What is Audio Description?
Audio description is an additional narration track that accompanies video content, providing spoken descriptions of important visual elements during natural pauses in dialogue or audio. This accessibility feature describes actions, scenery, facial expressions, costume changes, on-screen text, and other crucial visual information that blind or low-vision users cannot see.
For example, an audio description might say: "Sarah walks across the kitchen, opens the refrigerator, and pulls out a carton of milk" during a silent moment in a cooking show, or "The text 'Breaking News' appears in red letters at the bottom of the screen" during a news broadcast.
Importance in Web Accessibility
Audio description is essential for digital inclusion and accessibility compliance. Under WCAG 2.1 guidelines, specifically Success Criterion 1.2.5 (Level AA), pre-recorded video content must provide audio description when visual information is necessary for understanding. This requirement also aligns with ADA compliance in the United States and accessibility standards worldwide.
The European Accessibility Act and Germany's BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz) mandate audio description for certain digital services, making it not just a best practice but a legal requirement for many organizations.
Implementation and Use Cases
Audio description can be implemented across various platforms and scenarios:
- Streaming platforms: Netflix, YouTube, and other video services offer audio description tracks that users can enable
- Corporate websites: Training videos, product demonstrations, and marketing content should include descriptive audio
- Educational platforms: Online courses and instructional videos benefit significantly from audio description
- Content Management Systems: Platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and custom CMS solutions can integrate audio description through HTML5 video elements with multiple audio tracks
For web implementation, use the HTML5 <track> element with kind="descriptions" to provide audio description files alongside your video content.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Many organizations make critical errors when implementing audio description:
- Describing obvious actions: Avoid stating what viewers can already hear through dialogue or sound effects
- Interrupting dialogue: Never talk over important speech or audio cues
- Being too subjective: Stick to objective descriptions rather than interpretations or emotions
- Forgetting text elements: Always describe on-screen text, captions, or graphics that provide context
- Poor timing: Descriptions should fit naturally within available silence gaps
A common misconception is that audio description is only needed for entertainment content. In reality, any video with essential visual information—including business presentations, tutorials, and educational materials, requires audio description for full accessibility compliance.
Best Practices and Takeaways
To create effective audio description that enhances digital inclusion:
- Work with professional audio description writers who understand timing and content flow
- Test your audio-described content with actual blind and low-vision users
- Ensure descriptions are concise, clear, and delivered in a neutral tone
- Prioritize the most important visual information when time is limited
- Provide easy-to-find controls for users to enable or disable audio description
Remember that audio description is not just about accessibility compliance, it's about creating truly inclusive digital experiences that serve all users effectively.