• Success Criterion 1.2.1
  • Conformance level A

Silent Demo Video With No Transcript or Narration

1.2.1 — Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

Scenario

Setting

A dating app's profile setup

What’s wrong

Video-only content (silent demo, screencast, animated GIF conveying process) with neither a text alternative nor audio track.

Example 

<video src="/onboarding/profile-setup-demo.mp4" autoplay muted loop playsinline></video>
<button>Next</button>

Why it matters

A blind user setting up a dating profile has no idea the silent clip demonstrates drag-to-reorder photos, so they skip a feature that could make their profile more appealing.

How to test

Play any silent video (demo, screencast, animated GIF of a process): if there's no transcript or narrated audio track describing what happens, it fails.

How to fix

Silent video content still needs a text description covering every action it demonstrates, since there's no audio to caption.

<video src="/onboarding/profile-setup-demo.mp4" autoplay muted loop playsinline aria-describedby="setup-steps"></video>
<p id="setup-steps">
  Drag a photo up to make it your main picture, then tap "Save order."
</p>
<button>Next</button>

Outcome

A blind user hears the drag-and-drop instructions and rearranges their photos on the first try.

Who is affected

Screen reader users and anyone browsing with autoplay video disabled get no information from this clip, since it carries no audio and no text alternative.

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