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Re: Synchronised media ambiguity again

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From: Steve Green
Date: Sep 8, 2020 8:26AM

We can cope with the subjectivity of whether an image or sound is decorative - we deal with subjectivity all the time. I don't know what other people do, but we explain our judgements in our reports, especially in VPATs. And that's what leaves us open to opposing views. If you just say an SC is "not applicable", other people usually won't dig any deeper. But if you say it's "not applicable because...", then you're inviting criticism. I don't mind that as long as the criteria for testing are clear, and herein lies the problem.

My issue is working out exactly what the various success criteria really mean. I get the impression that most people just aren't considering this, or that they are working off paraphrased versions of the success criteria (which I have certainly seen some companies do). When you read the SCs, you realise they are full of ambiguities, omissions and even contradictions.

Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Jonathan Avila
Sent: 08 September 2020 14:32
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Synchronised media ambiguity again

It seems like this is the heart of the discussion - must a video with ambient sound be considered synchronized video with synchronized requirements. This means that captions would be required even if the captions were to only show music symbols or perhaps a short description of the type of music playing. If the video contained images that communicate feeling then audio description would be needed rather than a transcript for Level AA.

Regarding WCAG SC 1.2.1 it seems to say "video only" and "audio only" content. There is no clear situation for combined video and audio content where one aspect is decorative. And what if there were - what is the factor in determining if an image or sound is meaningful or decorative? Music sets mood and images convey feeling.

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Monday, September 7, 2020 8:34 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Synchronised media ambiguity again

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On 07/09/2020 13:19, Steve Green wrote:
> I am trying to work out which WCAG success criteria apply to a video in which information is only conveyed visually. There is a continuous music track that is purely decorative. The visual content is not actually a video, but it's an animation with text.
>
> The decision regarding which success criteria apply depends on whether you classify the video as video-only, synchronised media or time-based media. My inclination is to say it's not synchronised media, but in a previous discussion the overwhelming view was that it's synchronised media if audio and video tracks are started by a single action, which they are.

I believe the point was more nuanced at the time (at least from some of
us): if the audio does convey information, then it counts as synchronised, even though it's not necessarily timed to hit certain beats of the visual. And unless the audio is completely disjointed from the video or vice-versa (i.e. literally random pictures that don't even try to match even even with the mood, or illustrate somehow, the audio / audio that is pure music and has nothing to do with the actual visuals) it still would count as "synchronised"

The key for it then needing an audio description is: you can't, as user who cannot see the video, follow along with a transcript AND the video's audio playing at the same time.

Now, if the audio in your video is pure muzak, and conveys no info, I would not consider that stringently "synchronised media", and would not ding them for not having an audio transcript. They can, if they want to of course. But it needs at least a transcript.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

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