1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

Introduction

This document provides information about the Web Governance accessibility check:

• Audio element content has text alternative.

What

Audio elements must provide a text alternative so that the information is accessible to all users. This check verifies that the audio meets one of the following criteria:

• It has a dedicated text transcript.

• It serves as an alternative to existing on-screen text.

Why

Audio-only content can create significant barriers for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have difficulty processing auditory information. Provide a text alternative or identify the audio as an alternative to existing text to ensure that the information is inclusive. This allows all users to engage with your content, regardless of their ability to hear or the environment they are in.

Who

Affected users

This check affects individuals with:

• Deafness or hearing impairments: Who require a text version of the audio content.

1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

Introduction

This document provides information about the Web Governance accessibility check:

• Audio element content has text alternative.

What

Audio elements must provide a text alternative so that the information is accessible to all users. This check verifies that the audio meets one of the following criteria:

• It has a dedicated text transcript.

• It serves as an alternative to existing on-screen text.

Why

Audio-only content can create significant barriers for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have difficulty processing auditory information. Provide a text alternative or identify the audio as an alternative to existing text to ensure that the information is inclusive. This allows all users to engage with your content, regardless of their ability to hear or the environment they are in.

Who

Affected users

This check affects individuals with:

• Deafness or hearing impairments: Who require a text version of the audio content.
• No impairments: Who access the material in noisy environments, situations where audio is not allowed, or when their audio equipment is broken or not available.

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, which makes 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 which allows users to download a transcript of the podcast. This ensures that the content is also accessible to deaf individuals.

How

This section provides instructions on how to review and fix the issue.

How to review it

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

How to review it

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 one of the two questions above, you can mark this check as Reviewed. For further instructions, visit How to review an accessibility issue.

If you could not answer yes to one of the two questions above, follow the instructions below for information on how to fix the issue.

How to fix it

Add a text transcript to your audio content and then 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