ADA Title II and You, January 2026

Published January 22, 2026

Title II of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requires adherence to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, a set of international standards for making web content accessible to people with disabilities. Under Title II, the WCAG standards will apply across all digital content, including video and audio. Captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions are no longer just best practice; they are required.

Video and Audio Accessibility Requirements

Whether you are hosting live, synchronous meetings or lectures (e.g., Zoom or Microsoft Teams), or sharing recorded content for on-demand access, all video and audio materials must meet these Title II standards:

  • Live video sessions (e.g., Zoom or Teams): live captions for all attendees
  • Recorded videos: accurate captions and audio descriptions for key visual information
  • Audio-only recordings (e.g., podcasts): written transcripts

Auto-Generated Captions Require Your Careful Review and Editing

Many video-hosting platforms offer auto-generated captions, which can be a helpful starting point. However, Title II requires captions to be 100% accurate, and auto-captioning tools typically do not meet this standard on their own. Speech recognition errors often occur due to background noise, poor audio quality, or technical terminology.

Access Self-Help Guides to Manage Captions

It is your responsibility to include accurate captions and transcripts when sharing video and audio content as part of your work at CSULB. Get started with these self-help articles to learn more:

Coming Soon! CSULB Video Captioning Services

For third-party recordings (from YouTube, etc.) you can request captioning through Beach Captions, a new self-service platform that will provide high-quality auto-generated captions and transcripts. More information and request details will be announced early this semester.

If you have any questions or need further support with captions, submit a TDX ticket: Document, Audio, or Video Remediation Support.

Discover Accessible Videos at the University Library

The University Library's OneSearch database (click "Advanced Search" to sort for videos) and the Streaming Media Research Guide lists titles that have been licensed by the university and approved for accessibility. No further work is required to meet accessibility requirements of these materials. Search these databases first for course content to share in your class and avoid the extra steps to ensure compliance.

Plan for Captioning Success

To facilitate the captioning process later, take these steps to plan and execute your video sessions:

  • Write an outline or script with notes to help you maintain steady pacing and to describe aloud any key visual elements.
  • Leave space at the bottom of the screen for the captions to display clearly and not conflict with your visual content.
  • Reduce background noise like fans, machinery, or music.
  • Use an external microphone to improve caption accuracy. Breathe lightly, and never directly into the microphone.
  • Speak slowly and clearly, especially when pronouncing technical terms or acronyms.
  • Describe actions as you perform them. Avoid phrases like "click here" but instead name menus, buttons, or tools.
  • Summarize key information aloud and describe information on graphs or images.

Document Remediation Services are Available

hands on laptop with icons across the screen

Take advantage of CSULBʼs document remediation service to identify and fix accessibility issues in your active documents. Get started today and stay on track for compliance.

Questions? Email ATI-Compliance@csulb.edu.

Coming Up: Accessibility Workshops for Faculty

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