Web Governance
Audio element content has text alternative
1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
This document provides information about the related accessibility checks:
Audio elements must have a text alternative available.
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 from websites that provide them with a text version of the audio content.
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."
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.
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 to review it?
The Web Governance 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:
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.
1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
Related accessibility conformance testing rules.
If this content did not answer your questions, try searching or contacting our support team for further assistance.
If this content did not answer your questions, try searching or contacting our support team for further assistance.
Web Governance