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Communications and Marketing: Web Services

Video Accessibility Resources

Last modified: May 1, 2026
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All UAMS video and audio content (aka time-based media) embedded on UAMS websites or hosted on official platforms must fully conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027 (U.S. Department of Justice Title II ADA final rule for public entities).

Blackboard Ally for Websites will flag non-compliant embedded videos — fix all issues before publishing.

Presenting your time-based media correctly means people can access it on any device, in their preferred way, and regardless of disability. (Over 80% of people watch videos without sound on social platforms!)

Publishing Video and Audio Content

Contextualize content both on the UAMS CMS and the hosting platform (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).

Basic Publishing Guidelines (Required for Compliance)

  • Use semantic headings (H2, H3, etc.) for the video section or page title.
  • Provide a short, descriptive summary on the UAMS CMS page and in the platform description.
  • Add accurate, human-verified captions on the hosting platform (WCAG 1.2.2 Level A).
  • Include audio descriptions or an extended descriptive transcript when visual information isn’t conveyed by audio (WCAG 1.2.5 Level AA).
  • Provide or link a full transcript on the UAMS CMS page (WCAG 1.2.3 Level A / best practice).

When to Include Captions, Transcripts, and/or Audio Descriptions

Use this decision tree:

Video Content

  • Does your video include speech? → Yes – Accurate captions + transcript required.
  • Does your video contain visual information not described by dialogue? (e.g., charts, actions, on-screen text) → Yes – Audio descriptions or extended descriptive transcript required.
  • My video has no speech or substantive audio? (e.g., silent animation) → Title, short description, and alt text on thumbnail sufficient (but captions/transcript recommended if meaningful visuals exist).

Audio Content (e.g., Podcasts)

  • No speech → Title + short description only.
  • Contains speech → Full transcript required (captions if video format).

Additional Video Accessibility Resources

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