WCAG 1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded): What It Means and How to Test It

Anton StewartAuthor Reviewed September 28, 2026 against the W3C Understanding document

What WCAG 1.2.6 Requires

AAA only: prerecorded video needs a sign language interpretation track for viewers whose first language is a signed language.

Can AccessBell Test This Automatically?

Not fully. Like most WCAG criteria that depend on meaning or context, this one needs a person to judge. AccessBell's report lists it for manual review rather than marking it pass or fail automatically, so it never gets missed.

How to Test It by Hand

Check whether a sign-language video or picture-in-picture interpreter track is offered alongside the recording.

Common Failures

No sign language option exists for any video content.

WCAG 1.2.6 Questions

What does WCAG 1.2.6 require?

AAA only: prerecorded video needs a sign language interpretation track for viewers whose first language is a signed language.

Can AccessBell test WCAG 1.2.6 automatically?

Not fully. This criterion needs a person to judge, so AccessBell's report lists it for manual review rather than marking it pass or fail on its own.

What level is WCAG 1.2.6?

Level AAA, added in WCAG 2.0. Level AAA is the highest, most demanding conformance level in WCAG.

Sources

This page explains a technical standard and is not legal advice. See our disclaimer.

1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded)