Digital AccessibilityCore ConceptsAudio and VideoAudio, Video, and Accessibility

Audio, Video, and Accessibility

The information on this page is for pre-recorded audio and video only.

There isn’t an accessibility checker available for audio and video recordings. A manual check of the captions, transcript, and audio description is necessary. An accessibility checker may check the accessibility of the audio and video player. A manual check with a keyboard and screen reader is necessary for the audio and video player.

Definitions:

  • Audio-only content contains only sound, such as podcasts, audiobooks, and music.
  • Video-only is a video without voice or sound, such as a silent movie or animation, or videos with text or animations only.
  • Multimedia is a video containing audio (voice and sound), such as movies, how-to videos with narration.

Accessibility requirements:

  • Audio-only must have a transcript.
  • Video-only must have an audio description or a transcript.
  • Multimedia must have synchronized captions and audio descriptions. It should have a transcript.

Audio and Video Players

Audio and video players must be accessible for assistive technology. The player’s controls allow you to pause, play, and mute the audio or video. Each control on the player must have a visual focus indicator, be in a logical order, and function with the keyboard and other assistive devices. Each control must have the correct information (name (label), role, and value) to be accessible to screen readers and other assistive devices.

Audio Descriptions

Multimedia must have an audio description. Video-only must have an audio description or provide a transcript. The audio description explains what’s happening in the video. An audio description is a detailed explanation of the visual parts of a scene that aren’t explained through sound or spoken words. It provides details about what happens, who is in the scene, when the view changes, text that appears on the screen, and other things you can see.

Good, Bad, and Ugly: Closed Captioning and Video Description Video

This video shows the same scene with good and bad versions of audio, captions, and audio descriptions

Audio Description Demo

This video demonstrates a video with or without visual and audio descriptions.

Captions

Captions, or subtitles, are the text equivalent of the voice and sounds in the multimedia. The captions are synchronized with the voice and sounds in the multimedia.

Definitions

Closed captions are a separate file from the video. The separate file works with the video player, allowing you to control the captions by adjusting their size or color, or turn them on or off.

Open captions are captions embedded into the video that you can not adjust for size or color, or turn on or off.

Visual Presentation of Captions

Whether you are using Closed or Open Closed Captions, follow these guidelines:  

  • Captions should be less than 3 lines and less than 32 characters per line
    • Use logical breaks in phrases for line breaks
  • For captions, the color contrast between text and background must be a contrast ratio of 3:1
    Best practice: Use white text on a black background.
  • Captions must not rely solely on colors to express meaning. 
  • The font should be a sans-serif type.
  • Font size should be at least 22pt font (29px)
  • Captions should be in mixed case.
    • Use italics and ALL CAPS for emphasis when punctuation alone does not express the intended meaning. Apply them thoughtfully and sparingly.
    • Quotation marks, italics, or underlining with mixed case capitalization should be used to convey titles of books, movies, and songs.
  • Avoid blocking visual information, including text and people’s faces.
    For video players, like YouTube and Vimeo, captions only appear at the bottom of the screen. 
    • Identify where the visual information appears on the screen to avoid covering text with captions.
  • Captions should sync with the audio
    • Captions should remain on screen for at least 1 second.
      • Ideally, it is at least 0.3 seconds per word
      • Add extra time for a caption to stay on frame when there are unfamiliar words or when a lot is happening visually.
    • Captions should not appear on the screen during long silent intervals.
More details about captions below

Transcripts

A transcript must be available for audio-only and should be available for multimedia. A transcript must be available for video-only if audio description is not available. The transcript should be easily accessible from the audio or video player.

A transcript includes the spoken words and important visual information. 

Provide the transcript as one of the following: 

  • Provide the transcript below the audio or video player.
  • Provide a link below the audio or video player.
    Link to the transcript as:
    • a separate page or
    • an accessible electronic document.
More details about transcripts below

Best Practices for Captions and Transcripts for Prerecorded Video and Audio

Important to Have

  • The caption or transcript exactly represents the spoken content. (Including speech spoken off-screen).
  • Note ambient or background sounds in [square brackets] or (parentheses), [CRASHING WAVES]. 
  • Identify each person speaking, including their name or role, whether on screen or off.
    • Suggestion: Use all CAPS ending with a colon.
  • For audio descriptions and transcripts, describe visual elements in [square brackets] or (parentheses).

Should

  • Use standard spelling
  • Use punctuation to express emphasis instead of using additional words.  
    • Use descriptive words when it can’t be conveyed any other way, such as (SHOUTING), (WHISPERING), or (MOUTHED)
  • Identify the music, including title and artist, if appropriate.
    Examples:  
    • Music: “Washington State Fight Song” by words by Zella Melcher and music by Phyllis Sayles
    • [WSU MARCHING BAND PLAYS “Washington State Fight Song” by words by Zella Melcher and music by Phyllis Sayles]
    • [MARCHING BAND MUSIC], this music isn’t part of the action
  • Include lyrics if they are relevant to the meaning of the content.
  • Identify inaudible content with [square brackets] or (parentheses) as  [inaudible] or (unclear).
  • Keep strong language, if included in the audio. Use BLEEP when a sound is in place of the strong language or dashes when words are partially muted, s–.    

May

  • Include stuttering, ums, etc., when they do not interfere with the comprehension of the captions or transcript.

Accessibility Checks 

Use this checklist as a guide to ensure your audio and video are in an accessible format.

  • Pre-recorded and live videos are captioned. [manual]
  • Audio-only content has transcripts. [manual]
  • Transcripts and captions are verbatim with the audio content. [manual]
  • Speaker changes are identified in captions and transcripts. [manual]
  • Text or audio descriptions are provided for meaningful visual content in pre-recorded videos that is not described/supported by a video’s audio. [manual]
  • Audio or video content that starts automatically can be paused. [manual]
  • Audio and video media player controls are available and accessible with a keyboard and assistive technology. [manual]

Additional Support

The more planning you do for the audio, video, or multimedia content, the easier it will be to create captions, audio description, and transcripts.

Web Accesibility Initiative’s Planning Audio and Video Media from Making Audio and Video Media Accessible

Resources

Audio Description

  • ADA Video Compliance Checklist
    Source: A11y Collective

    A11y Collective’s ADA video compliance checklist to ensure accessibility and avoid legal risks. Get practical steps that work.

    Tags: Article
  • Everything to Know About the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Video Compliance
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    In this blog, we’ll give you a high-level overview of the ADA, explore how Titles II and III of the ADA apply to web accessibility, learn what the DOJ’s new rule means, and share tips for making your videos accessible and ADA-compliant.

    Tags: Article
  • How to create audio descriptions for accessible YouTube videos
    Source: PopeTech

    An audio description is narration that describes what’s happening on-screen. They’re important because users with visual and cognitive disabilities need the audio description to understand the visual content.

    Tags: Article
  • How to make videos and audio accessible
    Source: Pope Tech

    Learn what accessible audio and video need to be accessible plus our suggestion for the easiest way to make accessible videos.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Making Audio and Video Media Accessible
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    This resource explains how to make media accessible, whether you develop it yourself or outsource it. It helps you figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs, provides project management guidance, and includes requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Planning Audio and Video Media
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    Figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs (captions, description, a transcript, etc.).

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Standards and Requirements for Quality Audio Description
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    Providing a verbal description of on-screen elements and visual details in media, audio description gives individuals with low vision the context they need to understand and enjoy video content. Think of it as the equivalent of captions, but for those who are blind or have low vision. 

    Tags: Article
  • The Ultimate Guide to Audio Description
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    This guide includes just about everything there is to know about audio description. From laws, to best practices, to pricing it’s all here. Let’s get describing.

    Tags: Article
  • What Is Audio Description?
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    For individuals who are blind or have low vision, audio description is the key to revealing detailed information that sighted people consume without a thought. Audio description (also referred to as “description” or “video description”) is defined as “the verbal depiction of key visual elements in media and live productions.” 

    Tags: Article
  • When to Use Audio Description on Your Content
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    Audio description (AD) is one essential aspect of the upcoming requirements, and we’re here to help when it comes to narrowing down the what, when, and how of effectively implementing AD.

    Tags: Article

Captioning

  • A complete guide for adding captions to YouTube videos
    Source: Pope Tech

    This article reviews how to add captions to YouTube videos plus other helpful caption information including: why captions are important according to the numbers, options for adding captions to YouTube videos, tips for writing good captions, and when to consider using a 3rd party captioning service.

    Tags: Video
  • ADA Compliance Video Captions For Online Accessibility
    Source: ADA Compliance Firm

    Discover the ADA standards for video captions, including accuracy, completeness, and synchronization.

    Tags: Article
  • ADA Video Compliance Checklist
    Source: A11y Collective

    A11y Collective’s ADA video compliance checklist to ensure accessibility and avoid legal risks. Get practical steps that work.

    Tags: Article
  • Everything to Know About the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Video Compliance
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    In this blog, we’ll give you a high-level overview of the ADA, explore how Titles II and III of the ADA apply to web accessibility, learn what the DOJ’s new rule means, and share tips for making your videos accessible and ADA-compliant.

    Tags: Article
  • How to make videos and audio accessible
    Source: Pope Tech

    Learn what accessible audio and video need to be accessible plus our suggestion for the easiest way to make accessible videos.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Making Audio and Video Media Accessible
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    This resource explains how to make media accessible, whether you develop it yourself or outsource it. It helps you figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs, provides project management guidance, and includes requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Managing a meeting’s accessibility in Teams 2023
    Source: WSU Percipio

    Microsoft Teams includes several features designed to enhance your meeting’s accessibility. You can blur your video’s background, and even apply a standard or custom background image. You can also generate live captions to see who is speaking and what they are saying. Learn how to use these features in Teams 2023 in this video.

    Tags: Video
  • Planning Audio and Video Media
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    Figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs (captions, description, a transcript, etc.).

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • The Complete Guide to Captioned Videos
    Source: Meryl.net

    7 Reasons Why You Want to Caption Your Videos and Caption10 Guidelines: Create Great Captioned Videos

    Tags: Article
  • The Role of Captions and Transcripts in Accessibility
    Source: AFixt

    This post will explore why captions and transcripts are critical for accessibility, how they align with legal requirements like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and best practices for implementing them effectively.

    Tags: Article
  • Top 10 Common Accessibility Issues in Websites
    Source: AFixt

    But despite good intentions, many websites fall short of compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and laws like Section 508.

    Tags: Article
  • What Is 99% Accuracy, Really? Why Caption Quality Matters
    Source: 3PlayMedia

    Accuracy is a critical aspect of the captioning process. Not only do accurate captions create an equal viewing experience for viewers who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, but they also ensure your organization is in compliance with major accessibility laws.

    Tags: Article

Transcripts

  • ADA Video Compliance Checklist
    Source: A11y Collective

    A11y Collective’s ADA video compliance checklist to ensure accessibility and avoid legal risks. Get practical steps that work.

    Tags: Article
  • How to make videos and audio accessible
    Source: Pope Tech

    Learn what accessible audio and video need to be accessible plus our suggestion for the easiest way to make accessible videos.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Making Audio and Video Media Accessible
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    This resource explains how to make media accessible, whether you develop it yourself or outsource it. It helps you figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs, provides project management guidance, and includes requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard.

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • Planning Audio and Video Media
    Source: W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative

    Figure out which accessibility aspects your specific audio or video needs (captions, description, a transcript, etc.).

    Tags: Article, dec-2025
  • The Role of Captions and Transcripts in Accessibility
    Source: AFixt

    This post will explore why captions and transcripts are critical for accessibility, how they align with legal requirements like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and best practices for implementing them effectively.

    Tags: Article
  • Top 10 Common Accessibility Issues in Websites
    Source: AFixt

    But despite good intentions, many websites fall short of compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and laws like Section 508.

    Tags: Article