1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

Level: AAA | Principle: Perceivable | Since: WCAG 2.0 | Automation: Manual

What This Means

All prerecorded synchronized media (video with audio) must have a full text alternative that describes everything happening in the video — both the audio content and the visual content. This is essentially a screenplay or transcript that includes descriptions of actions, settings, expressions, and all spoken dialogue.

This goes beyond captions (which only cover audio) and beyond audio description (which only covers visuals for blind users). A media alternative is a complete text document that allows someone to read and understand the entire media experience without watching or listening.

This is particularly important for deaf-blind users who use braille displays, as they cannot access captions or audio descriptions. A full text alternative is the only way these users can consume video content.

Who This Affects

Deaf-blind users — a text alternative is the only format accessible via braille display
Users with both hearing and vision impairments — text can be adapted to their needs
Users who cannot play media — due to bandwidth, device, or environmental constraints
Search engines and indexing tools — full text alternatives improve content discoverability

Common Pitfalls

1. Providing only a transcript of dialogue

<!-- Bad: transcript only covers spoken words -->
<video src="product-demo.mp4" controls></video>
<div class="transcript">
  <p>Host: Welcome to our product demo.</p>
  <p>Host: Let me show you the dashboard.</p>
</div>

<!-- Good: full media alternative includes visual descriptions -->
<video src="product-demo.mp4" controls></video>
<details>
  <summary>Full text alternative</summary>
  <div class="media-alternative">
    <p>[Scene: Office setting with a large monitor showing a software dashboard]</p>
    <p>Host (standing next to the monitor): Welcome to our product demo.</p>
    <p>[Host clicks on the sidebar navigation, opening the analytics panel with bar charts]</p>
    <p>Host: Let me show you the dashboard.</p>
  </div>
</details>

2. Media alternative is missing or hard to find

<!-- Bad: no link to the text alternative -->
<video src="training.mp4" controls></video>

<!-- Good: clearly linked text alternative near the video -->
<video src="training.mp4" controls></video>
<p><a href="/transcripts/training-full-text.html">Read full text alternative (includes visual descriptions)</a></p>

How to Test

Locate all prerecorded synchronized media (video with audio) on the page.
Check for a linked text alternative near each video (e.g., "Full text alternative" link or a <details> element).
Open the text alternative and verify it includes all spoken dialogue with speaker identification.
Confirm the text alternative also describes all significant visual information: actions, settings, on-screen text, and scene changes.
Verify the text alternative is in a format accessible to screen readers and braille displays (semantic HTML, not an image of text).
Pass: Every video has a comprehensive text alternative that covers all dialogue and visual content in an accessible format.
Fail: Any video lacks a text alternative, or the alternative only covers dialogue without visual descriptions.

How to Fix

For each prerecorded video, create a comprehensive text document that includes all dialogue, speaker identifiers, and descriptions of visual content
Include descriptions of scene changes, on-screen text, graphics, and relevant actions
Place a clearly visible link to the text alternative directly adjacent to the video player
Use semantic HTML for the text alternative so it works with assistive technology
Keep the text alternative updated if the video content changes