WebsightWhat it asks for, in plain English
A recording that is sound only, such as a podcast episode or a voice message, needs a transcript: the words, who said them, and any sounds that matter to the meaning.
A recording that is picture only, such as a silent product animation or a screen recording with no narration, needs either a transcript describing what happens or an audio track that narrates it.
The transcript or narration has to carry the same information as the recording, not a summary. The only exception is media that is itself an alternative to text on the page and is clearly labelled as such, for example a video walkthrough of written instructions that sit next to it. Live media is covered separately (1.2.4).
This is an independent explanation. The binding wording is the W3C Recommendation, and the W3C's own Understanding 1.2.1 page has the full intent, techniques and definitions.
Who it affects
Someone who is deaf gets nothing from a podcast player, but can read a transcript in the same time as everyone else listens.
A blind customer watching a silent demo of a new feature hears nothing because there is nothing to hear, and never learns what the feature does.
Anyone in an open-plan office or on a quiet train wants the transcript so they do not have to find headphones.
How to check it
- List every audio-only and video-only recording on the site: podcast players, voice notes, silent explainer animations, screen recordings.
- For each one, look for a transcript or descriptive text on the same page or one obvious link away.
- Read the transcript against the recording. It should include everything a listener or viewer would take from it, not just the gist.
- For silent video, check the description covers what appears on screen in order, including any text shown in the video.
What Websight checks for 1.2.1
Websight has no automated check for this criterion. It lists it in the manual checklist that comes with every report, so it is not forgotten.
axe-core also has a rule for 1.2.1 that Websight does not run (marked experimental or deprecated):
Only a person can check this. A scanner can see that a player exists but cannot know whether the recording has sound, whether a transcript exists or whether it is accurate.
Practical tips
- Publish the transcript as ordinary text on the page, not as a PDF download. It also gets indexed by search engines.
- If you record a podcast from a script, the script is most of the transcript already; mark up any changes made on the day.
- For a silent animation, a short paragraph that walks through what it shows is usually enough.
Other criteria in guideline 1.2, Time-based Media
- 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (level A)
- 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (level A)
- 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (level AA)
- 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (level AA)