The Role of Transcription in Archival Accessibility

For some, transcription can be the key to meaningful engagement with historical records. From aiding screen reader users and supporting comprehension to clarifying text for those navigating old or difficult handwriting, transcription bridges the gap between preserved content and accessible experience. 

Despite its significance, transcription remains an underutilized accessibility practice in many archives. Institutional priorities often emphasize digitization without the follow-through of providing accessible, machine-readable text. For example, a scanned letter, photograph of a manuscript, or recorded oral history may be available online, but without proper transcription, the content will remain inaccessible to many users.

Recognizing transcription as more than an enhancement, but rather a core component of ethical archival design, is essential to fulfilling the mission of inclusive access to archives.

Who Benefits from Archival Transcription?

Transcription serves a wide range of users, including those who are visually impaired, hard of hearing, or neurodivergent. 

• People who are blind or have low vision rely on screen readers to navigate text-based content. However, screen readers cannot interpret handwriting, printed materials in images, or audio without accompanying transcripts. Without transcription, these users are locked out of significant portions of archival holdings. 
• Deaf and hard-of-hearing users benefit from transcriptions of audio and video content, such as oral histories, interviews, lectures, and recorded events. While captions are helpful, full transcripts often provide a richer, searchable alternative that supports deeper research. Transcripts also help users with auditory processing challenges or those accessing content in noisy or sound-sensitive environments.
• People with cognitive disabilities or neurodivergent users may find it easier to process text than to decipher erratic handwriting or comprehend dense audio content. Transcripts allow for slower reading, annotation, and customized formatting. They also support language learners and non-native speakers, who may benefit from the clarity and stability of text over spoken or visual media. 

However, transcription does not just benefit users with disabilities; it enhances usability for everyone. It supports keyword searching, citation, translation, and text analysis. In many ways, transcription turns static content into dynamic, discoverable data.  

The Top 3 Challenges in Archival Transcription

Despite its value, transcription is time-consuming and resource intensive. Archivists may feel overwhelmed by the volume of untranscribed materials in their care. Historical documents often pose challenges such as poor handwriting, inconsistent spelling, obsolete language, and physical damage that can make interpretation difficult. Audiovisual transcription requires specialized tools, diligence, and sensitivity to accents, background noise, or overlapping voices. 

Institutions often lack the staffing or funding to transcribe materials at scale. Some rely on grant-funded projects or temporary workers to make progress, while others turn to volunteers or crowdsourced platforms. While these approaches can be practical, they must be managed carefully to ensure accuracy, consistency, and ethical handling of sensitive materials.  

Another challenge is prioritization. Which materials get transcribed first? Should rare, high-demand or pedagogically relevant items take precedence? Should transcription focus on materials important to specific user communities, including those with disabilities or marginalized groups historically excluded from the archives? Answering these questions requires clear policy development, community engagement, and an institutional commitment to accessibility as a strategic priority.  

Archival Transcription as Ethical Design

When integrated thoughtfully, transcription becomes an act of care. It reflects a recognition that providing access to archival materials involves more than just providing a digital surrogate; it means providing content in formats that all users can engage with.   

Transcription also models transparency, revealing what is said, what is omitted, and how information is framed. It is a way of translating the archives for broader use without altering the historical record.  

To do this well, archivists must establish workflows and standards. Transcripts should be accurate, clearly formatted, and accompanied by metadata identifying their source, transcription method, and editorial decisions. When possible, archival interfaces should allow users to toggle between images and transcriptions or download them for offline use. Providing transcripts in open formats (such as plain text or accessible PDFs) ensures compatibility with assistive technologies. 

Creating a Culture of Transcription in Archives

Creating a culture of transcription means embedding it into daily archival practice by budgeting for transcription in digitization projects, training staff and volunteers in best practices, and seeking community involvement in decision-making. 

Archives have long claimed to exist for the public. If that claim is to hold, transcription must be part of the access infrastructure. It ensures that the historical record does not remain locked behind visual or auditory barriers. It invites more people in to bring more perspectives, voices, and stories. 

In prioritizing transcription, archives demonstrate their commitment to inclusion in theory and practice. They recognize that accessibility affirms the right to participate in history, research, and culture. Transcription is how archivists say: this record is for you.