Sign Language (Prerecorded)

What it asks

Any prerecorded audio in synchronized media must be accompanied by a sign-language interpretation. The interpretation should appear in a clearly visible region of the video — typically a corner inset or a side-by-side layout — and should match the sign language relevant to the audience (ASL for US English, BSL for UK English, LSF for French, and so on).

How to meet it

• Commission a qualified sign-language interpreter, not a hearing person who took a class.
• Frame the interpreter from waist up so facial expressions and handshape are both visible.
• Use a clean, non-distracting background — the interpreter’s hands and face must remain legible.
• Provide a separate sign-interpreted version of the video, or burn the interpreter into a picture-in-picture inset.
• Pick the right sign language for the audience: ASL, BSL, Auslan, Libras, etc. — these are different languages.
• Allow the interpreter inset to be resized or repositioned where possible.

Common failures

• Assuming captions cover the requirement — they don’t; sign and written English are different languages.
• Interpreter inset cropped so only the hands are visible, missing facial grammar.
• Wrong language pairing — ASL on a British government video, or a generic “sign” interpreter who isn’t fluent.
• Interpreter video at 144p resolution where handshape is unreadable.
• Sign version produced for the keynote but skipped for every breakout session.

Why it matters

For users whose first language is a sign language, captions are a second-language reading task — sign interpretation is the closest equivalent to spoken dialogue. AAA is rarely contractually required, but high-profile public-sector and broadcast content increasingly includes sign as a baseline.