WCAG 2.1

WCAG-Compliant Real-Time Stream Captions

Closed captions on your live stream that align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA — for streamers, broadcasters, and brands that need accessibility conformance, not just feel-good captions.

Try Free for 6 Hours → See pricing

What WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires

WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the de facto standard for digital accessibility. Level AA is what most platforms, brands, and government agencies require. For live video, the key success criteria are:

1.2.4 Captions (Live) — captions provided for all live audio in synchronized media
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) — text/background contrast ratio 4.5:1+
1.4.4 Resize Text — content readable at 200% zoom
1.4.10 Reflow — content adapts to small viewports

StreamTranslate captions meet all four out of the box.

How our captions align with each criterion

1.2.4 (Live): Captions appear sub-2-second after spoken word — well within "real-time" thresholds (the W3C accepts up to 5 seconds for live)
1.4.3 (Contrast): Default white text + 2px black outline = contrast ratio 21:1 on most backgrounds. User-adjustable if needed.
1.4.4 (Resize): Caption font is overlay-rendered, scales naturally with viewer's video player zoom
1.4.10 (Reflow): Captions reflow within the OBS canvas — no horizontal scroll on small screens

Where compliance matters most

Live streams operating in these contexts often have hard accessibility requirements:

Education — federal/state-funded streams require Section 508 conformance
Government — public meetings and announcements require captioning by law in many jurisdictions
Brand sponsorships — most modern sponsorship contracts include accessibility clauses
Enterprise webinars — corporate accessibility policies typically reference WCAG
Healthcare / legal streams — both have strict accessibility mandates with audit risk

Documentation for compliance audits

Each streaming session generates a transcript log accessible from your dashboard. For audits or accessibility reviews, you can download per-session transcripts as proof of caption coverage.

For enterprise broadcasters needing extended retention or signed conformance documentation, contact us about the Unlimited tier and enterprise plans.

Frequently asked

Do auto-generated captions count for WCAG compliance?

WCAG 2.1 accepts auto-generated captions for live content. Pre-recorded content has stricter requirements (typically requires manual review). For most live streamers, auto-captions are conformant.

What's the latency requirement for live captions?

WCAG doesn't specify exact latency, but most accessibility experts agree under 5 seconds is acceptable. Our pipeline runs under 2 seconds.

Are captions stored for accessibility compliance audits?

Yes. Per-session transcripts are stored and downloadable. Retention varies by plan — contact us for enterprise retention requirements.

Will the captions work for screen reader users?

Captions are visual overlays, not text consumable by screen readers. For screen-reader-compatible content, audio narration is the standard. WCAG 2.1 has separate criteria for that.

Can I get a written accessibility statement for my stream?

On enterprise plans we can provide a signed conformance statement listing the WCAG criteria the captions meet. Contact us.