Google Adds Automatic Captions to YouTube

YouTube has become one of the most widely searched sites on the web. It is so widely used that every minute 20 hours worth of video is uploaded to the site. We have all visited the site. There are videos for everyone spanning thousands of subjects. There are endless how-to's, music videos, aspiring artists, and mindless entertainment videos. We all enjoy these videos. We navigate through the site with ease. But what about those with disabilities?

Any cable TV channel you watch today will have the option for closed captioning. So, wouldn't it make sense for a popular video website to also offer captions for its videos? This is exactly what Vint Cerf, a Google VP, thought.

YouTube currently has an option for users to add their own captions to videos that they upload. This feature is rarely used and isn't beneficial to those that may be hearing impaired. So, YouTube has taken it upon themselves to create closed caption channels on their website. They will begin using a recognition software that will automatically create captions on any uploaded videos to create a more user friendly experience for anyone that wishes to visit the site.