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Audio description or multimedia alternative

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1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (A)

The WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Guideline currently requires that a descriptive text transcript (i.e. alternative for time-based media) be provided in all cases for pre-recorded synchronized media.

Audio descriptions are not mandatory for synchronized media, but are still recommended when the media delivers high-stakes information or services to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired have access to the visual information in synchronized media content.

Test at the same time

1.2.1  Audio-only and Video-only (Pre-recorded)

Exceptions

When synchronized media is a media alternative for text and clearly labelled as such.

How to test

  1. Open the web page to be tested.
  2. Look through the page for any synchronized media content.
  3. For each instance of synchronized media, check that a descriptive text transcript is available and that:
    • When compared to the synchronized media, it provides a correct text description of the time-based visual and auditory information;
    • It is clearly labelled as being a descriptive text transcript for synchronized media.

Potential access issues

  • The synchronized media content does not have a descriptive text transcript.
  • The descriptive text transcript gives different information or inaccurate information.
  • The descriptive transcript is not clearly labelled as being a descriptive text transcript for the syncronised media content

1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-recorded) (AA)

Beyond a descriptive text transcript, audio description provides an additional degree of accessibility for blind and vision-impaired users. Audio description is an extra audio track that provides, during pauses in dialogue, information that’s delivered in the video track but not described or included in the main audio track.

The WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Guideline currently exempts all synchronized media from the requirement to provide audio descriptions. While not mandatory, audio descriptions are still recommended when the media delivers high-stakes information or services to ensure that people who are blind or vision impaired have access to the visual information in synchronized media content.

Test at the same time

1.2.3  Audio Description or Media Alternative

Exceptions

All synchronized media are currently exempt from the requirement to provide audio descriptions.

How to test

  1. Open the web page to be tested.
  2. Look through the page for any synchronized media content.
  3. Play the media. Check that there is an audio description and that it provides a correct account of the important and meaningful information in the video track.

Potential access issues

  • The synchronized media content does not have an audio description.
  • The audio description gives different information or inaccurate information.

Audio description or multimedia alternative was posted on 12/09/2023 @ 09:46