Reinscribing Accessibility in Higher Education: The Case for the Inclusion of Automated Captions in Universities

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and accessible technology have facilitated the introduction of automated speech recognition (ASR) based captioning within online lecture capture systems used by universities. Captioning for recorded lecture material has traditionally only been produced as a ‘by request’ option for students who require lecture transcripts. The provision of automated captioning has only emerged as an accessibility feature within lecture capture systems in recent years and is automatically available to all students. This article presents the findings of a survey of over 400 students at one Australian university on their use and perception of automated captioned lectures, with particular attention being paid to their value for both students with disabilities and the increasingly diverse student population. This research highlights the value of automated captioning for all students, including those with disabilities and, for example, those who are studying in a non-native language environment. We argue that ASR features should be incorporated into the provision of higher education lectures, as an inclusive strategy, recognising accessibility as normative practice. Moreover, in designing for access and promotion of universal design, disability is reattributed to inaccessible environments, rather than the individual. Indeed, while the ASR transcripts are an accessibility feature, they are perhaps most important as a disrupter, a moment to rethink the culture of access.