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A11ySignal
Level AWCAG 2.0WCAG 2.1WCAG 2.2EN 301 549 § 9.1.2.3

1.2.3
Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

Pre-recorded video needs either an audio description of what is shown, or a text alternative.

What the standard says

An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.

Why it matters

A blind user hears the soundtrack. If the price only appears on screen, they never learn it.

What a failure looks like

  • failsA tutorial where the narrator says "click here" and the target is only visible.
  • failsOn-screen text — prices, error states, code — never spoken.

How to fix it

  • doWrite the script so the narration says what the screen shows. This is cheaper than adding a description track later.
  • doWhere that is not possible, add an audio-description track or a full text alternative.

How A11ySignal checks it

manual

No automated rule can judge this criterion, and we will not pretend otherwise. A clean scan does not mean 1.2.3 passes — it means nothing we can measure fails. This one needs a person.

What a tool cannot tell you

Whether the audio conveys everything the video does is a human call.

Also under 1.2 Time-based Media