You COULD say, you can’t have true “Accessible Videos” without an Accessible Video Player. So what is an “accessible video player”?
To live up to the Web Accessibility Directive, from a video perspective, the video player used on your website needs to support accessibility functions in line with the requirements specified in WCAG 2.1 AA.
Since 2017 Qbrick, as the first video platform provider in the Nordic market, has provided video players that comply with the WCAG standard, and we’re continuously developing enhanced accessibility functionality.
To ensure that your video player can live up to the accessibility standards set out, there are a couple of main functional areas that needs to be supported:
Keyboard maneuverability
In addition to the using the mouse, you should be able to control your video player, and the included functionality, through keyboard commands.
Information on player controls
The player controls are the “steering wheel” for your video and hence needs to be known and understandable for everybody. Every control needs to have a readable caption that explains the function. The captions should also be readable by screen reader software.
Contrast colors for visibility
Player controls and text in player needs to be visible for people with reduced vision capabilities. When text and control elements don't stand out enough, they can blend into the background, making it much harder, if not impossible, for some people to perceive.
Subtitles
As part of the accessibility law, all content must be subtitled. The video player should support the function called “closed caption” and it should also be possible to turn this on and off. You can read more about subtitling in a previous blog post.
We here at Qbrick are continuing our efforts to expand accessibility features in our video platform. As a company we are committed to the work creating a more accessible and inclusive internet experience for everybody.
Please watch a short little video describing our current WCAG approved Video Player: