Which requirement applies to which video
The rows summarize W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative pages checked on 13 October 2026. [1][3][4][7] W3C notes that most media is required by governing policies to meet Level AA, which includes Level A. [3] This is a planning aid, not legal advice; whether a law or contract applies to you depends on who publishes the video.
| Your video | Captions | Audio description or transcript | WCAG basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prerecorded tutorial with narration and on-screen actions | Required (Level A) | Audio description or descriptive transcript at A; audio description at AA | 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.5 |
| Talking head with no needed visual information | Required (Level A) | Description not needed; consider telling users | 1.2.2 |
| Audio-only podcast | Not required | Transcript required at Level A | 1.2.1 |
| Silent screen recording with no audio | Not needed | A text alternative or an audio track with equivalent information (Level A) | 1.2.1 |
| Live stream with speech | Required at Level AA | Description not required for live | 1.2.4 |
What counts as a caption
Success criterion 1.2.2 requires captions for all prerecorded audio in synchronized media, except when the media is a clearly labeled alternative for text already on the page. W3C's understanding document says captions should include dialogue, identify who is speaking, and convey non-speech audio needed to understand the content, such as meaningful sound effects. [1]
That makes captions more than dialogue-only subtitles. W3C's glossary notes the difference while acknowledging that some countries call captions subtitles. [1] For a tutorial, a needed non-speech cue might be an error beep the narrator refers to. Captions can be closed, so viewers turn them on and off, or open, burned into the picture and always visible. [2]
Automatic captions are a draft
W3C says automatic captions are not sufficient unless confirmed to be fully accurate and usually need significant editing, pointing out that missing a single word such as not can reverse the meaning. [2] YouTube's own help page says automatic captions can misrepresent speech because of mispronunciations, accents, dialects or background noise, and advises creators to always review them and edit parts that were not transcribed properly. [5]
For tutorials, the words most likely to be wrong are the ones that matter: product names, menu labels, commands and numbers. Check those first.
Get audio description into the script for free
W3C describes integrated description, where the description is woven into the main speaker's script, and says it is usually best for most training videos. For some videos it adds no cost because the speakers include it as the video is planned. Before finalizing, W3C suggests confirming that all relevant visual information is covered in the audio. [4]
In practice that means narrating actions instead of pointing at them. Say Open the File menu and choose Export, not Click here and then here. Read out values typed on screen and describe results that appear only visually, such as a chart changing shape.
A publishing checklist
- Script names every on-screen action and result that a listener needs. [4]
- Captions are reviewed against the final audio, including names, numbers and commands. [2][5]
- Captions identify speakers when more than one person talks, and include needed sound cues. [1]
- The caption file is attached as a selectable track, or burned in when the platform cannot carry a track.
- A transcript is available for audio-only episodes. [3]
- If the video has no meaningful audio or visual content to convey, say so, as W3C suggests, so users do not assume something is missing. [3]
When the rules are legal, not just good practice
In the United States, the Justice Department's ADA Title II rule sets WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local government web content and mobile apps, including contractors providing their public services. ADA.gov lists compliance dates, as extended by an interim final rule published 20 April 2026, of 26 April 2027 for entities serving 50,000 or more people and 26 April 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments. [6]
If you make tutorials for a public school, university, city or similar client, ask which standard the contract requires before quoting, because description and caption review take time that should be in the price. Private creators outside such contracts may have other obligations; check with the client or a qualified adviser rather than relying on this guide.
Questions before you decide
Are YouTube automatic captions enough for accessibility?
Not on their own. W3C says automatic captions are not sufficient unless confirmed fully accurate, and YouTube advises creators to always review and edit them. Use them as a draft and correct the transcript before publishing.
Does a screen tutorial need a separate audio description track?
Often not, if the narration already describes all relevant visual information. W3C calls this integrated description and says it is usually best for most training videos. Check the final cut by listening without watching.
Sources & verification
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- W3C: Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded), WCAG 2.2 Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- W3C WAI: Captions/Subtitles Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- W3C WAI: Planning audio and video media Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- W3C WAI: Description of visual information Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Use automatic captioning Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- ADA.gov: Fact sheet on the web and mobile app accessibility rule for state and local governments Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- W3C: Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), WCAG 2.2 Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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