Audio Description in the WCAG 2.0 Standard

Audio description is one of the most crucial features enabling people with disabilities to access content properly.

What exactly is audio description? It is a verbal description of visual content, delivered as audio, which allows a person with a disability to find out about what is invisible or poorly visible to them.

Audio description was already included in the first guidelines of the WCAG 2.0 standard

How has the audio description guideline evolved?

1.2 Audio description or media alternative (prerecorded) (A) - An alternative must be provided for time-based media, and audio description must be provided for video in synchronised media.

The idea is to create a document (an audio track or a separate HTML document) that presents the same information as the published material. It must include all important dialogue and actions, as well as the appearance of the surroundings that are part of the story.

1.2.5 Audio description (prerecorded) (AA) - Covers everything in guideline 1.2, except that the audio file must also describe what is happening on screen (actions, emotions). This applies especially to video recordings.

1.2.7 Extended audio description (prerecorded) (AAA) - If a video file is not suitable for adding audio description, the user must be able to choose an alternative video file in which audio description is possible, together with the option to pause.

Examples

Audio description for an image file


Sample video with audio description