Title: Current wording for SC 1
Author: John Slatin

On the 22 December call I took an action item (not recorded in the minutes) to produce new wording for SC 1.2.2.

<current>
Audio descriptions  of video are provided for prerecorded  multimedia
</current>

The WG was concerned that the SC appears to require audio description for all multimedia, while How to Meet SC 1.2.2 might redefine the SC by describing situations when audio description is not required. The intent of the action item was to resolve this apparent discrepancy.

Recommendations:
1.	Retain the current wording for SC 1.2.2—no change is required.
2.	Modify the Intent section of How to Meet SC 1.2.2 as per the proposal below.
3.	Update our definition of audio description (see proposal below).
4.	Create a general technique that explains how to develop audio descriptions, to be used in combination with the relevant technology-specific technique. (Draft technique is provided below.)

Rationale:
Both the current and proposed definitions of audio description  state clearly that audio description is required only for important content that is not available from the sound track alone. 

Thus How to Meet SC 1.2.2 does not redefine the success criterion. Instead, it provides information to help readers understand how to use the definition in applying the success criterion. We may want to say this more clearly in the Intent section of How to Meet SC 1.2.2. 
Proposed change to Intent section of How to Meet SC 1.2.2
For example, we could move what is now the second sentence of the definition to the end of the Intent section (or repeat it there), with an additional clause to make it clear that description is required only for important visual content that cannot be understood from the soundtrack alone.

<proposed>
The intent of this success criterion is to provide people who are blind or visually impaired access to a multimedia presentation. The audio description augments the audio portion of the presentation with the information needed when the video portion is not available. During naturally-occurring pauses in dialog, audio descriptions provide information about actions, characters, scene changes and on-screen text which are important and are not described or spoken in the main sound track.  
</proposed>

<current>
The intent of this success criterion is to provide people who are blind or vision impaired access to a multimedia presentation. The audio description augments the audio portion of the presentation with the information needed when the video portion is not available. </current>

>

Proposed definition of audio description
The following proposal is adapted from the survey “Misc. questions for 22 December,” http://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/35422/20051222-misc/; the definition proposed below includes suggestions from John and Gregg (see survey Results)
<proposed>
audio description = narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone. During naturally-occurring pauses in dialog, audio descriptions of  video  provide information about actions, characters, scene changes and on-screen text. 
</proposed>

<current>
Audio narration that is added to the soundtrack to explain important details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone. During pauses in dialog, audio descriptions of  video  provide information about actions, characters, scene changes and on-screen text to people who are blind or visually impaired.
</current>

Proposed general technique for creating audio descriptions
1.	Review the multimedia
2.	Identify important visual content (actions, characters, on-screen text, settings) that must be understood in order to use the multimedia
3.	Determine whether important visual content identified in step2 (above) can be understood by listening to the soundtrack alone 
a.	For example, turn off or conceal the video display, then listen to the sound track . Is the important information needed to understand what is happening still available without the visual display?
i.	If “yes” (important visual information is available via the soundtrack alone), then audio description is not required.
ii.	If “no” (important visual information is not available from the soundtrack alone), go to step 4 (below).
4.	Write brief descriptions that can be spoken during naturally-occurring pauses in the dialogue to convey the necessary information.
5.	Create and save digitral audio recording(s) of the descriptions.
a.	Recorded descriptions can be stored in individual files or as a single file containing all the descriptions.
6.	Synchronize the audio description(s)  with the multimedia.