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For K-12 school districts

Board meetings, games and graduations. Captioned and described.

ADA Title II gives districts until April 26, 2027 (population 50,000+) or April 26, 2028 to make web content meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Your communications office posts the video; we keep every upload accessible, without adding to anyone's job.

Free, public data only. Or join early access

ADA Title II, population 50,000+

April 26, 2027

ADA Title II, under 50,000 or special district

April 26, 2028

Which applies to you?

What we found

Video is where public organizations are furthest behind.

In October 2026 we scanned the YouTube channels of 20 randomly chosen US school districts: 4,048 videos and 2,156 hours, mostly livestream replays, board meetings and sports.

of videos had accurate captions
3%
of videos had accurate captions
of the last year's uploads were captioned
7%
of the last year's uploads were captioned
channels had no accurate captions at all
11/17
channels had no accurate captions at all
videos mentioned audio description
0
videos mentioned audio description

Thumbnails of recent uploads from the district channels we scanned, almost all without captions.

A typical district posted about 34 videos (18 hours) in the last year. After the deadline, every new upload needs accurate captions, and audio description where the picture shows something the soundtrack doesn't say. See how your channel compares

Built for the video you post

Not lecture capture. Board meetings and Friday night games.

Generic caption vendors are built around lectures and marketing. Most public video is something else. Here's what Ferndean adds to real uploads like yours.

Board meeting · 1:23:00PRESIDENT: All those in favor?

Audio description: Board members sit around a U-shaped table facing the audience; a slide is projected on the screen behind them.

Board meetings

Captions with speaker names, motions and votes. Slides that aren't read aloud and votes by show of hands get described.

Livestream replay · 3:25:41[crowd cheering]

Audio description: Scoreboard: Hastings 35, North Star 8, fourth quarter.

Sports

Game replays and highlight reels show the score and the plays. We describe them in the gaps in commentary.

Commencement · 3:55:51♪ instrumental music ♪

Audio description: On screen: Denton High School, 2026 Graduation. Friday, May 22, 2026, 7:00 p.m., UNT Coliseum, “Superpit.”

Graduations and events

Title cards, names on screen and music-only stretches: the details only the picture shows, described.

Livestream replay · 3:01:10ANNOUNCER: Serving to start the second set…

Audio description: Wide view of the gym from the stands as both teams set up for the serve.

Livestream replays

Once a stream ends it's recorded video. We pick up the replay and caption it like any upload.

Real public uploads. Captions are illustrative; each description only says what the frame shows.

What the rules ask for video

WCAG 2.1 AA, in plain words.

ADA Title II (28 CFR 35.200–35.205) requires public school districts to make web content meet WCAG 2.1 AA. For video, these are the success criteria that matter.

WCAG 1.2.2

Captions on recorded video

Every recorded video with sound. Accurate captions, not YouTube's automatic ones. A livestream replay counts as recorded video.

WCAG 1.2.5

Audio description

Only when the picture carries information the soundtrack doesn't: a scoreboard, unread slides, a vote by show of hands.

WCAG 1.2.4

Captions on live video

Livestreams while they're live. Live video itself needs no audio description; its replay does, where applicable.

WCAG 1.2.1

Audio-only and video-only

A transcript for audio-only content such as podcasts. Silent video gets a transcript or audio description.

Sign language (1.2.6) is Level AAA, so it isn't required. Older videos may be exempt as archived content or preexisting social media posts, but YouTube isn't named in either rule, and exempt content must still be made accessible when someone asks. We label old uploads “probably exempt (unclear)”, never “exempt”.

How it works

Set it up once. Every upload after that is covered.

Built so a communications office of one can keep up, without learning caption formats or WCAG.

  1. STEP 1

    Connect your YouTube channel

    Sign in with Google. We read your uploads; nothing is posted until you say so.

  2. STEP 2

    See what's in scope in a minute

    Every video sorted into in scope, probably exempt (unclear) and already OK, with the ones that likely need audio description flagged.

  3. STEP 3

    Every new upload handled

    Accurate captions with speaker names, published back to YouTube. Audio description written for the pauses, voiced, and linked as a described version.

  4. STEP 4

    Requests answered within 48 hours

    A public “request an accessible version” page. Each request is queued, the requester is kept posted, and it's logged.

  5. STEP 5

    A report you can show

    Inventory, statuses, what was fixed and when, the request log and a policy template, for your board or an OCR inquiry.

Your district channel

Scanning uploads

Illustration: a scan marks each upload as missing captions, needing audio description, or OK.

Real uploads from district channels. The free scan does this for your channel today.

Pricing

One flat yearly price. No per-minute surprises.

A typical district posts about 18 hours of new video a year. The free scan tells you your number.

Starter

For most districts and health centers.

$1,200/ year

20 hours of new video a year

  • Up to 20 hours of new video a year
  • Accurate captions on every new upload, published to YouTube
  • Audio description when the picture carries information
  • Public request page with 48-hour turnaround
  • Compliance report for your board or OCR
Reserve Starter

Standard

Most districts

For districts that stream board meetings and games.

$2,400/ year

60 hours of new video a year

  • Up to 60 hours of new video a year
  • Everything in Starter
  • Speaker names and motions on board-meeting captions
  • Multiple YouTube channels
  • Priority turnaround on requests
Reserve Standard

Large

For large districts, cooperatives and systems.

Let's talk

Custom volume

  • More than 60 hours a year
  • Everything in Standard
  • Website crawl for embedded video
  • Purchase order and cooperative contracts
  • W-9, insurance certificate and data privacy agreement
Contact us

Pay by card or purchase order. Under the $15,000 federal micro-purchase limit and local bid limits, so no RFP.

Older videos, when someone asks or you choose to fix them: $90 per hour, captions and description included.

Early access: reserving a plan costs nothing today. Now enrolling pilot districts and health centers for spring 2027.

Buying it

Small enough for a purchase order.

No RFP, no board agenda item. Your communications office can start with the free scan today and buy on a PO.

  • W-9 and certificate of insurance

  • A signable student-data privacy agreement (we only touch public video)

  • Card or purchase order, invoiced yearly

  • Accessibility conformance report (VPAT) for the app itself, before launch

Questions

What people ask first.

Something else? Send us a message

Do YouTube's automatic captions count?
Not in practice. WCAG 1.2.2 asks for captions that are accurate, and automatic captions miss names, terms and who is speaking. The free scan counts only uploaded caption tracks, which is what YouTube reports as captioned.
Are our old videos exempt?
Maybe. Archived content and social media posts from before the deadline can be exempt, but YouTube isn't named as social media in either rule and archived content has four strict conditions. Old video embedded on current pages of your own website is clearly in scope. And exempt content must still be made accessible when someone asks, which is what the request page is for.
Which videos need audio description?
Only those where the picture shows information the soundtrack doesn't say: a scoreboard, slides that aren't read aloud, a vote by show of hands, a music-only highlight reel. A talking-head video where everything is spoken needs none. Try the audio description checker.
How does audio description work on YouTube?
Most channels can't add a second audio track, so the common practice is a described version: the same video with the descriptions voiced in the pauses, uploaded as a separate video and linked from the original. For your own website player we also provide a WebVTT description track and a described transcript.
What happens if we miss the deadline?
There are no fines or inspectors. Enforcement starts with a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights, a DOJ complaint or a lawsuit. Those usually end in a public agreement to fix everything by a date, adopt a policy, train staff and report for two to three years. It's far cheaper to keep new uploads accessible from the start.
Is it available now?
The free channel scan works today. The full product is in early access: Now enrolling pilot districts and health centers for spring 2027. Reserving a plan costs nothing, and we'll confirm the price with you before anything is billed.
Why is it called Ferndean?
After Ferndean, the house in Jane Eyre where Jane becomes the blinded Mr. Rochester's eyes, describing the fields, trees and sky so he can see them through her. That's the job: making sure what's on screen reaches everyone.
Is this legal advice?
No. Ferndean helps you meet WCAG 2.1 AA for video. It doesn't guarantee compliance with any law; talk to your counsel about your obligations.

Free channel scan

How accessible is your channel today?

Paste your YouTube channel. In under a minute you'll see how many videos have accurate captions, how much new video you post a year and which uploads likely need audio description. Free, no sign-up.