speaker names when more than one person appears.
  • Link downloads with clear file names and formats.

Audio

  • Keep speech intelligible before adding music or effects.
  • Check final podcast loudness in the Podcast Level Meter.
  • Avoid clipped peaks and harsh sibilance.
  • Listen once on headphones and once on small speakers.

Visuals

  • Check title cards, lower thirds, and thumbnails at phone size.
  • Use the Contrast Checker (WCAG) for text overlays.
  • Do not rely on color alone for meaning.
  • Keep burned-in text away from platform UI and captions.

Publishing Page

  • Use descriptive link text for downloads and related resources.
  • Add alt text for informative images.
  • Keep headings in a logical order.
  • Make sure forms, players, and menus work from a keyboard.

Final QA

  • Watch or listen once from the audience's point of view.
  • Check mobile layout and captions together.
  • Keep a versioned source file for future corrections.
  • Log known limits if a deliverable cannot be fully fixed yet.

Downloadable Templates

Related Tools

Get All 3 QA Templates as One PDF Pack

Caption QA Checklist, Shot List Template, and Podcast Mix Checklist, one download, three ready-to-use templates.

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