Audiovisual Media Hub

Play, pause, stop, rewind, fast-forward, volume, mute, fullscreen, subtitle toggle, and audio description toggle must all be keyboard-accessible and labelled for screen readers. Controls must not disappear after a short timeout while focus is on them. Custom players built on <video> must expose all controls via the accessibility tree — not just visually.

Subtitles must be available for all new content and — progressively — for archive content. They must be synchronised, accurate, and include speaker identification and relevant non-speech audio cues (e.g., [tense music], [door slams]). Users must be able to customise font size, colour, background opacity, and position. Subtitle rendering must not disappear or flicker on accessible display modes.

Audio description (AD) tracks must be provided for new scripted and factual content, describing key visual information — actions, scene changes, on-screen text, and visual humour. AD tracks must be selectable within the player without navigating away from the content. Where extended AD is provided, the platform must support it.

For key content categories (news, emergency broadcasts, flagship programming), sign language versions should be available. Where a separate sign language stream is used, the platform must allow users to select it without losing their playback position. Signed content must be clearly labelled in the content metadata.

EPGs, carousels, recommendations, and search results must be navigable by keyboard and screen reader. Content metadata (title, rating, duration, accessibility features available) must be exposed programmatically. Filter options for accessibility features (subtitles, AD, BSL/ISL) must be present and functional. Thumbnails and promotional imagery must carry meaningful alt text.

Live streams must provide real-time subtitles (automatic AI subtitles are permissible if accuracy is maintained and corrections can be logged). Live audio description for major live events is a progressive obligation. Live stream players must meet the same control accessibility requirements as VOD players.

User account management, subscription settings, profile creation, and parental control configuration must all meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Accessibility preferences (subtitle style, AD enabled by default) must be saveable per profile and persist across devices and sessions.