Level AASince WCAG 2.0
1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)
Guideline 1.2: Time-based Media – Audio and video need captions, descriptions or transcripts.
What does the rule require?
Prerecorded videos have audio description: a voice describes important visuals during pauses in the dialogue.
How to get it right
Offer a second audio track or a second version of the video with description. If the narration already covers everything, no extra track is needed.
Who benefits most?
- Blind people
- People with low vision
Official wording
This page explains the rule in simple words. Only the original W3C text is normative.
- “Understanding Audio Description (Prerecorded)” at W3C (external site)
- Techniques in the WCAG Quick Reference (external site)