WCAG 1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded): What It Means and How to Test It

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

What WCAG 1.2.8 Requires

AAA only: prerecorded video needs a full text alternative (a complete script of dialogue and visual description) in addition to captions and audio description.

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

Look for a downloadable or linked full-text version of the video's content.

Common Failures

A captioned, audio-described video has no full text version for people who prefer reading.

WCAG 1.2.8 Questions

What does WCAG 1.2.8 require?

AAA only: prerecorded video needs a full text alternative (a complete script of dialogue and visual description) in addition to captions and audio description.

Can AccessBell test WCAG 1.2.8 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 1.2.8?

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.

1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded)