Why is this important?

Users with visual impairments may not be able to see or interpret visual content, such as images and video. As designers you must provide text that accurately describes the nature of all visual content. You should provide audio descriptions to help users understand video content.

Users with hearing or cognitive impairments, and those for whom the language spoken in any video content is not their primary language, may not be able to hear or understand spoken audio in video content.

You must ensure that users have complete control over what they can see and hear. If you have any moving content – video, animation, image or text based carousels – you must provide a way to allow them to pause or stop the content.

In this section

  • Provide alternatives for images, video and audio content
  • Take extreme care when designing for video, audio and animation

References for this section

WCAG 2.1

  • 1.1.1 Non-text Content (A)
  • 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Pre-recorded) (A)
  • 1.2.2 Captions (Pre-recorded) (A)
  • 1.2.3 Audio Descriptions or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded) (A)
  • 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (A)
  • 1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-recorded) (AA)
  • 1.2.6 Sign Language (Pre-recorded) (AAA)
  • 1.4.2 Audio Control (A)
  • 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (A)
  • 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (A)

EN 301 549 v 2.1.2

  • 9.1.1.1 Non-text Content
  • 9.1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Pre-recorded)
  • 9.1.2.2 Captions (Pre-recorded)
  • 9.1.2.3 Audio Descriptions or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded)
  • 9.1.2.4 Captions (Live)
  • 9.1.2.5 Audio Description (Pre-recorded)
  • 9.1.4.2 Audio Control
  • 9.2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide
  • 9.2.3.1 There Flashes or Below Threshold

Videos

Further reading