• Success Criterion 1.2.3
  • Conformance level A

Video’s Visual-Only Content Never Described in Any Format

1.2.3 — Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

Scenario

Setting

A community forum's discussion thread

What’s wrong

Video with important visual-only information (on-screen text, charts, demonstrations, scene changes) and no audio description and no descriptive transcript.

Example 

<video src="/forum/chess-analysis-ep12.mp4" controls></video>
<!-- Narration: "This is a classic sacrifice that opens up the
     position." The actual move (Bishop takes f7) only appears as a
     silent animated board diagram, and no transcript exists. -->

Why it matters

A blind chess enthusiast following the analysis has no idea which piece moved where, since the actual move is only ever shown as a silent diagram animation.

How to test

Play the video with eyes closed for 30 seconds: if you lose track of what's happening because visual information isn't described, it fails.

How to fix

When a video's meaning depends on visuals like diagrams, either narrate the specifics aloud or publish a descriptive transcript that states them.

<video src="/forum/chess-analysis-ep12.mp4" controls></video>
<p class="descriptive-transcript">
  Move 14: White plays Bishop takes f7, sacrificing the bishop to
  expose Black's king and open the position for a rook attack.
</p>

Outcome

A blind chess fan reads the move notation and follows the whole analysis without needing to see the board.

Who is affected

Blind and low-vision forum members lose the entire analytical value of the video, since the moves themselves exist only as visuals with no spoken or written equivalent.

Learn more

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