WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.3, Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded), is a Level A requirement: prerecorded video has audio description or a full text alternative.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Prerecorded video has audio description or a full text alternative
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: high. A blind user hears the soundtrack only. Anything the video shows but does not say, such as on-screen text, a demonstration or a price, is lost.
An approximation: Detects a descriptions track or a nearby transcript. A video whose file lists no sound track (read from its container without playing it) is video-only, which 1.2.1 covers, and is out of scope here. A video whose soundtrack already describes every visual needs neither, and whether that is so is a judgement about the content, so the rule never passes a page that carries video with sound.
How to fix it. Provide either an audio-described version (a <track kind="descriptions"> or a described alternate cut) or a full text alternative that covers both what is said and what is shown.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 1.2.4 Captions (Live)
Questions
Is WCAG 1.2.3 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 1.2.3.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 1.2.3?
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 1.2.3 failure?
Provide either an audio-described version (a <track kind="descriptions"> or a described alternate cut) or a full text alternative that covers both what is said and what is shown.