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WCAG 1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio

AAA only: background audio behind speech must be quiet enough, or removable, so the spoken content stays intelligible.

1.4.7 Level AAA Added in WCAG 2.0 Needs manual review

Anton StewartAuthor
Reviewed against the W3C Understanding document
Illustration: a high contrast symbol, with WCAG 1.4.7 and Low or No Background Audio
Table of contents

What WCAG 1.4.7 Requires

AAA only: background audio behind speech must be quiet enough, or removable, so the spoken content stays intelligible.

How to Test It by Hand

Listen to a narrated audio track and check that background music or noise does not compete with the speech.

Common Failures

  • A narrated video has background music mixed too loudly relative to the narration, with no way to turn it off.

Testing WCAG 1.4.7 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does WCAG 1.4.7 require?

AAA only: background audio behind speech must be quiet enough, or removable, so the spoken content stays intelligible.

Can AccessBell test WCAG 1.4.7 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 1.4.7?

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.

About the Author

Anton StewartAuthor

Contributor, AccessBell

Anton Stewart writes and reviews accessibility guides for the AccessBell blog, checked against the W3C standards and other primary sources.

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