The Princeton University Art Museum’s free digital programming has grown to include closed captioning in multiple languages. The progress stems in part from a Rapid Response Magic Grant of the Princeton University Humanities Council for “Increasing Access: Engaging Spanish-speaking Communities with Digital Museum Programming.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the closure of its galleries, the Museum worked quickly to generate new, virtual ways for the public to experience its offerings. Live online lectures and discussions aimed to educate, inspire, and provide a sense of connection and hope. Reaching tens of thousands of visitors, these events continue to engage people beyond the campus community, opening expanded possibilities for serving new audiences near and far. To best serve this growing crowd, in July, the Museum added live closed captions for all programs, making them available in Spanish in real time and at no charge to viewers. Users hail from many states and even several countries.
English captions are available directly in the Zoom toolbar. To access captioning in multiple languages, enter the Zoom webinar during a live event, then open a separate web browser to visit a page where you can select “Spanish” or the language of your choice.
Read about the initiative in New Jersey Stage.
