Audio descriptions available (prerecorded)
Core requirement
Audio descriptions are available in prerecorded video for visual content needed to understand the media.
WCAG 3 needs to specify how to handle video content with audio that does not include gaps to insert audio descriptions. Two possible solutions are providing an exception that allows the content author(s) to use descriptive transcripts instead or requiring content authors to provide an extended audio description.
Except when the video content is an alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.
Tests
Procedure
For prerecorded video:
- Check that audio description is available for visual content needed to understand the media.
Expected results
- #1 is true.
Key Terms
- audio
live or recorded sound signal
- audio description
narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone
For audiovisual media, audio description provides information about actions, characters, scene changes, on-screen text, and other visual content.
Audio description is also sometimes called “video description”, “described video”, “visual description”, or “descriptive narration”.
In standard audio description, narration is added during existing pauses in dialogue. See also extended audio description.
If all important visual information is already provided in the main audio track, no additional audio description track is necessary.
- content
information, sensory experience and interactions conveyed
person or persons responsible for the content presented, including word choice, formatting, images, video, audio, and other elements
- descriptive transcript
A text-based document where the chronological sequence of audio and video information is matched in the text to the sequence of the original media object, combining dialogue and sound tracking with descriptions of meaningful sound and visual actions, information, expressions, and settings.
This format integrates both auditory and visual descriptions into a single text stream, serving as an accessibility solution for users who cannot access either track, specifically including individuals who are Deafblind.
- extended audio description
audio description that is added to audiovisual media by pausing the video to allow for additional time to fit in the audio description
This technique is only used when the sense of the video would be lost without the additional audio description and the pauses between dialogue or narration are too short.
- video
the technology of moving or sequenced pictures or images
Video can be made up of animated or photographic images, or both.