Goal
Enable people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access audio content in videos.
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1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
Level A
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1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
Level A
Success Criterion · WCAG 1.2.2
Captions (Prerecorded)
Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.
Level AWCAG 2.0Perceivable1.2 · Time-based Media
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What to do
Provide synchronized captions for all prerecorded video content that has audio.
Why it matters
Captions allow deaf and hard of hearing users to read what is being spoken and hear important sounds described.
Success criterion
What WCAG 1.2.2 requires
Summarized directly from the official Understanding document so teams can quote the requirement accurately.
Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such.
Intent
Why WCAG created this requirement
- Captions provide access to the audio portion of video content for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Synchronized captions allow users to follow along with both visual and audio information simultaneously.
- Captions include not just dialogue but also speaker identification and descriptions of meaningful sounds (music, laughter, applause, sound effects).
- Captions benefit users in noisy environments, quiet settings, or those learning the language.
Benefits
Who gains when you pass
- People who are deaf can read captions to understand all spoken dialogue and meaningful sounds in videos.
- People who are hard of hearing can use captions to supplement what they can hear.
- People in environments where audio cannot be played (offices, libraries, public transit) can still consume video content.
- People learning the language can read along while listening to improve comprehension.
- People with cognitive or learning disabilities may better understand content when they can both see and read it.
- Search engines can index caption text, making video content more discoverable.
Why it matters
User impact when this criterion fails
Summaries drawn from the Understanding document help you socialize impact statements with product stakeholders.
Without captions, deaf users cannot understand any spoken content in videos, missing dialogue, narration, and important audio cues.
Hard of hearing users may miss portions of dialogue, especially in videos with background noise, music, or multiple speakers.
Users in sound-sensitive environments (sleeping baby, open office, public space) cannot access audio content without captions.
Non-native speakers may struggle to understand accents, fast speech, or technical terminology without caption support.
Exception guidelines
Use the WCAG 1.2.2 exceptions correctly
Document the rationale for each exception and note which alternative support you provide.
Media alternative for text
If the video is itself an alternative for existing text content (like a video version of an article), it is exempt from the caption requirement.
Requirement
The media must be clearly labeled as a media alternative, and the primary text content must be present and accessible nearby.
Overview
All prerecorded videos with audio must have synchronized captions that display the dialogue, identify speakers, and describe meaningful sounds. Captions are text displayed on screen that are synchronized with the audio track, allowing viewers to read what is being said while watching. This is different from transcripts (which are separate documents) and subtitles (which typically only show dialogue for foreign language translation).
- Captions must be synchronized with the audio—appearing at the same time the words are spoken.
- Include speaker identification when multiple people are speaking or when the speaker is not visible.
- Describe meaningful non-speech sounds: [door slams], [phone rings], [ominous music], [crowd cheering].
- Captions should be accurate, not paraphrased, and include all spoken content.
- Open captions (always visible) or closed captions (user-toggleable) both satisfy this requirement.
Reference: All summaries and highlights originate from Understanding WCAG 1.2.2 and the W3C quick reference.
Fast facts
- Conformance level
- Level A
- WCAG version introduced
- WCAG 2.0
- Principle
- Perceivable
- Guideline
- 1.2 · Time-based Media
Examples
Make success tangible for teams
Share pass/fail snapshots to coach designers, engineers, QA, and content authors.
Training video
Pass
A product training video has closed captions that include all instructor dialogue, on-screen text callouts, and descriptions like "[click sound]" when demonstrating interactions.
Fail
A training video has no captions, or auto-generated captions with numerous errors that were never reviewed.
Interview video
Pass
An interview video identifies speakers: "INTERVIEWER: What inspired you?" "DR. SMITH: Well, it started..." and notes [both laugh] during lighter moments.
Fail
An interview video has captions but no speaker identification, making it impossible to know who is saying what.
Product demo
Pass
A product demo video captions the narrator's voice and includes "[upbeat music]" during intro/outro segments and "[notification sound]" when alerts appear.
Fail
A product demo only captions dialogue but omits the background music and sound effects that set the tone.
Webinar recording
Pass
A recorded webinar has professionally reviewed captions with accurate technical terminology and proper speaker labels for Q&A sections.
Fail
A webinar uses only auto-generated captions that mangle technical terms and product names.
Evidence to keep
Document conformance decisions
Capture artifacts for VPATs, procurement reviews, and regression testing.
- Maintain a video inventory tracking caption status for all media assets.
- Document the captioning workflow: who creates captions, quality review process, timing standards.
- Establish caption style guidelines: speaker identification format, sound description conventions, timing rules.
- Store caption files (WebVTT, SRT) alongside video assets for easy updates.
- Record screenshots or screen recordings showing captions enabled as audit evidence.
Official resources
Deep dives and supporting material
Keep these links handy when writing acceptance criteria or responding to audits.
Understanding 1.2.2
Official W3C interpretation, techniques, and intent for Captions (Prerecorded).
Quick Reference 1.2.2
Filterable list of sufficient techniques and failures for this criterion.
Technique G87
Providing closed captions for prerecorded synchronized media.
Technique G93
Providing open (always visible) captions.
Technique H95
Using the track element to provide captions.
WebVTT Specification
W3C standard format for caption and subtitle files on the web.
Implementation checklist
Capture progress and blockers
- Identify all prerecorded video content with audio on your site or application.
- Create accurate, verbatim captions for all spoken dialogue.
- Include speaker identification when speakers change or are not visible on screen.
- Add descriptions of meaningful non-speech sounds in brackets: [applause], [music playing], [phone buzzes].
- Synchronize captions to appear when the corresponding audio plays.
- Ensure captions are readable: appropriate timing, font size, contrast, and positioning.
- Provide a mechanism for users to turn captions on/off (closed captions) or ensure they are always visible (open captions).
- Test captions with actual users and verify synchronization accuracy.
Testing ideas
Prove conformance with evidence
- Identify all prerecorded synchronized media (video with audio) on the page.
- Enable captions and verify they are available for each video.
- Watch the video with sound muted and verify all essential audio information is conveyed through captions.
- Check that captions are synchronized—appearing at the appropriate time relative to the audio.
- Verify speaker identification is provided when needed (multiple speakers, off-screen speakers).
- Confirm meaningful sounds are described: music, sound effects, environmental sounds that convey information.
- Check caption accuracy by comparing to the actual spoken content.
- Verify captions are readable: sufficient contrast, appropriate timing (not too fast), proper positioning.
- Test the caption toggle mechanism (for closed captions) to ensure it works correctly.
Related success criteria
More from Time-based Media (1.2)
WCAG 1.2.1Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)Level AWCAG 1.2.3Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)Level AWCAG 1.2.4Captions (Live)Level AAWCAG 1.2.5Audio Description (Prerecorded)Level AAWCAG 1.2.6Sign Language (Prerecorded)Level AAAWCAG 1.2.7Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)Level AAAWCAG 1.2.8Media Alternative (Prerecorded)Level AAAWCAG 1.2.9Audio-only (Live)Level AAA