Panopto Accessibility Tips
This page explores tips for how you can make your Panopto videos more accessible and how viewers can use the accessible features provided by Panopto.
On This Page:
Add Captions
Add captions to your vides to ensure they are accessible to deaf and hard of hearing students.
Who this helps
- Anyone with mild to profound hearing loss
- People with decreased hearing due to aging
- People with damaged hearing from exposure to loud noises
- People with infections or injuries who may experience temporary or permanent hearing loss
- People taking medications that can affect hearing
Who this also helps
- Foreign language learners who may have difficulty understanding spoken words
- People working in noisy or sound-sensitive environments
- People with learning disabilities, attention deficits, and autism who use captions to help maintain concentration
- Everyone who may have trouble comprehending mumbled words, fast speech, or dialogue when there is background noise
To learn how to add captions, visit the Caption a Video help page.
Add Audio Description Captions
Audio Description captions include added information to communicate meaning that is not part of the narration or spoken text. Audio descriptions provide visually impaired viewers with visual context of what is being presented in a Panopto video. These descriptions will be read out loud during the video's playback. They are often indicated by the AD icon (for audio description) or extended AD icon (when the transcript includes lengthy descriptions).
Learn more at How to Add Audio Descriptions (opens in a new tab).
Use Panopto Notes
Let students or viewers share notes using a Panopto channel.
For many students, notes are an essential study aid. However, not all students can pay attention to a lecture or video and take notes at the same time.
Who this helps
- Students with auditory processing problems whose notes may be sparse or unclear
- Deaf and hard of hearing people who need to watch captions
- Students with physical disabilities who find typing or writing difficult
Who this also helps
- Note-takers who may benefit from better focus, comprehension, and retention
- Everyone who uses notes as a study aid
Learn more at How to Take Notes (opens in a new tab).
Keyboard Access
All of the functionalities and links in the web interface are accessible by using the tab key. The tab key will move from function to function and you can press enter to use that function. Learn more at Learn About Keyboard Shortcuts for Video Viewing (opens in a new tab).
Viewer Captions
The Panopto interactive viewer will display captions for the session when available. The caption will show in two places. The first is under the Primary Video feed within the Captions tab. The caption that is currently being spoken will be highlighted in gray. The second is either overlayed on the secondary video or docked directly underneath. For examples and to learn more, visit Viewer Captions (opens in a new tab).
Shortcut Keys
The Viewer allows you to use shortcut keys to control the player. Learn more at Learn About Keyboard Shortcuts for Video Viewing (opens in a new tab).
- Spacebar - Pause/Play the session
- Left/Right arrow keys - skip 10 seconds backwards or forwards
- Up/Down arrow keys - adjust volume up or down
- The M key - mutes and unmutes the recording