The note on text transcript vs audio description needs to be clearer (and possibly re-worded)

[Wildebrew]

The note in WCAG 1.2.3 on the differences between text transcript and audio description is highly confusing and cryptic to me, even if I've done accessibility for 10+ years now.

The fundamental problem I have with it, as I understand it, is that it encourages providing audio description over text transcript (a text transcript only meets WCAG at level A whereas an audio description is a level AA requirement).

Accessibility solutions should consider 3 key factors:

• Meeting the needs of maximum number of people with different disabilities
• Technical feasibility
• Ease of use

A transcript:

• Benefits a lot more people than audio description - it can benefit everyone
• Can relatively easily be created and provided by the author
• Is easily consumed by the user, with or without being able to play the video

Audio description:

• Requires a lot of extra work for the video creator
• Is not supported as a configurable channel in most mainstream web-based media players (including YouTube), requiring authors to post two versions of videos, with and without audio description
• Benefits pretty much only blind/low vision users
• Requires users to be able to listen to the video

The note, as I read it, encourages using audio description over text transcript (since it satisfies by 1.2.3 and 1.2.5 in one fell swoop). I have a hard time supporting that given how many more users of different disabilities potentially benefit from a text transcript.

I personally think that 1.2.5 should be triple A except in more specific circumstances, such as:

• The video has significant portions of onscreen action.
• The video is primarily meant for web-based or streaming entertainment platforms where configurable audio description tracks are supported.

[Wildebrew]

Sorry, I should've clarified in my first comment. My ask is: Make the more accessible version the acceptable alternative for the less accessible version, in other words: A. Remove audio description as an alternative for transcript for WCAG 1.2.3 (for all the reasons listed in my first comment) B. Add transcript as an alternative method for meeting audio description requirements, 1.2.5

That will prioritize the number of users who benefit, ease of use, and ease of conforming for authors.