1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) — WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A): what it requires, a common e-commerce accessibility failure, and how to fix it.
This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines hub → Perceivable → 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A)
What it requires: For prerecorded video with meaningful visual information the dialogue doesn’t cover, provide either audio description (narration inserted in natural pauses describing key visuals) or a full text alternative.
Common failure: A demo video shows a UI walkthrough entirely through on-screen action (“click here, then here”) with no narration describing what’s being clicked — a blind viewer following only the audio loses the entire point of the video.
Fix it: Script narration that describes the key visual actions as they happen, or provide a full transcript that includes the visual steps, not just the spoken words.
In 1.2 Time-based Media: ← 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) · 1.2.4 Captions (Live) →
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This is educational technical reference content, not legal advice. It explains what WCAG 2.1 requires and how to meet it — not whether a specific site carries legal risk. Compliance with WCAG, the ADA, or any other accessibility law or standard is a legal determination; consult qualified counsel for legal risk assessment.
This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a person for accuracy before publication.