Audio & video

What the rule requires

Media embedded in a document needs to be identified for what it is and carry an alternate description, so assistive technology can tell the user what’s there. The clip itself needs captions, an audio description or a text alternative, and no sound that starts on its own without a way to stop it.

• Audio-only and video-only1.2.1 · A
• Captions (prerecorded)1.2.2 · A
• Audio description or media alternative1.2.3 · A
• Audio description (prerecorded)1.2.5 · AA
• Audio control1.4.2 · A

How Proof clears it

1. Media annotations typed and checked automatically, with an alternate description drafted as a placeholder for each media object.
2. A person words each description: placeholders are flagged for a human wording pass, never passed off as finished.
3. A person checks each clip: captions, an audio description or text alternative, and audio that plays on its own. A PDF doesn’t say these reliably, so every document with media gets this review before it can be certified.

What to expect