- Success Criterion 1.2.3
- Conformance level A
1.2.3 · Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
Lesson overview · Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
In plain language
Every prerecorded video needs either an audio description of important visuals or a full text alternative.
Who it affects
Blind and low-vision viewers who hear dialogue but miss unique visual information.
How to check
Watch with eyes closed: is everything important still conveyed? If not, look for an audio-described version or a descriptive transcript.
Common misconception
Teams often assume a “talking head” video needs nothing extra. If it cuts to a slide, chart, or demo at any point, that visual content needs description too.
Learn more
Scenarios in this lesson
- No Audio Description or Text Alternative for a Visual Video
- Video’s Visual-Only Content Never Described in Any Format
- Transcript That Only Covers Dialogue, Not What’s On Screen
- Described Video Version That’s Impossible to Find
- Audio Description Track With No Way to Turn It On
- Media Alternative Describing an Older, Outdated Video Cut
- Text-Alternative Exception Claimed Without a Real Text Version