--- title: "Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)" url: "https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-2-7-extended-audio-description-prerecorded" language: "en" description: "If pauses in the audio are too short for audio description, the video is paused instead. Learn how extended audio description works under WCAG 1.2.7." published: "2025-01-01T08:00:00+01:00" updated: "2026-10-15T09:41:59+02:00" --- # Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) When standard descriptions aren’t enough. - **Erfolgskriterium:** 1.2.7 - **Prinzip:** Perceivable - **Konformitätsstufe:** Level AAA - **Erklärung beim W3C:** [www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/exte...](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/extended-audio-description-prerecorded.html) Success criterion 1.2.7 # 1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) Level AAAPerceivable When standard descriptions aren’t enough. ## 1. What is the goal of this criterion? Imagine watching a physics tutorial in which the professor talks, draws and gestures at the same time – without a single break. For sighted people that’s no problem. But what if you’re blind and rely on audio description? The few gaps in speech simply don’t leave enough time to describe all the important visual information. That’s where WCAG Success Criterion 1.2.7 comes in: it makes sure videos get extended audio description when standard descriptions aren’t enough. The video is paused at chosen points to make room for more detailed descriptions – so no important visual information gets lost. ## 2. What exactly does it require? This Level AAA criterion is very specific and only applies when standard audio description reaches its limits: **Extended audio description is needed when:** - the pauses in the foreground audio aren’t long enough for audio description to convey the sense of the video, - the content is a prerecorded (not live) video with picture and sound. **How extended audio description works:** - The video is paused at suitable points. - During the pause, a more detailed description of the visual elements plays. - Then the video continues. - Ideally, users can choose whether to use this version. **When it doesn’t apply:** if the existing pauses are long enough for standard audio description under [Audio Description (Prerecorded)](https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-2-5-audio-description-prerecorded) – or the soundtrack already conveys all important visual information – no extended version is needed. ## 3. Why does it matter for accessibility? Imagine following a cooking show where the chef silently mixes, seasons and plates the ingredients – while talking about something completely different. Without extended audio description, as a blind person you’d miss every crucial step. Extended audio description creates accessibility because it: - **makes complex visual content accessible** – even when someone is talking at the same time, - **gives blind people full access** to densely packed videos, - **makes learning videos and tutorials** usable for people without sight, - **conveys non-verbal information** that would otherwise be lost, - **enables equal participation** in visually driven media. And it can also make videos easier to follow for people with cognitive disabilities, who benefit from detailed, structured descriptions and short breaks. ## 4. How to meet the criterion Extended audio description takes more effort than standard description – but with the right approach it’s very doable: **Plan the descriptions:** - Find the points where important visual information doesn’t fit into the natural pauses. - Choose pause points that disrupt the flow as little as possible – between thoughts, not mid-sentence. - Write concise but complete descriptions for those moments. **Technical implementation:** - The most robust approach is a separate video version with the pauses and descriptions edited in (for example with a briefly frozen frame). - Offer this version as an alternative, for example through a clearly visible link or a switch in the player. - The HTML element `` is meant for text descriptions. But browsers don’t read them aloud or pause the video on their own – a player has to handle that with JavaScript. So check carefully whether your player does this reliably. **Content quality:** - Only describe visual elements that matter for understanding. - Stay factual and neutral. - Use clear, easy-to-understand language. - Structure descriptions logically (overview first, then details). An alternative for very complex videos: a full text version under [Media Alternative (Prerecorded)](https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-2-8-media-alternative-prerecorded), which isn’t bound by pauses. ## 5. Why this criterion matters for businesses Level AAA criteria like 1.2.7 may seem optional – but for companies investing in high-quality video, they’re still worth it. ### 1. Reach more people Extended audio description makes dense video content accessible to more people. Especially with training, product demos or technical explainers, you reach people who would otherwise be shut out. ### 2. Show quality Videos with extended descriptions stand for high standards and inclusion. That strengthens your image as a responsible company. ### 3. Make learning truly accessible If you offer training or learning content, for staff or customers, extended audio description makes sure everyone can reach the same level of knowledge. On the legal side: what the law usually requires is Level AA. The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 – in Germany through the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) – and relies on EN 301 549, which refers to WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content. 1.2.7 isn’t part of the mandatory scope. (General information, not legal advice.) ## 6. The success criterion in the W3C’s words > **Success Criterion 1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AAA)** > > 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. In short: if the pauses in speech aren’t enough to describe a prerecorded video meaningfully, the video is paused for the description. **Official explanation from the W3C** The W3C explains every success criterion in depth – with intent, examples and techniques. [Understanding 1.2.7](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/extended-audio-description-prerecorded.html) ## More criteria from “Perceivable” [ 1.1.1 Level A ### Non-text Content When images need words. ](https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-1-1-non-text-content) [ 1.2.1 Level A ### Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) When podcasts and silent videos need a second form. ](https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-2-1-audio-only-and-video-only-prerecorded) [ 1.2.2 Level A ### Captions (Prerecorded) When videos need to make sense without sound. ](https://barrierefreihochzwei.de/en/wcag/1-2-2-captions-prerecorded)