• Success Criterion 1.2.1
  • Conformance level A

Video Alternative Not Labeled as a Substitute for Article Text

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

Scenario

Setting

A crowdfunding platform's campaign page

What’s wrong

Media alternative for text not labeled as such, when relying on that exception.

Example 

<h2>Our Campaign Story</h2>
<video src="/campaign/pitch-video.mp4" controls></video>
<p>[4,000-word campaign story follows, with no indication the video
already covers the same content]</p>

Why it matters

A backer using a screen reader has no way to know the video already covers everything in the 4,000-word story below, so they sit through the whole wall of text unnecessarily.

How to test

Find any media marked as an alternative to on-page text: confirm it is explicitly labeled as such (e.g., 'audio version of this article') — unlabeled fails.

How to fix

When a media alternative for text is being used, the page has to say so explicitly, so users know they can choose one or the other.

<h2>Our Campaign Story</h2>
<video src="/campaign/pitch-video.mp4" controls></video>
<p><em>This video covers the same story as the text below; you don't need to read both.</em></p>
<p>[4,000-word campaign story follows...]</p>

Outcome

A backer with a cognitive disability watches the shorter video and skips straight to the pledge tiers.

Who is affected

Screen reader users and users with cognitive disabilities who benefit from shorter content never learn the video is a full substitute, since it isn't labeled as one.

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