Videos, Views, and Vaccines: Evaluating the Quality of COVID-19 Communications on YouTube

Objective: As the COVID-19 vaccine is introduced, it is critical to recognize that public opinion on vaccines is largely influenced by health communications, with YouTube being a major source of information and misinformation. This analysis graded the accuracy, quality, and reliability of the most viewed YouTube videos depicting COVID-19 and vaccinations over a six-month period. Methods: We collected hyperlinks for the 150 most viewed YouTube videos discussing COVID-19 from January through June 2020. Closed captioning data was searched for the term “vaccine,” yielding 32 videos. This sample was evaluated for quality, accuracy, and reliability using a rubric that incorporated existing instruments: Global Quality Scale (GQS), JAMA Benchmark Criteria, and DISCERN. Results: These 32 videos had 139,764,188 views at the time of data collection. The majority of videos received low scores, with network news sources receiving the lowest scores overall. Conclusions: The overall quality of COVID-19 YouTube videos related to vaccines may be low and raises a precautionary alert for the public consuming these videos and for healthcare providers working to provide the best information to their patients. Existing scoring tools may not capture the complexities of social media. New tools could allow for a better understanding of the modern landscape of health communications.

Design for the visually impaired when traveling outdoors using omnidirectional imagery and image recognition

Assistive technologies, such as devices to help perform tasks, cognitive aids, mobility aids, physical modifications in the built environment and closed captioning, help to improve or maintain a person's ability to complete day-to-day tasks. For example, assistive technologies can be helpful for people with disabilities or the elderly, enabling them to work around challenges they may encounter. The development of assistive technologies depends on datasets, which are used for training, testing or validation. Furthermore, making such datasets widely available can help advance the field of assistive technologies. One area in which assistive technologies can be useful is in helping people who are visually impaired. For example, electronic mobility aids use ultrasonic waves that reflect off objects in front of people, letting them know what is ahead. At the Division of Industrial Art, Faculty of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, in Japan, Associate Professor Tetsuaki Baba is using a deep learning approach to develop assistive technology for visually impaired people. As a foundation for this work, he and his team have developed a dataset for developers to create deep learning vision-based applications for visually impaired people.

The Rogue Poster-Children of Universal Design: Closed Captioning and Audio Description

To abide by the tenants of universal design theory, the design of a product or service needs to not only consider the inclusion of as many potential users and uses as possible but also do so from conception. Control over the creation and adaption of the design should, therefore, fall under the purview of the original designer. Closed captioning has always been touted as an excellent example of an design or electronic curb-cut because it is a system designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, yet is used by many others for access to television in noisy environments such as gyms or pubs, or to learn a second language. Audio description is poised to have a similar image. In this paper, we will demonstrate how the processes and practices associated within closed captioning and audio description, in their current form, violate some of the main principles of universal design and are thus not such good examples of it. In addition, we will introduce an alternative process and set of practices through which directors of television, film and live events are able to take control of closed captioning and audio description by integrating them into the production process. In doing so, we will demonstrate that closed captioning and audio description are worthy of directorial attention and creative input rather than being tacked on at the very end of the process and usually to only meet regulatory or legislative mandates.

The Rogue Poster-Children of Universal Design: Closed Captioning and Audio Description

To abide by the tenants of universal design theory, the design of a product or service needs to not only consider the inclusion of as many potential users and uses as possible but also do so from conception. Control over the creation and adaption of the design should, therefore, fall under the purview of the original designer. Closed captioning has always been touted as an excellent example of an design or electronic curb-cut because it is a system designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, yet is used by many others for access to television in noisy environments such as gyms or pubs, or to learn a second language. Audio description is poised to have a similar image. In this paper, we will demonstrate how the processes and practices associated within closed captioning and audio description, in their current form, violate some of the main principles of universal design and are thus not such good examples of it. In addition, we will introduce an alternative process and set of practices through which directors of television, film and live events are able to take control of closed captioning and audio description by integrating them into the production process. In doing so, we will demonstrate that closed captioning and audio description are worthy of directorial attention and creative input rather than being tacked on at the very end of the process and usually to only meet regulatory or legislative mandates.

Improving Tornado Warning Communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiences

Although specialized personal and residential Deaf warning technologies exist, receipt and comprehension of tornado warning information from local television is often delayed or misunderstood because of closed-captioning deficiencies. In order to suggest improvements for the communication of tornado warnings to Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) audiences, interviews and a focus group were conducted within the active tornado counties of Alabama. D/HoH individuals generally use more information sources than the hearing population to better understand their risk. Protective action decision-making by our sample was characterized by more hesitation, uncertainty, and indecision than in the hearing population. The most common suggestion for improving tornado-warning communication was to have an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter shown on screen with a local television meteorologist during a tornado warning. A split-screen television product with an ASL interpreter in a remote studio was prototyped showing that this type of live broadcast is possible for local tornado-warning coverage. Several screen formats were evaluated by a focus group with the conclusion that the ASL interpreter should be on the left side of the screen without obscuring any part of the weather broadcast. The split-screen product with an ASL interpreter resulted in full access to all broadcast information, the ability to make immediate safety decisions, and was welcomed with excitement by the focus-group participants. This modification, along with the education and preparedness efforts of the National Weather Service, help remedy the information gaps and comprehension delays of this underserved population.

Design for the visually impaired when traveling outdoors using omnidirectional imagery and image recognition

Assistive technologies, such as devices to help perform tasks, cognitive aids, mobility aids, physical modifications in the built environment and closed captioning, help to improve or maintain a person's ability to complete day-to-day tasks. For example, assistive technologies can be helpful for people with disabilities or the elderly, enabling them to work around challenges they may encounter. The development of assistive technologies depends on datasets, which are used for training, testing or validation. Furthermore, making such datasets widely available can help advance the field of assistive technologies. One area in which assistive technologies can be useful is in helping people who are visually impaired. For example, electronic mobility aids use ultrasonic waves that reflect off objects in front of people, letting them know what is ahead. At the Division of Industrial Art, Faculty of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, in Japan, Associate Professor Tetsuaki Baba is using a deep learning approach to develop assistive technology for visually impaired people. As a foundation for this work, he and his team have developed a dataset for developers to create deep learning vision-based applications for visually impaired people.