Make text readable and understandable Make content appear and operate in predictable ways Help users avoid and correct mistakes

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2 Table of Contents WCAG Overview Relation to Accessibility Laws Guidelines 1.2 Time-based Media Conforming to Success Criteria How to Meet and Captioning Requirements Quality Requirements for Captioning 99% Compliance Checklist 5

3 WCAG Overview The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international standards organization that develops standards for the web. Its mission is to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure the long-term growth of the Web. In 1999, the W3C s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) created the first round of guidelines called WCAG 1.0. Since then, the guidelines have been updated to WCAG 2.0, which apply more broadly, addresses new technologies, are testable, and are easier to understand. The guidelines have three conformance levels (A, AA, and AAA) in which each Success Criteria Factor is either level A, AA, or AAA. The Success Criteria Factors were created around the following 4 principles: 1. Perceivable 2. Operable Provide text alternatives for non-text content Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia Create content that can be presented in different ways and is never invisible to all of a user's senses Make it easier for users to see and hear content Make all functionality available from a keyboard Give users enough time to read and use content Do not use content that causes seizures Help users navigate and find content 3. Understandable 4. Robust Make text readable and understandable Make content appear and operate in predictable ways Help users avoid and correct mistakes Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools

4 These four principles are further broken into 12 guidelines that each have a few different Success Criteria Factors. For example, guideline requires synchronized captions for all prerecorded audio as a level A Success Criteria Factor. In order to conform to WCAG standards, organizations must ensure Level AA Success Criteria Conformance, as well as meet 4 additional requirements. See the full requirements below: 1. Conformance Level One of the following levels of conformance is met in full. a. Level A: Web page satisfies all the Level A Success Criteria. b. Level AA: Web page satisfies all the Level A and Level AA Success Criteria. c. Level AAA: Web page satisfies all the Level A, Level AA and Level AAA Success Criteria. 2. Full pages Conformance (and conformance level) is for full web page(s) only, and cannot be achieved if part of a web page is excluded. 3. Complete processes For web pages that are part of a process, all of the web pages that are part of that process must conform at the specified conformance level. 4. Only Accessibility-Supported Ways of Using Technologies Only accessibilitysupported ways of using technologies are relied upon to satisfy the success criteria. Any information or functionality that is provided in a way that is not accessibility supported is also available in a way that is accessibility supported. 5. Non-Interference Technologies that are not relied on to meet WCAG do not interfere with users ability to access the rest of the page. Nor does the page as a whole fail to conform if a technology that is not relied on is turned on or off, or is not supported by, the user s browser or assistive technology. 2

5 Relation to Accessibility Laws It is important to know WCAG because many jurisdictions around the world have adopted the guidelines into their own laws and policies. This is because WCAG was developed as an international baseline for accessibility, so laws will start with these requirements as a foundation and build on them if necessary. In the United States, WCAG 2.0 is the standard that universities and businesses are held to when investigated by the Department of Justice for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In addition to this, WCAG 2.0 is now directly reflected in the ICT Final Standards and Guidelines for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 establishes requirements for electronic and information technology (EIT) developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government. Section 508 was originally published in 2000 using WCAG 1.0. In 2008, the W3C updated WCAG 1.0 and replaced it with WCAG 2.0. While this new standard has been around for some time, the United States Access Board only recently updated Section 508 to reflect WCAG 2.0. This update was approved in a final rule by the U.S. Access Board on January 9, The new Section 508 standards contain the exact Level A and AA Success Criteria found in WCAG 2.0, along with some further clarifications. All federally funded organizations will have until January 18, 2018 to bring their websites and online content up to code with WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA requirements. 3

6 Guideline 1.2 Time-based Media Guideline 1.2 under Principle 1 "Perceivable" contains the requirements for closed captioning. There are a total of nine different success criteria that ensure media is perceivable to people with hearing disabilities Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded): For prerecorded audio-only and prerecorded video-only media, the following are true, except when the audio or video is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A) Prerecorded Audio-only: An alternative for time-based media is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded audio-only content. Prerecorded Video-only: Either an alternative for time-based media or an audio track is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded video-only content Captions (Prerecorded): Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A) Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded): An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A) Captions (Live): Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media. (Level AA) Audio Description (Prerecorded): Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AA) Sign Language (Prerecorded): Sign language interpretation is provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. (Level AAA) Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded): Where pauses in foreground audio are insufficient to allow audio descriptions to convey the sense of the video, extended audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AAA) 4

7 1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded): An alternative for time-based media is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media and for all prerecorded video-only media. (Level AAA) Audio-only (Live): An alternative for time-based media that presents equivalent information for live audio-only content is provided. (Level AAA) Conforming to Success Criteria WCAG defines time-based media as audio, video, or synchronized media that will run for a specified length. Examples include an audio of a speech or a webinar. Synchronized media is audio or video content that is joined by another presentation format. Compliance with WCAG Guideline 1.2 requires alternatives for time-based media, which can include captions, transcripts in the form of audio descriptions, and multiple formats for audio, video, and synchronized media. Another way to understand this guideline is to view requirements based on conformance level: Level A provides: Alternatives for prerecorded, time-based audio content Alternatives for prerecorded, time-based video content Captions for prerecorded synchronized media content that contains audio Audio descriptions or other alternative for prerecorded synchronized media content that includes video Note: Captions or audio descriptions are not required for content that is clearly labeled as an alternative representation of text and offers no additional information. Level AA provides: Captions for live synchronized audio content Audio descriptions for prerecorded synchronized video content 5

8 Level AAA provides: Sign language interpretation of prerecorded synchronized audio content Pausing prerecorded video content to allow for extended audio descriptions Alternatives for live audio content "Guideline 1.2 allows users to access audio, video, and synchronized media content in a format that fits their current needs. Adaptable content ensures engagement with all Web users and is an important aspect of making Web content perceivable." How to Meet and Captioning Requirements Success Criterion and can be met by providing open or closed captions. Captions should include all dialogue and non-speech information conveyed through sound, including meaningful sound effects, and identify who is speaking. While this may seem straight forward, captions must adhere to a certain level of accuracy to be considered compliant. W3C states that "If the "caption" does not include all of the dialogue (either verbatim or in essence) as well as all important sounds then the 'Captions' are not real captions." So if your captions omit dialogue, don't reflect the actual dialogue because of misspellings, and do not describe important sounds, they will not be sufficient for WCAG conformance. The quality requirements listed on the next page will help you ensure your video captions meet accuracy standards. 6

9 Quality Requirements for Captioning For maximum effectiveness, captioning must meet certain criteria. The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) administered by the National Association of the Deaf defines quality captioning as accurate, consistent, clear, readable, and equal. Their guidelines are consistent with the mandates of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). On Feb 20, 2014 the FCC released a new ruling amending the quality for closed captioning on video programming. As noted by the committee, captioning is intended to replicate the hearing listener s aural experience. The new ruling stated that captions must be 99% accurate to provide a full experiential auditory reality. To meet the FCC 99% accuracy criteria, captioning must be: Accurate: Captions must match the spoken words in the dialogue and convey background noises and other sounds to the fullest extent possible. Synchronous: Captions must coincide with their corresponding spoken words and sounds to the greatest extent possible and must be displayed on the screen at a speed that can be read by viewers. Complete: Captions must run from the beginning to the end of the program to the fullest extent possible. Properly placed: Captions should not block other important visual content on the screen, overlap one another or run off the edge of the video screen. To understand how these quality requirements translate directly in your captions, take a look at the 99% captioning checklist on the next page. 7

10 The 99% Captioning Compliance Checklist. Print and use this checklist to ensure that your captioning program is in compliance. Matches the spoken words in the dialogue in their original language to the fullest extent possible and include full lyrics when provided on the audio track. Contains all words in spoken order. Uses proper spelling, homophones, tense, punctuation, capitalization, and the proper representation of numbers. Does not rewrite or paraphrase dialogue. Does not use synonyms to replace actual dialogue. Represents speaker tone of voice where necessary to understand the dialogue. Uses slang and grammatical errors as part of the dialogue where necessary to properly represent the dialog. Indicates utterances and false starts where necessary to accurately mirror the hearing-person s experience. Includes nonverbal information that is not observable, such as who is speaking, multiple speakers, music sound tags, sound effects, audience reaction, and background noise. Coincides with the corresponding dialogue as closely as possible. Paces and synchronizes at a speed that is legible by the viewer. Occurs from beginning to end of the program without interruption, to the fullest extent possible. (This is required for fully accessible status.) Re-editing of content requires re-editing of captions. Has a font size appropriate for legibility. Placement and size provides for easy readability for both the caption content and screen content. 8