What Does My Video/Audio Need?

For descriptions of captions, transcripts, audio description, sign language and other introductory information, please see: Making Video and Audio Accessible - Introduction.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines are explained in WCAG Media Standards.
This page describes the optimum for pre-recorded media to meet users' needs.

Providing a Descriptive Transcript for Your Videos

Descriptive transcripts are not required to meet WCAG Level AA. However, they:

• meet a wide range of accessibility needs, and are needed in order for videos to be accessible to people who are "Deaf-blind"
• provide additional benefits for users without disabilities, and for your organization (for example, SEO)
• are easy and inexpensive to develop using captions and audio description that you already have to meet Level AA

Deciding How to Meet User Needs

The wording below helps you think about what users need in order to understand the information that you are presenting in the video or audio, including users who cannot hear it or see it. We've included "who are Deaf" and "who are blind" to help you understand what to provide. However, keep in mind that many people who can see and hear will also benefit from these, as described in Additional Benefits.

What does my video need to be accessible?

• Is there speech or other audio that is needed to understand the content?
  • If yes,
    • [_] Captions that provide the information to people who are Deaf or hard of hearing and want to watch the video. (A 1.2.2)
    • [_] Transcript of audio information that provides the information to people who don't want to watch the video. (AAA 1.2.8)
      (This transcript is the same text from the captions file, in a different format.)
  • If no, inform users.
• Is there visual information that is needed to understand the content?
  • If yes,
    • [_] Audio description that provides the information to people who are blind and want to listen to the video. (AA 1.2.5)
    • [_] Descriptive transcript that provides the information to people who are blind and Deaf ("Deaf-blind"). (AAA 1.2.8)
      (If you have a descriptive transcript, you do not need an additional transcript of only audio information from the previous question.)
  • If no, inform users.

What does my audio-only (e.g., podcast) need to be accessible?

• [_] Captions that provide the information to people who are hard of hearing and want to listen the audio. (A 1.2.2)
• [_] Transcript of audio information that provides the information to people who don't want to listen to the audio or want an interactive transcript. (AAA 1.2.8)
  (This transcript is the same text from the captions file, in a different format.)

Informing Users When None Needed

If your media does not need captions (because there is no substantive audio content) or does not need audio description (because there is no substantive visual content), it's good to let users know that. Otherwise, they might think that you accidentally forgot to provide it. For example:

• Captions not needed: The only sound with this video is background music. There is no speaking.
• Audio description not needed: This video does not include audio description because the visuals only support what is spoken; the visuals do not provide additional information.

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