1.2.2Captions (Prerecorded)
Prerecorded video with audio needs captions synchronized with the audio. Auto-generated captions are typically not accurate enough.
Patterns that fail this criterion.
- 01YouTube embeds without manually-reviewed captions
- 02Marketing videos with hardcoded translated subtitles only (no CC track)
- 03Auto-captions only — often 70-90% accurate, leaves names, technical terms, numbers wrong
Testing approach: manual.
Manual — confirm captions exist and are accurate. Automated tools detect the absence of a track element but cannot judge accuracy.
Remediation steps.
- 1
Use a CC track
Provide an SRT/VTT caption file in the same language as the audio. Auto-captions are a starting point, not a finished product — review and correct them.
- 2
Include speaker IDs
When multiple speakers, label them ("Sarah:", "Tom:") so screen-reader users know who is talking.
- 3
Caption non-speech
Music, laughter, applause, sound effects relevant to understanding — caption them in brackets ([upbeat music]).
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