Important Tools for Teaching People with Disabilities

How Closed Captions and Transcriptions Improve Learning Accessibility in Education

In the past, many people believed that content itself was the most important part of student learning. However, recent changes in education show that how information is delivered is just as important as the content. The COVID-19 pandemic made this even clearer. When classes moved online, schools discovered that good content design is key to successful learning for both high school and university students.

The Need for Inclusive Learning Design

Today, educators are asking: How can learning materials be designed so that more students can understand, enjoy, and benefit from them? Making learning materials accessible is not just helpful—it is necessary for true inclusion.

• Students learn better when materials are accessible in different formats.
• Inclusive design benefits those with disabilities and helps everyone learn more effectively.

At GoTranscript, we have seen schools and universities use closed caption services to make their teaching tools more accessible. While captions are best known for helping people who are deaf or hard of hearing, they also support students with other learning challenges.

How Captions Support Students with Different Needs

For Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Closed captions make spoken content available as text.
• This helps students who cannot hear audio follow lessons and participate fully.

According to the National Deaf Center (2020), over 200,000 deaf or hard of hearing students attend post-secondary institutions each year in the United States. Accessible captions are essential for their success.

For Autistic Students

• Many autistic people are sensitive to noise and audio triggers.
• Watching videos on mute with closed captions allows them to learn without discomfort.

Research from Autism Speaks (2022) suggests that allowing students to control the volume and rely on captions reduces anxiety and supports better focus during online learning.

For Students With Dyslexia

• Dyslexia affects how people process written text, but listening to audio can help understanding.
• Combining audio with captions supports both reading and listening, making learning easier.

The International Dyslexia Association estimates that up to 20% of the population has symptoms of dyslexia (2021). Multiple modes of content delivery, such as combining video, audio, and text, can make a big difference for these learners.

For Students With ADHD

• ADHD makes it hard for some students to stay focused on lessons.
• When information is given in three forms—visual, oral, and textual—students can stay engaged for longer.

According to the CDC (2022), about 6 million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. Multi-modal learning (visual, audio, text) improves their ability to concentrate and understand information.

The Triple Approach: Visual, Oral, and Textual Learning

• Research shows that using more than one way to share information leads to better understanding and memorization (Cognitive Science Society, 2019).
• The triple approach makes learning more flexible and suitable for diverse students.

More Tools to Help Diverse Learners

Transcriptions and closed captioning are powerful ways to help students with different needs, but they are not the only tools available.

• Transcription services turn audio into written text for those who need to read instead of listen.
• Automated transcription services make it faster and easier to get transcripts for all lessons.
• Subtitling services provide translations and help learners who are studying in a new language.
• Text Translation services support non-English speakers in accessing educational content.

Other Benefits of Captions and Transcriptions

• Make searching and reviewing lessons easy—students can find key points fast.
• Improve test preparation—easy-to-read notes help everyone study smarter.
• Allow for flexible learning—students can learn at their own pace.

Using GoTranscript to Boost Accessibility in Education

• GoTranscript helps schools, colleges, and universities create better learning environments for all students.
• Our closed captioning services support many kinds of learners.
• We also offer transcription proofreading for error-free transcripts, audio translation, and AI transcription subscriptions for ongoing needs.
• Learn more about our transcription pricing and captioning services pricing to see how affordable accessibility can be.

Ready to improve your school's accessibility? Order transcription or order captions with GoTranscript and make your educational content more inclusive for every student.