• Success Criterion 1.2.5
  • Conformance level AA

1.2.5 · Audio Description (Prerecorded)

Lesson overview · Audio Description (Prerecorded)

In plain language

Prerecorded videos need an audio description track describing important visual-only content.

Who it affects

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

How to check

Play the video with the described track (or check one exists); confirm on-screen text, actions and scene changes are spoken. Worked example — A project-management tool's task board: click the link to the described version: if it 404s, is region-blocked, or requires different login than the main video, it fails.

Common misconception

People confuse this with 1.2.3. That one lets you choose between audio description OR a text alternative; this one, at Level AA, specifically requires the audio-description track itself. Real example: on a survey tool's question builder, the video has natural pauses in the dialogue but the audio-description track doesn't use them to describe important visuals.

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Scenarios in this lesson