Who must caption, and by when
In April 2024 the U.S. Department of Justice made WCAG 2.1 Level AA the standard for the websites and mobile apps of state and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That covers public schools and school districts, community colleges and public universities, counties, cities, libraries, courts and transit agencies. On 20 April 2026 an interim final rule moved the compliance dates: 26 April 2027 for entities serving 50,000 people or more, and 26 April 2028 for smaller ones and special districts. The requirements themselves did not change.
In the European Union, public-sector websites and apps already have to meet EN 301 549 under the Web Accessibility Directive, and the European Accessibility Act has applied to many private services since 28 June 2025.
What WCAG 2.1 AA asks of video
- 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded): accurate, synchronized captions for all recorded video with sound.
- 1.2.4 Captions (Live): live captions for live video with sound.
- 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded): what is shown, described, where the sound does not carry it.
- 1.2.1: a transcript for audio-only recordings such as podcasts.
The CadreScripts caption compliance package
For schools and public bodies: we find which of your videos have no captions or only automatic ones (projects, YouTube channels and lists from your website), caption them in bulk, check every caption against the recording and broadcast reading rules, and hand over a dated report of what was done. The audit and the report are in the editor (Captions → Compliance audit); for the whole service, contact us.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules that apply to your organisation with your counsel.
Questions
When do public schools have to caption their videos?
Under the ADA Title II rule, a school district that is part of a state or local government serving 50,000 people or more must meet WCAG 2.1 AA by 26 April 2027; smaller ones and special districts by 26 April 2028 (dates as extended on 20 April 2026).
Are YouTube's automatic captions enough?
Usually not. WCAG asks for accurate captions; automatic captions often miss names, terms and punctuation. Check and correct them, or replace them.
Do old videos need captions?
The rule has exceptions for archived content that is kept only for reference and not changed since the compliance date, among others. Videos people still use for current services need captions.
Is audio description required too?
WCAG 2.1 AA includes audio description for prerecorded video (1.2.5) where visual information is not in the sound track. Captions alone do not cover it.