Extended Audio Description (Pre-recorded) (1.2.7 – Level AAA)

‘Extended Audio Description (Pre-recorded)’ requires you to provide extended audio descriptions for pre-recorded videos.

Introduction

Users with visual impairments or cognitive limitations may rely on audio description to enjoy videos. Adding an audio description soundtrack to videos means these users get all information from the content.

For videos where there’s more information to convey than the natural pauses in the soundtrack allow you, those users need an extended audio description soundtrack.

How to Pass ‘Extended Audio Description’

• Provide an extended audio described version of a video’s soundtrack, selectable by the user; or
• Provide an alternative version of your video with extended audio description.

Exceptions

• You don’t need to add an audio description at all if your video conveys all its information through the regular soundtrack. Something like a straight face-to-face interview, or a speech to-camera would probably not need audio description.
• You don’t need to extend your audio description if a regular audio description can provide all of the information in the video during the natural pauses in sound.\This guideline doesn’t apply to live videos or streaming.
• Live videos and streaming.

‘Extended Audio Description’ Tips

This builds on audio description by effectively pausing the video to give the soundtrack enough time to pass on all the information from the video. This might mean narrating movements that are not audibly explained in the video, identifying speakers or explaining visual information.

You can provide this to users by letting them select an audio track within the video player or having links to both versions of the video.

Keep this guideline in mind when creating videos to reduce your workload.

See Also

• Audio Description or Media Alternative (Pre-recorded)
• Audio Description (Pre-recorded)
• Media Alternative (Pre-recorded)
• Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.7 (W3C)