1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded)

Level AAA · added in WCAG 2.0

Prerecorded video with audio gets sign language interpretation of the speech and important sounds. This is level AAA, which most laws and policies don't require, but it is worth doing for content aimed at Deaf audiences.

Who it helps

Many Deaf people use a sign language as their first language and read written language as a second one. For them, signing carries tone and emotion and is easier to follow than fast captions.

How to meet it

Use the sign language your audience uses, such as ASL in the US or BSL in the UK; each is a full language, not signed English.
Work with qualified interpreters, ideally Deaf or native signers, and give them the script ahead of time.
Show the interpreter large enough to read hands and face, with good lighting and a plain, contrasting background.
Offer signing as picture-in-picture in the video, or as a separate version linked clearly from the player.
Keep captions as well; sign language doesn't replace 1.2.2.
If you can't sign everything, start with the content that matters most to Deaf users, such as key service information.

Examples

Fails:A video with captions but no sign language version

<video controls src="/video/benefits-explained.mp4">
  <track kind="captions" src="/video/benefits.en.vtt"
         srclang="en" label="English">
</video>

Passes:A link to a version with an ASL interpreter

<video controls src="/video/benefits-explained.mp4">
  <track kind="captions" src="/video/benefits.en.vtt"
         srclang="en" label="English">
</video>
<p><a href="/video/benefits-explained-asl.mp4">
  Watch with American Sign Language (ASL)</a></p>

Can a scanner detect this?

No axe-core rule tests for sign language. A tool can't see whether a video includes an interpreter or whether a signed version exists. A person has to check, ideally with a fluent signer judging the quality.

No automated rule tests this criterion. Check it by hand.

Common mistakes

Showing the interpreter so small that hand shapes and facial expressions can't be read.
Assuming captions are enough for people whose first language is signed.
Using an interpreter who signs a different regional sign language than your audience uses.
Cropping the interpreter's hands or placing them against a busy background.

Official W3C explanation of 1.2.6

Check your own page

See which automated WCAG checks your page fails, with the failing elements and how to fix them.

Reviewed November 2, 2026