Level A vs. Level AA: Media alternative options

When your agency posts video content, WCAG has two related but distinct requirements for making visual information accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. Understanding the difference between Success Criterion 1.2.3 (Level A) and Success Criterion 1.2.5 (Level AA) helps you choose the right approach for your content and budget.

The legal requirements

WCAG 2.1 addresses video accessibility through two specific success criteria:

Success Criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) - Level A:

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.

Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) - Level AA:

Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.

The key difference: Level A gives you options ("or"), while Level AA mandates a specific solution. At Level A, you can provide either a text document describing the video or actual audio description. At Level AA, audio description is required—the text alternative option is no longer sufficient.

What's the difference between 1.2.3 and 1.2.5?

Both criteria address the same problem: how do you convey visual information that's not available through the audio track alone? But they offer different solutions at different compliance levels.

Success Criterion 1.2.3 (Level A) gives you a choice: provide either audio description or a text-based media alternative (commonly called a descriptive transcript).

Success Criterion 1.2.5 (Level AA) removes the choice: you must provide audio description.

Here's the practical translation: Level A lets you write a document that describes the video. Level AA requires you to create an audio track that describes the video while someone watches it.

When text transcripts suffice (Level A compliance)

A media alternative is a text document that includes both the spoken dialogue and descriptions of important visual content. Think of it as a complete written version of everything happening in the video.

What goes in a media alternative

Your media alternative should include all spoken dialogue with speaker identification, important visual information, on-screen text and graphics, relevant actions, and meaningful sound effects.

For example, if your planning commission meeting includes zoning maps, your media alternative would describe what those maps show: "The speaker displays a zoning map of the downtown district, with commercial zones highlighted in red along Main Street and residential zones in yellow on the surrounding blocks."

When this approach works well

Text-based media alternatives work best for content with minimal visual elements, long-form meetings, content people need to reference later (text is searchable), and when working with limited budgets.

Real-world example: City council meeting

Your city council meetings feature members seated at a raised dais, with occasional presentations shown on screens. The visual setup rarely changes, and most information comes through what people say.

A media alternative for this content might read:

Mayor Johnson: I'd like to call this meeting to order. First item on the agenda is the proposed bike lane expansion.

[Council chamber with seven members seated at wooden dais. Mayor Johnson sits in center position. Large screen on wall displays agenda.]

Councilmember Patel: Before we begin, I'd like to display the proposed route map.

[Screen shows city map with highlighted bike lane route running north-south on Oak Street from Downtown Plaza to City Park, approximately 2.5 miles. Existing bike lanes shown in green, proposed expansion in blue.]

This level of detail gives someone who can't see the video everything they need to understand what happened.

When audio description is required (Level AA compliance)

Audio description is narration added to the video's soundtrack that describes visual content during natural pauses in dialogue. A viewer hears both the original audio and the descriptions.

Level AA compliance requires actual audio description for all prerecorded video content. A text alternative no longer satisfies the requirement.

Why Level AA raises the bar

Audio description provides a fundamentally different experience. Rather than reading a document alongside or instead of watching the video, viewers with low vision can watch the video while hearing descriptions integrated into the experience.

Consider the difference: with a text alternative, someone must choose between reading text or playing the video. With audio description, they can do both simultaneously—just like everyone else watching.

When you must provide audio description

Level AA is the standard most government agencies target, particularly those working toward DOJ ADA Title II compliance. The April 2027 deadline requires Level AA conformance for web content and mobile apps.

This means if you're posting prerecorded video with meaningful visual content, you need audio description—not just a text alternative.

What makes good audio description

Effective audio description is concise (fits natural pauses), objective (describes what's visible, not interpretations), relevant (focuses on visual information that matters), and well-timed (occurs close to when information appears).

Real-world example: Budget presentation

Your finance director presents the annual budget with charts showing revenue sources and expenditure categories. Audio description for this presentation might sound like:

Finance Director: "Our revenue projections show continued growth in property tax collections."

[Audio description: Bar chart comparing five-year revenue trends. Property tax shown in dark blue, rising from 45% to 52% of total revenue.]

Finance Director: "Meanwhile, our largest expenditure remains public safety services."

[Audio description: Pie chart showing expenditure breakdown. Public safety occupies the largest segment at 38%, shown in red.]

The descriptions integrate seamlessly with the presentation, giving viewers who can't see the charts the same information as everyone else.

Decision guide: Which approach should you use?

Here's how to decide between a text-based media alternative and audio description:

Start by asking about your compliance target

If you're targeting Level A: You can choose between audio description or a detailed text alternative. For most government meetings with straightforward visual content, a comprehensive transcript with visual descriptions is the practical choice.

If you're targeting Level AA: You need audio description. The text alternative option is no longer available at this level.

Consider your content type

Talking-head meetings with occasional slides: At Level A, a descriptive transcript works well. At Level AA, you'll need audio description, but the amount of description may be minimal if the visual content is limited.

Presentations with complex charts and data: Audio description is more effective because viewers can hear descriptions in context as the presenter discusses the data. Even at Level A, consider providing audio description if your budget allows.

Site visits, demonstrations, or action-heavy content: Audio description is essential. Text alternatives can't effectively convey continuous visual action.

Factor in your resources

Budget constraints: If you're just starting your accessibility program, beginning with Level A compliance using text alternatives is valid. You're still meeting a baseline requirement while building toward Level AA.

Production capacity: Audio description requires additional production time: scripting descriptions, recording narration, and mixing audio. Text alternatives can often be created by the same staff who manage meeting minutes and transcripts.

Timeline: If you're facing the April 2027 compliance deadline and have extensive video archives, triaging by creating text alternatives first for older content while producing audio description for new content may be necessary.

Think about your users

Both approaches serve people who are blind or have low vision, but they serve different needs:

Audio description provides the integrated, real-time experience most similar to watching with vision.

Text alternatives provide searchable, referenceable documentation that some users prefer, especially for long meetings or complex content they need to review multiple times.

Many agencies ultimately provide both: audio description to meet Level AA requirements, plus downloadable transcripts for searchability and public records. This isn't required, but it serves your community well.

Making the transition from Level A to Level AA

If you're moving from text alternatives to audio description for Level AA compliance:

Continue creating text alternatives for searchability and records management. Start with high-impact content like presentations with visual data. Develop your process gradually, beginning with simpler content. Consider AI-assisted tools like MediaScribe's audio description feature to generate drafts your staff can review and refine.

Important exceptions to remember

Neither 1.2.3 nor 1.2.5 applies when the video itself is a "media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such." This means if you've already published the information as text (like a policy document) and create a video version of that text for people who prefer video, you don't need to add audio description to the video—the original text document is the accessible version.

This exception is narrow. It doesn't apply to most government meeting video, which is original content rather than an alternative format of existing text.

The bottom line

Level A gives you flexibility: describe your video content with either audio description or a comprehensive text alternative.

Level AA requires the real thing: audio description integrated into the video experience.

Most government agencies should plan for Level AA compliance, which means building the capacity to produce audio description. But if you're starting from scratch, beginning with Level A text alternatives is a valid first step toward full accessibility.

The goal isn't just checking compliance boxes—it's making sure everyone in your community can access the information your agency provides, regardless of how they perceive it.

How MediaScribe Narrate supports Level AA compliance

MediaScribe Narrate is a cloud-based audio description service for pre-recorded video. It's designed to help agencies meet WCAG 1.2.5 without requiring video production expertise or manual narration.

The process: upload your pre-recorded video to the Narrate platform, where AI analyzes the content, identifies visual elements that need description, and generates initial description scripts timed to fit within dialogue gaps. You review and edit those scripts, then the platform produces a finished accessible video with professional text-to-speech narration mixed into the audio track.

Narrate is separate from MediaScribe Live, which handles live captioning through the Gateway appliance at your meetings. Narrate is entirely cloud-based — no additional hardware is needed at your location.

If your agency is working to meet the 1.2.5 audio description requirement for your posted video content, MediaScribe Narrate is the service to ask your representative about.

Summary: Key takeaways

• Level A (1.2.3) offers choice: Provide either audio description or a comprehensive text-based media alternative that describes all visual content.

• Level AA (1.2.5) requires audio description: Text alternatives no longer satisfy the requirement at this level.

• The April 2027 deadline requires Level AA: DOJ's ADA Title II regulations mandate WCAG 2.1 Level AA for government web content and mobile apps.

• Text alternatives work well for simple content: Meetings with minimal visual elements can be effectively documented with descriptive transcripts at Level A.

• Audio description integrates the experience: Viewers hear descriptions while watching, creating the same integrated experience as sighted viewers.

• Both approaches can coexist: Many agencies provide audio description for compliance plus text transcripts for searchability and records management.

• Build capacity gradually: Start with simpler content to develop your audio description skills before tackling complex presentations.