Success Criterion 1.2.5
Conformance level AA

Transcript Offered Instead of a Required Audio Description Track

1.2.5 — Audio Description (Prerecorded)

Scenario

Setting

An email client's compose window

What’s wrong

At AA, providing only a transcript and no audio description when pauses exist to accommodate description (transcript satisfied 1.2.3 but not 1.2.5).

Example

An email client's compose window runs into this exact issue: at AA, providing only a transcript and no audio description when pauses exist to accommodate description (transcript satisfied 1.2.3 but not 1.2.5).

Why it matters

Blind and low-vision viewers who need spoken descriptions of important visuals. On an email client's compose window, this barrier means they are left guessing what the media actually shows.

How to test

Check whether only a transcript (no audio description) is provided even though the video has pauses that could carry description: at AA level, transcript alone is insufficient here.

How to fix

An audio description track must describe all important visual-only content, using available pauses in dialogue.

Outcome

Corrected, an email client's compose window now lets a visitor understand the image, video, or audio content.

Who is affected

Blind and low-vision viewers who need spoken descriptions of important visuals.

Learn more

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