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Thread: playing video without audio
Number of posts in this thread: 11 (In chronological order)
From: Swift, Daniel P.
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 11:53AM
Subject: playing video without audio
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I'm hoping that I can get some direction on this. I was at a conference several years ago and I asked the question, "Does a video which does not contain audio and plays automatically produce an accessibility failure?" There was some deliberation among the group and the consensus was that 'yes' it was still a failure.
This question has come up again as "other places do it - why can't we". So this time I bring the question to this group of experts to see if the first group got it wrong or to see if they got it right.
Does an embedded video which does not contain audio and plays automatically produce an accessibility failure?
Thanks!
Daniel Swift, MBA
Senior Web Specialist
University Communications and Marketing
West Chester University
610.738.0589
From: Steve Green
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 12:02PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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This is covered by WCAG SC 2.2.2, which states "For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it".
So your video is an automatic failure unless it is shorter than 5 seconds or there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it.
In case anyone tries to argue that the video is not "moving, blinking or scrolling information ", the "understanding" page says that "Common examples include motion pictures, synchronized media presentations, animations...".
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/pause-stop-hide.html
Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd
From: Swift, Daniel P.
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 12:28PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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Thanks for this, Steve. Just to make sure I'm reading Success Criterion 2.2.2 correctly. If we have a video (without audio) that plays automatically, if it lasts longer than five seconds, we need to include a way for the user to pause/stop the video. Is my understanding correct?
Thanks!
Daniel Swift, MBA
Senior Web Specialist
University Communications and Marketing
West Chester University
610.738.0589
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Steve Green
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 2:03 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] playing video without audio
This is covered by WCAG SC 2.2.2, which states "For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it".
So your video is an automatic failure unless it is shorter than 5 seconds or there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it.
In case anyone tries to argue that the video is not "moving, blinking or scrolling information ", the "understanding" page says that "Common examples include motion pictures, synchronized media presentations, animations...".
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/pause-stop-hide.html<https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/pause-stop-hide.html>
Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd
From: Steve Green
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 12:32PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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That is correct. You could also provide a way for them to hide the video.
From: Swift, Daniel P.
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 12:41PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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This is good information â thank you!
Daniel Swift, MBA
Senior Web Specialist
University Communications and Marketing
West Chester University
610.738.0589
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Steve Green
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 2:33 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] playing video without audio
That is correct. You could also provide a way for them to hide the video.
From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 1:43PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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Under SC 2.2.2 You'd have to have controls to pause, stop, or hide it unless it's not played in conjunction with other content.
Jonathan
From: Barry
Date: Wed, Jun 23 2021 11:09PM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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I like to give a little context on why such a thing is a failure. For people with attention issues, a moving image is a distraction that may repeatedly take their attention from the rest of the content. Imagine an annoying co-worker nudging you every few seconds to show you something on their smartphone whilst you're trying to work. They're not saying anything, just nudging you. You want a mechanism to stop them from doing that, or you want them to go away.
Cheers
B
From: Gill Rawlings
Date: Thu, Jun 24 2021 1:08AM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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Hi guys
Without knowing the content of the video..... Would it also not potentially fail if there's no alternative for the visuals, from an audio captioning/transcript point of view?
G
Gill Rawlings
Durham County Council
website/electronic information management
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Thu, Jun 24 2021 4:48AM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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It possibly would need audio descriptions, not audio captions. Captions are
for hearing impairments, so since there's no audio, there's nothing to
caption. Audio descriptions are for people with visual impairments, since
there's no audio, it has no value to them. Depending on the specifics,
there may need an audio track or transcript provided.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Thu, Jun 24, 2021, 3:09 AM Gill Rawlings < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:
> Hi guys
>
> Without knowing the content of the video..... Would it also not
> potentially fail if there's no alternative for the visuals, from an audio
> captioning/transcript point of view?
>
> G
>
> Gill Rawlings
> Durham County Council
> website/electronic information management
>
>
From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Thu, Jun 24 2021 9:34AM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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On 24/06/2021 11:48, Ryan E. Benson wrote:
> It possibly would need audio descriptions, not audio captions. Captions are
> for hearing impairments, so since there's no audio, there's nothing to
> caption. Audio descriptions are for people with visual impairments, since
> there's no audio, it has no value to them. Depending on the specifics,
> there may need an audio track or transcript provided.
If it's "video only" (no actual audio track at all), the simplest
approach (assuming the video does indeed convey information, and isn't
just "visual fluff/interest") would be a transcript, per
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#audio-only-and-video-only-prerecorded.
Otherwise you have to start dealing with providing controls for the
audio in the page as well.
P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke
From: Swift, Daniel P.
Date: Thu, Jun 24 2021 11:22AM
Subject: Re: playing video without audio
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Thanks everyone â that's exactly what I was thinking, Patrick. The content of the video has yet to be determined, but I was envisioning providing a transcript as well.
Thanks!
Daniel Swift, MBA
Senior Web Specialist
University Communications and Marketing
West Chester University
610.738.0589
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2021 11:35 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] playing video without audio
On 24/06/2021 11:48, Ryan E. Benson wrote:
> It possibly would need audio descriptions, not audio captions. Captions are
> for hearing impairments, so since there's no audio, there's nothing to
> caption. Audio descriptions are for people with visual impairments, since
> there's no audio, it has no value to them. Depending on the specifics,
> there may need an audio track or transcript provided.
If it's "video only" (no actual audio track at all), the simplest
approach (assuming the video does indeed convey information, and isn't
just "visual fluff/interest") would be a transcript, per
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#audio-only-and-video-only-prerecorded<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#audio-only-and-video-only-prerecorded>.
Otherwise you have to start dealing with providing controls for the
audio in the page as well.
P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
https://www.splintered.co.uk/<https://www.splintered.co.uk> | https://github.com/patrickhlauke<https://github.com/patrickhlauke>
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/<https://flickr.com/photos/redux> | https://www.deviantart.com/redux<https://www.deviantart.com/redux>
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke