Success Criterion 1.2.3
Conformance level A

Text-Alternative Exception Claimed Without a Real Text Version

1.2.3 — Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

Scenario

Setting

A hotel booking site's room-selection page

What’s wrong

Relying on the "media alternative for text" exception without the clearly-labeled text version actually existing on the page.

Example

<video src="walkthrough.mp4"></video>

Why it matters

Blind and low-vision viewers who hear dialogue but miss unique visual information.

How to test

Check whether the 'media alternative for text' exception is being relied on: confirm a clearly labeled, complete text version actually exists — if not, the exception doesn't apply and it fails.

How to fix

An audio description or a full descriptive transcript covering all important visual information must be provided.

<video src="walkthrough.mp4">

  <track kind="descriptions" src="desc-en.vtt" srclang="en">

</video>

<a href="walkthrough-transcript.html">Full text alternative</a>

A descriptions track or full transcript covers on-screen information dialogue never mentions.

Outcome

On a hotel booking site's room-selection page, this barrier is gone for blind and low-vision viewers who hear dialogue but miss unique visual information — they can finish what they came here to do.

Who is affected