For those who are deaf, or hard of hearing, audio content is not accessible. Videos without descriptions are not accessible to the blind. In both cases the information needs to be provided in an alternative format. Important information contained in audio or video also needs to be available in text.

A transcript is a word-for-word textual version of the audio. The user should be given the choice of reading the transcript or listening to the audio. The "description" is longer and more significant than the "transcript". The "audio description" needs to be available in text form. The video description should be available in both text and audio form. The description can be both subjective and artistic, depending on the intentions of the author. This information is generally available at the beginning of the creation process and should be retained and made available on the Web along with the clip.

[D]Click for a sample Multimedia presentation

(you will need You will need the RealPlayerT to watch this slideshow. If your browser warns you that you don't have a necessary plug-in or helper application, you need to download and install the free RealPlayer). For transcript and descriptions, users can follow the "D" link or use the "longdesc" tag.

Accessible multimedia presentations can also be created using MAGpie (Media Access Generator )