The purpose of Guideline 1.2 of WCAG 2.0 is to provide access to time-based media and synchronised media for people with disabilities by providing an alternative format.
This has ramifications for those who work with all online video and audio content, including:
- audio-only
- video-only
- audio-video
- audio and/or video with interaction
The media types are also separated in pre-recorded and live media.
The quick reference table below outlines the alternative format required for different time-based and synchronised media to achieve compliance with the nine success criteria associated with Guideline 1.2. These alternatives include transcripts, captions, audio description and extended audio description, and sign language.
| Alternative | WCAG 2.0 - A | WCAG 2.0 - AA | WCAG 2.0 - AAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Pre-recorded audio-only | |||
|
A1 Transcript |
Yes (1.2.1) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
B Prerecorded video-only |
|||
|
B1 Audio equivalent |
Yes (1.2.1) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
B2 Full text alternative |
Yes (1.2.1) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
C Pre-recorded audio-video |
|||
|
C1 Captions |
Yes (1.2.2) | Yes | Yes |
|
C2 Audio description |
Yes (alt C3)* (1.2.3) | Yes ( 1.2.5) | Yes |
|
C3 Full text alternative |
Yes (alt C3)* (1.2.3) | No | Yes (1.2.8) |
|
C4 Sign language |
No | No | Yes (1.2.6) |
|
C5 Extended audio description |
No | No | Yes (1.2.7) |
| D Live audio-only | |||
|
D1 Captions |
No | No | Yes (1.2.9) |
| E Live audio-video | |||
|
E1 Captions |
No | Yes (1.2.4) | Yes |
Please note that this table is only a summary. Please refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 for the standards document approved by the W3C. Understanding WCAG 2.0 and Techniques for WCAG 2.0 also provide supporting techniques and information which may be useful.
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