Creating accessible content with audio
Audio can be included in a test to support question content and aid candidates with accessibility requirements , for example providing candidates with visual impairments audio of question content or any other important information.
For more information on how to listen to audio read Listening to audio in the test driver. If the audio has been added to the item as source material, for more information read Navigating source material with a keyboard in the test driver.
This article explains how to create accessible content with audio, including how to import audio into the media library and configure audio player options.
Table of Contents
Creating accessible audio items
When creating accessible audio items, please see the list below for some suggestions on how they may be made accessible. This is not an exhaustive list and more information can be found in W3C’s Making Audio and Video Media Accessible article.
Adding audio as source material
You can also add audio as source material. Source material are files that the candidate needs to refer to when answering a question. For more information, read Adding source material to an item.
Go to your item’s Edit screen
Select an item in your subject to open it and go to the Edit screen.
Open the question stem’s Additional Options
Select Additional Options next to the question stem to open the Additional Options menu.
Select Add Source Material to open the Select Media dialog.
Choose your source material
Choose your source material in the Select Media dialog. You can select multiple files at the same time.
You can upload new source material at this point using Import or Import Shared Resource. For more information, read Importing files to the media library.
When you have chosen your media files, select Add media to item.
Adding audio as assistive media
Assistive media are small audio and video files that can be added to items so that candidates can hear content in a chosen language or watch a visual aid. For more information, read Adding assistive media to an item.
Go to your item’s Edit screen
Select an item in your subject to open it and go to the Edit screen.
Add assistive media
You can add assistive media to the question stem of all item types and the answer options for the following item types:
Adding assistive media to a question stem
Open the question stem’s Additional Options menu and select Add Assistive Media to open the import dialog.
Adding assistive media to an answer option
Select an answer option to reveal the Assistive Media block. Select Add Assistive Media to open the import dialog.
Adding audio as embedded media
You can add audio to items in Item Authoring. Audio can be used to support question content or to aid candidates with accessibility requirements.
Go to your item’s Edit screen
Select an item in your subject to open it and go to the Edit screen.
Open the media library
In the Edit screen, select Select Media to open the media library. For more information about the media library, read About the Surpass media library.
Choose your audio
Choose an audio file in the Select Media dialog and select Add media to item to add it to your item.
If you want to add another audio file to your item, select Add Media Item on the Edit screen.
To delete an audio file from your item, select Remove media from this item on the Edit screen.
Configure audio player (MP3 files only)
If you add an MP3 file to your item, you can configure how the media player behaves in the test driver.
Select Additional Options to open the options menu.
Expand the following section for an explanation of the audio player’s available options.
Choose a media layout
You can determine the media’s layout by selecting a Choose layout option.
| ICON | SETTING | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Auto | Media is automatically laid out based on its dimensions. |
 |
Left of the answer | Media is displayed to the left of the answer block. |
 |
Right of the answer | Media is displayed to the right of the answer block. |
 |
Above question text | Media is displayed above the question stem. |
 |
Above the answer | Media is displayed between the question stem and the answer block. |
 |
Below the answer | Media is displayed below the answer block. |
Further reading
- About the Surpass audio player
- Listening to audio in the test driver
- Importing files to the media library
- Navigating source material with a keyboard in the test driver
- Creating accessible content with the formatting toolbar
- Creating accessible content with video
- Creating an accessible test profile
- Adding alt text to images in the Surpass media library