Making Captions Count: A Guide to In-Room Display Accessibility
Practical tips to size, place, and adapt caption displays for clear, accessible communication in your council chamber.
Accessibility remains a vital part of local government meeting coverage. We now know that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, as outlined in upcoming U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) guidance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will soon apply to both pre-recorded and live content shared online. But what about accessibility for residents attending meetings in person?
Some in-person attendees may rely on captions as a visual aid to follow the discussion. With the right equipment, it’s relatively simple to display captions on monitors installed within council chambers. But in the absence of the clear digital standards provided by WCAG for online content, how do you know you’re providing an accessible experience in the room? A great first step is choosing the right monitors for your meeting space. Each council chamber has unique characteristics that shape how information is seen and understood. We’ve compiled a list of things to consider as you start planning a more inclusive in-room experience.
1) Monitor Resolution (and Connection)
These days, you’re likely installing 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) displays (3840 × 2160 pixels), although your local government meeting room may still have a legacy High Definition (HD) display (1920 × 1080 pixels) in place. A 4K display has four times the number of pixels as an HD display, resulting in smoother, sharper text at the same size and viewing distance. That added clarity can reduce eye strain, an important consideration for residents following along with captions.
Because 4K displays have smaller pixels, they also allow viewers to sit closer without losing image quality. In rooms where seating distances vary, 4K provides the best visual experience for the widest range of attendees. So, if you have a choice, 4K is the better option.
Regardless of resolution, you’ll need either broadcast monitors that accept a Serial Digital Interface (SDI) input, or a monitor with an available High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input paired with a high-quality SDI-to-HDMI signal converter. This setup is essential for delivering your meeting video and captions with the highest possible quality.
2) Calculate Correct Screen Size
How do you calculate the “right” size for your monitors? A common rule of thumb, originally popularized for home televisions, suggests multiplying the viewing distance in inches by 0.84 to get the recommended diagonal screen size. For example, if the center of a seating area is 7.5 feet (90 inches) from the display, a 75.6-inch diagonal screen would be ideal (though most monitors come in standard sizes, like 75 inches).
Viewing Distance (in inches) × 0.84 = Ideal Screen Size (in inches)
Example: 90″ × 0.84 = 75.6″
Another approach calculates the minimum viewing distance by taking the vertical height of the display (not the diagonal) and multiplying it by 1.5. For example, a 65-inch widescreen display is roughly 32 inches tall. In that case, the minimum comfortable viewing distance would be about 48 inches (4 feet).
Screen Height (in inches) × 1.5 = Minimum Viewing Distance (in inches)
Example: 32″ × 1.5 = 48″
Key considerations on top of these formulas are:
Does your chamber have seating at variable distances and angles from the monitors?
Are your monitors mounted on the wall or movable stands?
The content on the screen is primarily text, as opposed to visual media.
Consider the text size needed to give viewers enough time to read captions comfortably.
People using captions in the room may have vision impairments.
3) Work Around Space Restrictions
Larger screens are typically better for readability, especially when it comes to captioned content, but they may not be feasible in every meeting room. Architectural limitations, aesthetics, or historical preservation requirements can make it impractical to install the ideal display size. So even if your layout calls for an 85-inch display to properly serve your audience, that may not be an option.
Here are a few creative and accessible ways to adapt:
Use a mobile cart to bring in a large display during public meetings when captions are needed. This allows you to support accessibility even in spaces where a permanent AV installation isn’t possible due to layout, design, or structural limitations.
Designate accessible seating zones where attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing can have a clear, direct view of the captioned display.
Increase the size of caption text, which can improve readability—especially for attendees seated farther from the screen. Just keep in mind that larger font sizes reduce how many words can fit on the screen at once, so pacing and positioning become more important to avoid cutting off meaning.
Offer mobile captions and translations. Supplement in-room displays by providing live captions and real-time translations on personal devices. Solutions like MediaScribe allow residents to scan a Quick Response (QR) code and view captions on their mobile device during the meeting, improving accessibility for everyone, regardless of where they’re seated.
No matter what solution you choose—regardless of space or budget constraints—providing captions for live meetings attended in person should be considered a core element of your accessibility strategy. In-room captioning helps ensure that all residents, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, can fully participate in the democratic process.
Need help getting started with in-room accessibility for your government meetings? Contact our team for help.