Kaltura - How Human Captioning and Machine Extended Audio Descriptions Work [UW-Madison]

Overview of ordering captions and audio descriptions

Beginning in fall 2026, all newly published or embedded media in Canvas and Kaltura MediaSpace will automatically receive human-created captions and machine-created extended audio descriptions. 

When captions and audio descriptions are automatically ordered

These services are automatically ordered when you share media using the most common publishing methods. Human-generated captions and extended audio descriptions are ordered when you: 

• Embed a video in your Canvas course

• Add a video to the Kaltura Media Gallery in Canvas

• Change a video’s publication setting in Kaltura MediaSpace from Private to Unlisted or Published

Exceptions to ordering

In some situations, human-generated captions and extended audio descriptions will not be ordered automatically:

• If your video is left as Private in Kaltura MediaSpace.

• If your video has already received human-generated captions and extended audio descriptions.

• If you are part of the McBurney Exception Group, which receives faster turnaround time on their media.

• The Office of Compliance has granted approval for your video to not receive captions and/or audio descriptions because these accessibility features result in a fundamental alteration of content.

To learn more about requesting a fundamental alteration exception, see the UW-Madison Fundamental Alterations guidance.

Foreign language videos

Videos that are not in English will not automatically receive human-generated captions or extended audio descriptions. If your media is in a language other than English, you must order human captions and audio descriptions directly through the vendor.