Audio, video and animation are creative additions to an otherwise boring website. However, we have to keep in mind the need for the media content to be in compliance with the requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
When posting Audio files on website, keep in mind the following:
- Do not allow the media file to "autoplay" (load and automatically play a media file when web page loads) since this can interrupt assistive technologies (AT). Allow your users to choose if they want to listen to the audio file by providing a Stop and Play button.
- Make sure your video, animation or other multimedia products do not contain flashing, strobing, or flickering elements. These can cause users to experience seizures, dizziness, and nausea.
- Graphics containing optical illusions can also have the same affect on users.
- Flashing and movement of optical illusions media can be distracting for users with cognitive disabilities.
- If your media file has flashing, strobing or flickering elements, include a "warning" in your content, and do not "autoplay" the media or graphic.
Sample of a "Warning Sign"
- If an applet, plug-in or other application is needed to interpret a media content, a link to the applet, plug-in and application must be available on the webpage.
- Multimedia content (video content that also has audio) must have accompanying captions and/or transcripts.
- Captions are a text version of the spoken word presented within the multimedia. It allows the content of the web, audio and video to be accessible to those who do not have access to audio
- Transcripts are a text version of the multimedia content. It allows users that do not have access to web audio or video to read a text transcript instead. Transcripts do not have to be verbatim