Vox Media offers a visual way to experience podcasts
Vox Media has built what it calls an “immersive transcript” that’s accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences.
Annu Subramanian, supervising producer of audio at Vox Creative says:
“We know transcripts are a popular product in podcasting but with the features we built for More Than This, we wanted to elevate the experience of a transcript, by making it more visual by translating the emotions, pacing, and atmosphere of the podcast into a visual medium.”
The accessibility-friendly experience was inspired by musician Mandy Harvey, featured in the first episode of More than This, inspired the effort. She lost her hearing as a music student in college.
Nieman Labs reports that a team of engineers, graphic artists, and user experience designers created the new product which was then "tested by a focus group of deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Disability activist and accessibility consultant JamiLee Hoglind wrote:
“Within the podcast industry, it’s sacred to discover an authentically accessible podcast that is engineered, designed, and created with an accessibility lens for approximately over 400 million of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people globally. This podcast’s visual experience is the first of many. Not only will this be a model for others, this will also elevate the industry to continue prioritizing accessibility to the next level.”