Captions and transcripts serve overlapping needs. Captions follow the video timeline; a transcript offers a reading path that can be searched and revisited outside playback.
Include context the reader needs
Speech text alone may omit meaningful sounds, speaker changes or information carried only by visuals. Add these deliberately when preparing an accessible final version. Do not claim a raw automatic transcript is a complete accessibility solution.
Review timing and presentation
Check that captions appear with the relevant speech and remain long enough to read. Preview on a small screen and avoid placing essential visual content behind a subtitle block. The target player determines which styling options are available.
Offer a readable alternative
Create a structured transcript with headings and source links. Keep the language clear and preserve technical notation accurately. A transcript should remain selectable text where possible; rasterized PDF pages are a poor replacement for a text document.
Test the actual experience
Use keyboard navigation, browser zoom and a screen reader where appropriate. Invite feedback from the people who need the material. A file extension or a generated subtitle track alone does not establish accessibility compliance.