1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded): An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.
1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded): Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.
Success Criteria (SC) 1.2.3 and 1.2.5 support the perceivable principle and provide a method for people who are without vision, or with limited vision, or with limited language, cognitive, and learning abilities to obtain information about visual elements. This can include important visual cues (e.g., facial expressions, actions, and settings) and embedded text (e.g., titles, credits, speaker names, and graphic presentations) within a synchronized media presentation.
Audio descriptions are required if the video conveys content visually that is not available in the default audio track. Descriptions of decorative and inconsequential (or unimportant) content are not required in the audio description.
Two Success Criteria apply to synchronized media:
Success Criteria 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) allows the use of a descriptive text transcript or audio description to provide the information that is only available visually.
However, Success Criteria 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) does NOT allow the use of a transcript to meet this requirement. Therefore, important visual information must either be conveyed in the audio track or provided as an audio description.
The Section 508 Standards require conformance to the higher standard associated with SC 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded). However, the conforming and non-conforming examples will address SC 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) for informational purposes.
Impact of Nonconformance with SC 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
| Type of Disability | Description of Impact |
|---|---|
| 302.1 Without Vision | Users who are blind cannot use a mouse to interact with electronic content and typically use an assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to get audible or other alternative output for the information represented visually. To be able to navigate the content, understand its structure and relationships, and understand the meaning of content represented in graphics and images, the content must provide textual and programmatic cues in addition to the content presented purely visually. |
| 302.2 With Limited Vision | Users with limited vision may have widely different visual perception. Individuals with limited vision may or may not use assistive technologies. Therefore, in addition to textual and programmatic cues necessary for assistive technologies, ICT must also present content consistently and predictably. Users who view content with magnifiers may not pick up alerts, warnings, or other content if such content is presented outside of a consistent and predictable navigation pattern or if the content is not itself viewable at large magnification. Content that becomes distorted when magnified can also prevent some users with limited vision from being able to understand or interact with the content. |
| 302.9 With Limited Language, Cognitive, and Learning Abilities | Some users require more time than average to process information while others may find complicated instructions difficult to follow. Furthermore, some ICT content can distract or overwhelm users, preventing them from being able to interact with or understand other ICT content. Designers and developers of ICT must consider a broad range of cognitive abilities in order to provide ICT that is simple and easy to use. |
Applicability of Success Criteria 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
| Technology | Applicability of SC 1.2.3 |
|---|---|
| Web | Applies directly; software developers can provide audio descriptions for prerecorded audio content in synchronized media with a variety of methods. Such methods may rely on both file format and the media player used to present the synchronized media and the audio descriptions. Depending on the format and/or media player, developers may need to provide open audio descriptions in the synchronized media or ensure that the selected media player allows users to optionally present closed descriptions. Finally, developers must be aware that the Revised Section 508 Standards require that audio description controls in media players must be available at the same menu level as controls for volume and program selection. |
| Software | Applies directly; software developers can provide audio descriptions for prerecorded audio content in synchronized media with a variety of methods. Such methods may rely on both file format and the media player used to present the synchronized media and the captions. Depending on the format and/or media player, developers may need to provide open audio descriptions in the synchronized media or ensure that the selected media player allows users to optionally present closed descriptions. Finally, developers must be aware that the Revised Section 508 Standards require that audio description controls in media players must be available at the same menu level as controls for volume and program selection. |
| Office Documents | Applies directly; depending on the type of document, authors may embed particular types of media files directly in the document and/or stream media from online sources (e.g., YouTube™), assuming a live internet connection. Media embedded directly within a document may rely on a native player or the default Operating System player. In either case, authors may not be able to predict whether the player will provide the ability to display closed audio descriptions. In such cases, providing open audio descriptions would ensure that all users have access to the audio descriptions. |
| Documents Applies directly; depending on the PDF authoring tool and/or the end user’s PDF viewer, it may be possible to embed media files directly within a PDF document or stream media from an online source, such as YouTube™. For embedded media, it is not always possible to predict whether the end user’s native player or default operating system player can provide the option to present closed audio descriptions. When a PDF author cannot predict whether the end user’s media player can present closed audio descriptions, providing open audio descriptions would ensure that all users have access to the descriptions. | |
| Mobile Native | Applies directly; software developers can provide audio descriptions for prerecorded video content in synchronized media with a variety of methods. Such methods may rely on both file format and the media player used to present the synchronized media and the audio descriptions. Depending on the format and/or media player, developers may need to provide open audio descriptions in the synchronized media or ensure that the selected media player allows users to optionally present closed audio descriptions. Finally, developers must be aware that the Revised Section 508 Standards require that audio description controls in media players must be available at the same menu level as controls for volume and program selection. |