Acquia Optimize

Audio element content has text alternative

Audio element content has text alternative

Introduction

This document gives information about the related Acquia Optimize checks:

  • Audio element content has text alternative.

What

Audio elements must have a text alternative available.

Why

Audio-only content is inaccessible to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have difficulty understanding audio for any reason. Provide a text version to ensure that they can still access the information.

This check affects individuals with:

  • Hearing difficulties: Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit when websites provide them with a text version of the audio content.

User story

Mei-Ling is a 41-year-old woman originally from Chengdu, China, now living in Brighton, England. She works as a ceramic artist and runs her own studio. Mei-Ling became deaf as a teenager due to an illness and uses both British Sign Language (BSL) and written communication to interact with her clients and manage her business.

"I came across this podcast that was all about traditional Chinese ceramics. Right up my alley, right? I was excited to learn more about techniques and stories behind the art, but it was only in audio. No transcript, no captions, just sound. It's so frustrating because I know there’s valuable knowledge in there that I just cannot access. As a deaf artist, I am constantly reminded of how much of the world is designed for hearing people, and it is not just about missing out on music or conversation—it is about missing professional opportunities, creative inspiration, and growth. I wish more content creators understood how much difference a transcript could make."

Examples

Example audio without a text alternative

On a podcast site focused on traditional Chinese ceramics, there is a podcast player where users can listen to the audio content. Unfortunately, there is no text alternative to the audio podcast, making it inaccessible for deaf individuals who are unable to benefit from the information shared.

Example audio with a text alternative

On a podcast site focused on traditional Chinese ceramics, there is a podcast player where users can listen to the audio content. The player includes a button allowing users to download a transcript of the podcast, ensuring that the content is also accessible to deaf individuals.

How

How to review it?

The Acquia Optimize platform highlights non-streaming audio elements in the code.

Review the audio clip to ensure that there is a text alternative to the audio. Ask yourself the following two questions:

  • Is there an option to download a transcript of the audio?
  • Is the audio simply an alternative to text that already exists on the site?

If you can answer "yes" to either of the two questions above, you can mark this check as "reviewed." For further instructions, see the user guide article:

How to review an accessibility issue

If you could not answer “yes” to the above, you will need to add a text transcript to your audio content before you can mark this issue as “reviewed.”

Additional resources

WCAG success criteria

1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

ACT rules

Related accessibility conformance testing rules.

Audio element content has text alternative

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