Imagine if there was no way to access that content in another format.
WCAG 1.2.1 ensures that everyone can get the full picture, no matter how they experience the world—whether through listening, watching, or reading.
Who this impacts
- People who are deaf or hard of hearing: They rely on transcripts or captions to access audio content.
- People who are blind or have low vision: They need descriptive text alternatives for video-only content.
- People with cognitive disabilities: They may need text to accompany audio or visuals for better understanding.
- Everyone: This guideline is also helpful when users are in noisy or quiet environments, or have limited data and can’t stream video/audio.
How to meet Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
- Audio-only content: Provide a transcript that includes all spoken content and important non-speech information (like background sounds that affect understanding). The transcript should be easy to find and accessible to all users.
- Video-only content: Provide a text alternative (description) that explains what’s happening visually. This is especially important for tutorials or demonstrations that rely entirely on visuals.
Practical examples
- Audio-only Example: You’ve created a 10-minute podcast episode on website design trends. To make it accessible, you’ll need a transcript of the episode that includes all the dialogue and any important sounds (like applause or music cues).
- Video-only Example: You’ve uploaded a video tutorial that shows users how to assemble a piece of furniture but has no narration or audio. To meet WCAG 1.2.1, you’ll need to provide a text description that explains each step of the process as it happens on screen.
Our video for Time-Based Media contains a full transcript and serves as another example.
Exceptions
If the content is purely decorative (like background audio or visuals that do not convey any important information), a transcript or text alternative may not be needed. However, be careful—this exception is rare, as most content conveys some level of important information.
Top tips
- Make transcripts easy to find: Place transcripts or descriptions near the audio or video content so they’re accessible to everyone.
- Keep it comprehensive: Include non-verbal sounds (like laughter, applause, or alarms) in your transcripts and important visual details in your descriptions.
- Use automated tools: For large amounts of content, consider using transcription or captioning services to speed up the process, but always review them for accuracy.