WCAG 2.0 · Level AA · Perceivable
1.2.4 Captions (Live)
Manual verification
How to validate 1.2.4 by hand
Check captions for live synchronized media while it is being presented, not only in a recording afterward.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Join a representative live stream and enable its captions before or during the presentation.
- Compare captions with live speech and meaningful sounds at several points, including fast exchanges, names, and changes in speaker.
- Check delay and recovery after connection interruptions; confirm captions remain visible and usable with the player controls.
Evidence to record
Record the live event, timestamps, caption delay, accuracy problems, and whether a person could follow the live information.
Scope and exceptions
A recording with corrected captions does not establish that captions were available during the live presentation. Technical limits and delays do not remove the need to evaluate the actual live experience.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.