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( Perceivable / WCAG 1.2.1 )

Audio element has no caption track

This check maps to Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded). Use the guidance below to confirm the issue, understand who it affects and ship a fix.

Critical Level A WCAG 1.2.1 — Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

What’s wrong

An <audio> element with prerecorded speech content has no caption or transcript available.

Why it matters

Deaf and hard-of-hearing users get nothing from an audio player alone. Without a text alternative, the content is simply unavailable to them.

How to fix it

Provide a transcript, either as a <track> element pointing to a caption file or as a text block near the player.

Before
<audio controls src="/interview.mp3"></audio>
After
<audio controls src="/interview.mp3"></audio>
<details>
  <summary>Read transcript</summary>
  <p>Full text of the interview goes here...</p>
</details>

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