Video Accessibility Checklist

Engagement and retention with video content continue to outperform other types of media. As a result, businesses and entertainers invest a lot into making compelling videos that relate to their audiences. They want videos to grab and hold attention — to teach, to inspire, to connect.

Often, a video’s success is tied closely to the number of people it reaches. So, what if a billion people around the world never even got the chance to engage — rather, what if they couldn’t, even if they wanted to?

It isn’t a trick question. In fact, most videos on the web are not fully accessible, excluding massive numbers of viewers with disabilities and failing to comply with federal laws. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

While you might be asking what steps you can take to make videos accessible and compliant, the answers have already been figured out for you. WCAG 2.1 outlines the specifications that make digital content accessible.

Some checkpoints, like using colors with strong contrast, apply to all visual content. Others are specific to prerecorded multimedia, like ensuring captions are accurate and synchronized.

Additionally, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) follows WCAG guidelines for compliance. So if your organization is concerned with reaching ADA video compliance, following the WCAG video guidelines will ensure you’re meeting all of those requirements.

Luckily, you don’t need to be an accessibility subject matter expert or tech guru to make your videos more accessible. Following the checkpoints in this plain-language guide will help you remember exactly you need to know — and nothing you don’t — each time you create a video.