WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.2, Captions (Prerecorded), is a Level A requirement: prerecorded video has captions.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Prerecorded video has captions
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: high. Deaf and hard-of-hearing users cannot access unsynchronised prerecorded video at all, and captions are a recurring element of accessibility complaints.
An approximation: Checks for the presence of a captions track. Caption accuracy, speaker identification, and non-speech audio are not machine-decidable and are left to manual review.
How to fix it. Add a <track kind="captions"> element to every prerecorded video, and keep it in sync with the audio.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
Questions
Is WCAG 1.2.2 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 1.2.2.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 1.2.2?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (reads the HTML). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 1.2.2 failure?
Add a <track kind="captions"> element to every prerecorded video, and keep it in sync with the audio.