Audio Description Script Template + WCAG 2.2 Checklist

An audio description script is the written narration of what a video shows, timed to fit the gaps in its sound. Use the builder below to draft one, then score your video against the WCAG 2.2 success criteria that cover audio and video. The US and UK dates are further down, retrieved 16 October 2026.

Key Takeaways

WCAG 2.2 Level AA (1.2.5) requires audio description for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.

Level A (1.2.3) lets you choose: audio description or a full text alternative. At AA you need the description.

Describe what matters. Cover the visuals needed to understand the video, including on-screen text, in present tense and a neutral voice.

Time it. Place each description with the visual or just before it, never after.

A voice does not make a video compliant. A voice track voices your script; the script, the player and the checks decide compliance.

Build your audio description cue sheet

Fill in up to four cues. For each, enter the start time, the seconds of silence you have, and what the viewer cannot hear. The sheet shows how many words fit the gap, using 150 words per minute (2.5 words a second), and warns you when a cue runs long.

Your audio description cue sheet 0 words

Audio description script: How to reset your password. Style: present tense, third person, neutral voice.

Paste the description lines into Kveeky to hear them, and check the timing against your gap. For other speaking paces, use the words to minutes calculator.

Audio description script examples you can copy

Pick a video type. Each template is written as plain lines you can replace. The label shows the word count and spoken length at 150 words per minute.

Software tutorial audio description script

Tutorials usually say what they click, but not always where it is or what changed on screen. Describe the screen, not the mouse.

Tutorial opening 0 words

A dashboard with a menu on the left. The Settings icon is highlighted.

Step change 0 words

A form opens with three empty fields. A red outline marks the first one.

Result 0 words

A green banner reads: Changes saved.

Training video audio description script

Training videos often show slides, whiteboards or demonstrations. W3C says an integrated approach, where the speaker describes the visuals in the script, works well for many training and instructional videos.

Slide with a chart 0 words

A slide titled Quarterly sign-ups. A bar chart shows four bars, rising from left to right.

Demonstration 0 words

An instructor holds a safety harness and clips the strap to a metal rail.

On-screen text 0 words

Text on screen: Module 2 quiz. Five questions. Ten minutes.

Marketing video audio description script

Marketing videos carry the offer and the web address in text. W3C says all of the information conveyed by on-screen text needs to be available, though not word for word.

Opening scene 0 words

A woman in a bright kitchen opens a laptop and smiles at the screen.

Product shot 0 words

A close-up of the app on a phone. A progress bar fills.

End card 0 words

End screen: the company logo on white. Text reads: Start free at example dot com.

How to write audio description: 6 rules from W3C

Describe what the video needs. Cover the visual elements that are important to understand it. Skip details that are apparent from the audio.
Include on-screen text such as titles, end-screen links, email addresses and names shown as text.
Stay objective. No interpretation, censoring or commentary.
Use present tense, active voice and third person.
Place it with the visual or just before it. Do not put the description after the visual content.
Test it. Imagine describing the video to someone who cannot see it.

W3C also covers how to deliver the description: speakers can describe visuals within their script, a text track can carry timed descriptions if the player reads them aloud, or a separate audio track can be recorded into the gaps. When the gaps are too short, you need a separate described version of the video, or extended description that pauses the video.

WCAG 2.2 audio and video checklist with score

Tick what is true for your video. The score counts Level A and AA items; Level AAA items are shown separately because most standards do not require them. It is a self-check, not a conformance test.

0% of Level A and AA items ticked (0 of 7). Level AAA: 0 of 2.

1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), Level A Every prerecorded audio-only recording, such as a podcast, has a text transcript or equivalent alternative. Every prerecorded silent video has a text alternative or an audio track that presents the same information.

1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded), Level A Captions cover all the audio content of every prerecorded video that has sound.

1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded), Level A Every prerecorded video has an audio description or a full text alternative for time-based media.

1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded), Level AA Every prerecorded video has audio description. A text alternative alone does not meet this level. If the soundtrack already carries all the important information, I have recorded that no description is needed.

1.4.2 Audio Control, Level A No audio plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, or there is a way to pause or stop it, or to control its volume independently of the system volume.

1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded), Level AAA Where pauses in the sound are too short for the description, extended audio description is provided.

1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded), Level AAA A full text alternative is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media.

Score: items ticked divided by items, for Level A and AA. Success criterion wording is paraphrased from WCAG 2.2; read the full text before you certify anything.

Script ready? Paste it into Kveeky, choose a voice that sounds different from your presenter, and download an MP3 of the description.

Voice your description free

What WCAG 1.2.3 and 1.2.5 actually require

Level A criterion 1.2.3 asks for “an alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content”. You can satisfy it with a full text alternative. Level AA criterion 1.2.5 asks for audio description of all prerecorded video content in synchronized media, so a transcript alone no longer passes. If you already provided audio description for 1.2.3, you have met 1.2.5 too.

Extended audio description (1.2.7, Level AAA) applies where the pauses in the foreground audio are insufficient for the description. The video is paused so there is time for more narration. W3C recommends letting users turn it on and off.

WCAG 2.2 is a W3C Recommendation dated 12 December 2024. It removed one success criterion, 4.1.1 Parsing.

US and UK dates that point to WCAG

Check the rule that applies to you. These are the official statements, retrieved 16 October 2026.

Rule	Standard it names	Date, as the official page states it
US: ADA Title II web rule (state and local governments), public entities with a population of 50,000 or more	WCAG 2.1 Level AA	April 26, 2027
US: ADA Title II web rule, population under 50,000, and special district governments	WCAG 2.1 Level AA	April 26, 2028
UK: public sector accessibility regulations	WCAG 2.2 AA	Came into force for public sector bodies on 23 September 2018. Pre-recorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020 is exempt. Live audio and video is exempt.

The DOJ page says it issued an Interim Final Rule in April 2026 that extended the US compliance dates. The DOJ page does not name WCAG 2.2, so match your checklist to the version your rule names. If you are in a private business, these rules may not apply to you directly, but the criteria still describe good practice.

How Kveeky helps with audio description

Voice the script, not the videoPaste your description lines, pick a voice and download an MP3 to place in your editor or player.

A voice that stands apartChoose a different voice from your presenter, as W3C advises, from 700+ voices in 40+ languages.

Speed, volume and a neutral toneSet speed from 0.5× to 2×, adjust volume, and keep the Neutral emotion for a calm, even read.

Free to startThe free plan has 500 credits a month, about 40 seconds of audio, with no credit card.

An AI voice only reads your script. Compliance still depends on the script, how the player delivers the audio track, and the checks above. Our guide to pauses, emphasis and pacing helps a short description sound unhurried, and the loudness cheat sheet helps you balance it against the main audio. For narrated lessons, see AI voiceovers for e-learning and the English text to speech page.

Before you publish: production checks

Check	Why it matters
Descriptions land with or just before the visual	W3C says not to place the description after the visual content
Main audio is lowered while the description plays	Keeps the description clear; W3C calls this ducking
The description voice differs from the other voices	Listeners can tell narration from speakers
Tone is neutral	W3C advises a voice that does not convey emotions
Your player supports a text track or a second audio track	Otherwise ship a separate described version of the video
On-screen text is covered	Titles, links and addresses shown only as text

For course content, see our WCAG checklist for online courses and the e-learning voiceover guide. To draft the narration itself, see how to write an AI voiceover script.

Frequently asked questions

What is an audio description script?

It is the written narration of the visual information in a video, such as actions, scenes and on-screen text, for people who cannot see the video adequately. It is timed to fit the pauses in the main audio.

Does WCAG require audio description?

At Level A, success criterion 1.2.3 lets you provide either audio description or a full text alternative. At Level AA, 1.2.5 requires audio description for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.

What is extended audio description?

It is description for videos whose pauses are too short to carry the narration. The video is paused while the description plays. It is Level AAA criterion 1.2.7 in WCAG 2.2.

How many words fit in a gap?

At 150 words per minute, about 2.5 words a second, so a 4-second gap fits roughly 10 words. That is an estimate; a faster or slower voice changes it.

Can I use an AI voice for audio description?

Yes, to speak the description text you wrote. W3C advises a neutral voice that is distinguishable from the other voices. An AI voice alone does not make a video WCAG compliant.

Sources

Audio description definition, standard versus extended, and writing guidance: W3C WAI, “Description of Visual Information”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
Success criterion 1.2.5, relation to 1.2.3 and the no-description-needed note: W3C, “Understanding SC 1.2.5: Audio Description (Prerecorded)”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
Extended audio description, Level AAA: W3C, “Understanding SC 1.2.7: Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
Success criteria 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.5, 1.2.7, 1.2.8 and 1.4.2, the 12 December 2024 Recommendation date and the removal of 4.1.1: W3C, “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
US ADA Title II dates and WCAG 2.1 Level AA: ADA.gov, “Web rule: first steps”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
UK public sector standard and exemption dates: GOV.UK, “Accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps”, retrieved 2026-10-16.
Kveeky free plan and formats: Kveeky pricing, retrieved 2026-10-16.

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