Why this criterion exists
Audio-only podcasts and video-only product demos are inaccessible to deaf or blind users without a text alternative. Transcripts also benefit search engines and indexing.
If you only remember one thing: for prerecorded audio-only content, provide a transcript. for prerecorded video-only content, provide either a transcript or an audio description. Everything else on this page is detail.
Who feels it when this fails
Accessibility criteria sometimes feel abstract until you see who pays the cost when a site ignores them. Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) affects:
- Deaf and hard-of-hearing users (audio-only)
- Blind users (video-only)
- Non-native speakers
How sites typically fail it
These are the patterns we see week after week. None are intentional — they are accidents of how teams build interfaces under deadline. Knowing the failure modes is the fastest path to writing them out of your component library.
- Podcast pages with audio embed and no transcript
- Animated explainer videos without narration or transcript
How to test for it
- Pick every audio file or silent video; verify a transcript exists nearby.
Automated scanners catch this criterion most of the time, but never all of the time. Manual testing with the keyboard and a screen reader closes the gap.
A code fix you can copy
Pair the audio element with a visible transcript, ideally on the same page.
The problem
<audio src="/podcast.mp3" controls></audio>The fix
<audio src="/podcast.mp3" controls></audio>
<details>
<summary>Read the full transcript</summary>
<p>...</p>
</details>Pair the audio element with a visible transcript, ideally on the same page.
Frequently asked questions
Does a YouTube auto-generated transcript satisfy 1.2.1?
Auto-generated captions are generally not considered WCAG-compliant because they contain errors, particularly for technical jargon, proper nouns, and accented speakers. A reviewed and corrected transcript or caption file is required. Auto-captions can be a starting point for editing, but they must be reviewed before claiming conformance.
What format should a transcript take?
A text transcript can be a simple HTML page, a collapsible <details> element below the audio player, or a linked PDF. It must include all spoken dialogue, speaker identification where multiple speakers are present, and meaningful non-speech audio (e.g., "[applause]", "[phone ringing]"). Plain text on the same page is the most accessible and SEO-friendly format.