Re: Captions and transcripts in WCAG 2.0 and the W3C Multimedia Accessibility FAQ

Dear Cole,

SC 1.2.2 and 1.2.4 apply to "synchronized media", which is commonly a video with both a visual component and an audio component.

Most W3C media is audio-only (no video), for which transcripts are sufficient. (For audio-only, it is beneficial to also provide captions, though not required.)

Regards,
~Shawn


-----
Shawn Lawton Henry
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
e-mail: shawn@w3.org
phone: +1.617.395.7664
about: http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/





Robison, Cole [EISU] wrote:
> Hello,
> 
>  
> 
> I am looking for an explanation as to how these statements in the W3C 
> Multimedia Accessibility FAQ <http://www.w3.org/2008/06/video-notes>:
> 
>  
> 
> ·         “For most W3C media, you just need to provide a simple text 
> transcript.”
> 
> ·         “Note that for audio-only recordings, providing a transcript 
> is sufficient to meet all of the relevant WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA 
> Success Criteria under Guideline 1.2 Time-based Media 
> <http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/#media-equiv>.”
> 
>  
> 
> … are reconciled with WCAG 2.0 SC 1.2.2 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#media-equiv-captions>:
> 
>  
> 
> *1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded):* Captions 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#captionsdef> are 
> provided for all prerecorded 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#prerecordeddef> audio 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#audiodef> content in 
> synchronized media 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#synchronizedmediadef>, 
> except when the media is a media alternative for text 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#multimedia-alt-textdef> 
> and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A)
> 
>  
> 
> … and SC 1.2.4 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#media-equiv-real-time-captions>:
> 
>  
> 
> *1.2.4 Captions (Live):* Captions 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#captionsdef> are 
> provided for all live 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#livedef> audio 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#audiodef> content in 
> synchronized media 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#synchronizedmediadef>. 
> (Level AA)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> … as the success criteria seem to state flatly that captions, not merely 
> transcripts, are required.
> 
>  
> 
> The interpretation of these success criteria is tremendously important 
> in my state <http://www.kansas.gov/index.php>, which has adopted Level 
> AA conformance with WCAG 2.0 as policy 
> <http://www.da.ks.gov/itec/documents/itecitpolicy1210.htm>, and is 
> facing extreme challenges figuring out how to caption audio-video 
> content, challenges that in many cases would be greatly mitigated if a 
> transcript would suffice.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you,
> 
>  
> 
> Cole Robison
> 
> Director of Statewide Web/IT Accessibility
> 
> Division of Information Systems and Communications
> 
> State of Kansas
> 
> cole.robison@da.ks.gov
> 
> (785) 291-3016
>

Received on Thursday, 21 January 2010 13:36:33 UTC