Editing
Part of Accessible business video
Planning audio descriptions for important visual information
Identify visual facts the soundtrack misses, choose a description method and leave enough time for listeners to receive it.
Find what a listener would miss if the picture disappeared. Inventory the visual information needed to understand the video, then choose how to deliver it: in the presenter’s speech, in a separate description file the player supports, or in a described alternative video. Plan while the script and timing can still change.
Make a visual-information inventory
Review the rough sequence without relying on its captions or transcript. Note what only the image conveys: a person’s name, a step label, a chart result, a changing status, a physical action or text on an end card. Ask what a listener needs to follow the next point; not every gesture, colour or background detail needs narrating.
For example, “The status changes from Draft to Pending review” gives an outcome that “the screen changes” does not. If the presenter already says it, a separate description need not repeat it. Describe what the image shows without inferring someone’s intention or an outcome it does not establish.
Choose a delivery method
Integrated description works when the speaker can naturally include important visual details. In a demonstration, they can name the control selected and the result that appears. Listen to the finished audio without watching to find any remaining gaps.
If the main speech cannot carry those details, choose an alternative video with description in its own audio track, or a separate file containing a synchronised audio track or timed text. The player must support a separate file, so check the intended player and confirm there are pauses for description.
WCAG 2.2 Level A Success Criterion 1.2.3 allows a descriptive transcript or audio description for prerecorded synchronised media. Level AA Success Criterion 1.2.5 requires audio description for all prerecorded video in synchronised media; no extra description is needed if the soundtrack already conveys all important visual information.
For prerecorded video-only content, WCAG 2.2 Level A Success Criterion 1.2.1 allows a descriptive transcript or an audio track presenting equivalent information. Digital NSW points to WCAG 2.2 when advising on accessible web video and audio; check the conformance level set by your organisation’s policy.
Support varies by player and setup. If details cannot fit between lines, extend a described version or revise the edit. A transcript does not replace audio description where the required conformance level calls for it.
| Question | Production decision |
|---|---|
| Can the speaker say the detail naturally? | Put it in the main script and check the final audio. |
| Is separate description needed? | Confirm the player’s description method and the space between spoken lines. |
| Is there too much to fit? | Add time in a described version or revise the edit. |
Audio description delivery methods compared
- Integrated descriptionSpeaker includes visual details naturally in their dialogue. Best for demonstrations or when timing allows.
- Separate audio trackDedicated audio description file synchronized with video. Requires player support for playback.
- Described alternative videoFull video with embedded audio description. Ideal when editing time is available and content is complex.
- Timed text (e.g., SRT)Text file with timestamps; used alongside video. Must be clearly linked to the video asset.
WCAG 2.2 compliance requirements for audio description
- 1.2Level A – Success Criterion .1 — Descriptive transcript or audio track required for prerecorded video-only content
- 1.2Level A – Success Criterion .3 — Descriptive transcript or audio description for prerecorded synchronised media
- 1.2Level AA – Success Criterion .5 — Audio description required for all prerecorded video in synchronised media
- 2.2Digital NSW guidance
Write to the moment
Place a description at or just before the visual event it explains. Name the object, person or change in a short, concrete sentence. Important on-screen text need not always be read word for word, but its information must be available through audio, a separate description or text clearly alongside the video.
Time each line by reading it aloud against the actual edit; let the available pause set its length rather than aiming for a fixed word count. Check the description with the moving picture and soundtrack: can a listener follow the action without the description obscuring essential speech? If a sentence has to be rushed into a small pause, change the timing or delivery method.
Writing audio descriptions to the moment
- Place description at or just before the visual eventEnsure timing aligns with the action on screen
- Use short, concrete sentencesName objects, people, or changes clearly (e.g., 'The status changes from Draft to Pending review')
- Time each line against the editUse natural pauses; avoid rushing descriptions into tight gaps
- Test with sound onlyListen without watching to verify clarity and flow
Hand over and check the assets
Label the main video, described version or description file clearly so viewers can choose the right option. Hand over the main video and the chosen companion asset: a described alternative video, separate audio track or timed text file. Check that the selected method works in the deployed player.
Caption spoken information added to a described version. A descriptive transcript brings spoken and important visual information together for reading, supporting people who are Deaf-blind and others who benefit from text; it serves a different purpose from playable audio description and does not meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA Success Criterion 1.2.5 on its own.
