RE: Seeking clarity regarding the terminology in Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description

Perhaps if the note from Understanding read “, "For 1.2.3, 1.2.5, and 1.2.7, if all of the information in the video track is already provided in the audio track, no separate audio description is necessary."

But the wording you query does not, to me require a second track but does require audio description as "narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone".
Added is a key word here, if the main soundtrack includes AD then you have AD


From: Greg Jellin <greg@gregjellin.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 18 May 2022 8:29 am
To: Wai-Ig <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Seeking clarity regarding the terminology in Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.


Warning, it is a bit challenging to describe my concern so this is a bit verbose.

Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) states, "Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media."

In the normative part of the SC there are no exceptions, thus my interpretation is that an Audio Description is always required for synchronized media. Where it gets tricky for me is the definition of Audio Description.

When reading the Understanding (non-normative) doc for 1.2.5 the term Audio Description appears to me to be ambiguously defined. I would argue that the term is being used in some parts of the document to mean a separate audio track that augments the integrated (main) audio of the synchronized media to describe visual details, but in other parts to mean a description of visual details that may be in the integrated audio OR a separate audio track.

So which is is it? Is Audio Description defined describing in audio the visual content as separate track? Or, is Audio Description defined as describing in audio the visual content within the integrated (main) audio OR as a separate track.

This is important, because if WCAG defines Audio Description as always being a separate track, then the SC (normative) requires a separate track for all synchronized media.

Some examples of ambiguous language:

In the Understanding doc (Note section below "Intent") the following is stated, "For 1.2.3, 1.2.5, and 1.2.7, if all of the information in the video track is already provided in the audio track, no audio description is necessary."

My interpretation of that language is that audio description is a separate track, but is only necessary if the main audio track does not sufficiently describe the visual content. The problem is that this directly conflicts with the SC, "Audio description is provided for ALL..."

In the Key Terms section audio description is defined as "narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone".


Again, this implies that there is a 2nd (separate) soundtrack.

My sense is that the term Audio Description is being used to have two different meanings (ambiguous). In the SC statement it means that the visual content must be described (either in the integrated audio or a separate audio track) and in the Understanding doc it means explicitly a separate audio track.

Thoughts?


Greg



Kevin Prince

Product Accessibility & Usability Consultant



E kevin.prince@fostermoore.com

Christchurch

fostermoore.com

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