WCAG 1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded)

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.

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.

Testing WCAG 1.2.6 With AccessBell

This criterion depends on meaning or context, so it needs a person to judge. AccessBell's report lists it for manual review rather than marking it pass or fail automatically, so it is not missed.

Run a free scan to spot issues on your own pages.

Related Criteria in Time-based Media

• 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)
• 1.2.9 Audio-only (Live) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.0)

Frequently Asked 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

• W3C: Understanding 1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded) (opens in a new tab)
• W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 (opens in a new tab)

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