Transcripts not given adequate relevance

Name: Jared Smith
Email: jared@webaim.org
Affiliation: WebAIM
Document: W2
Item Number: Success Criterion 1.2.7
Part of Item: 
Comment Type: technical
Summary of Issue: Transcripts not given adequate relevance
Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
Captions alone do not provide adequate multimedia accessibility to many users (screen reader users, deaf, deaf-blind, cognitive disabilities, non-native speakers, those using print/braille output, etc.). 



Due to the multimedia exception to SC 1.1.1 (Level A), transcripts are not required for multimedia unless Level AAA conformance is desired (SC 1.2.7). SC 1.2.2 (also Level A) requires full text alternative OR audio descriptions (unless visual content is in audio), so this does nothing to provide adequate accessibility to the audience listed above.



Transcripts provide higher assistive technology support and have no more (arguably much less) impact on presentation than captions or audio descriptions, yet have been relegated to the highest conformance level. Captions are required at Level A, yet transcripts are at Level AAA even though they may provide better accessibility to a larger population.



Additional thoughts at http://webaim.org/blog/2007/06/27/wcag-20-polishing-the-rough-edges/#transcripts

Proposed Change:
Remove the multimedia exception from SC 1.1.1 OR assign SC 1.2.7 to a lower conformance level.

Received on Friday, 29 June 2007 20:55:36 UTC