WCAG 2.0 · Level AAA · Perceivable
1.2.9 Audio-only (Live)
Manual verification
How to validate 1.2.9 by hand
Check live audio-only content for a real-time text alternative that conveys the same information.
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 the live audio presentation and locate the text alternative while the event is in progress.
- Compare the text with speech and meaningful sounds throughout the session, including speaker changes and late-breaking information.
- Check that a participant can follow the text without relying on the audio and that updates arrive in time to be useful.
Evidence to record
Note representative timestamps, missing or delayed information, and how a participant reaches the text alternative.
Scope and exceptions
A transcript published after the event is not a live alternative. This is a Level AAA criterion for live audio-only content.
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.