Bug 266724 - AX: Feature request: Support WebVTT-based synthesized audio description in video
Summary: AX: Feature request: Support WebVTT-based synthesized audio description in video
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: WebKit
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Accessibility (show other bugs)
Version: Safari 17
Hardware: All All
: P2 Normal
Assignee: Nobody
URL:
Keywords: InRadar
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2023-12-20 12:45 PST by Adrian Roselli
Modified: 2023-12-20 12:45 PST (History)
2 users (show)

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Description Adrian Roselli 2023-12-20 12:45:24 PST
WHATWG HTML specifies `kind="descriptions"` for `<track>` so authors can provide a script for audio descriptions for associated videos:
https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/media.html#attr-track-kind-keyword-descriptions

WHATWG HTML also provides parsing rules (including for making them extended audio descriptions):
https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/media.html#playing-the-media-resource

The current WCAG advisory technique guides authors to use `<track>` with `kind="descriptions"` to provide a source for the browser to provide synthesized audio description:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/html/H96

A caveat is that the latest update from WebVTT CG Report suggests WHATWG HTML may have jumped the gun:
> The majority of the current version of this specification is dedicated to describing how to use WebVTT files for captioning or subtitling. There is minimal information about chapters and time-aligned metadata and nothing about video descriptions at this stage.
https://w3c.github.io/webvtt/#introduction

In other words, I would love to see this supported but if WHATWG HTML is punting to WebVTT and WebVTT has not fully specified it, then perhaps WebKitcan either:
1. take the lead and implement this, helping cement behaviors; or
2. push for clarity in WHATWG HTML using its outsized position of influence.
Comment 1 Radar WebKit Bug Importer 2023-12-20 12:45:33 PST
<rdar://problem/119949632>