Techniques for WCAG 2.0

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G150: Providing text based alternatives for live audio-only content

Applicability

All technologies that present live audio-only information

This technique relates to:

Description

The objective of this technique is to allow users who cannot hear to be able to access real-time audio broadcasts. It is more difficult to create accurate real-time alternatives because there is little time to correct mistakes, to listen a second time or to consult someone to be sure the words are accurately reproduced. It is also harder to simplify or paraphrase information if it is flowing too quickly.

Real-time typing text entry techniques exist using stenographic and rapid typing technologies. Re-voicing speech-to-text (where a person listens to speech and then carefully re-voices it into a computer trained to their speech) is used today for telephone relay services and may be used in the future for captioning. Eventually speech-to-text with correction will be possible.

Examples

Tests

Procedure

  1. Check that a procedure and policy is in place to ensure that text alternatives are delivered in real-time.

  2. Check that procedure and policy are working by conducting a random sample to see if text alternatives appear.

Expected Results

If this is a sufficient technique for a success criterion, failing this test procedure does not necessarily mean that the success criterion has not been satisfied in some other way, only that this technique has not been successfully implemented and can not be used to claim conformance.

Techniques are Informative

Techniques are informative—that means they are not required. The basis for determining conformance to WCAG 2.0 is the success criteria from the WCAG 2.0 standard—not the techniques. For important information about techniques, please see the Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria section of Understanding WCAG 2.0.