13 Media Accessibility Statistics: Video & Audio Compliance Data

Video and audio content now dominate the web, but accessibility for multimedia lags far behind text-based content. Understanding the current state of media accessibility—who's getting it right, who's failing, and what the data reveals—helps organizations prioritize their efforts in an increasingly video-first digital landscape.

These 13 statistics examine media accessibility from multiple angles: adoption rates, compliance gaps, user impact, and business implications.

Caption and Subtitle Statistics

1. Only 28% of Web Videos Have Accurate Captions

Research from 3Play Media's annual State of Captioning report found that only 28% of online videos have captions that meet accuracy standards. The remaining 72% either have no captions at all, have auto-generated captions with significant errors, or have captions that fail to meet the 99% accuracy threshold considered acceptable for accessibility.

Auto-generated captions, while better than nothing, typically achieve only 60-80% accuracy depending on audio quality, speaker accents, and technical terminology. For users who depend on captions, these error rates make content difficult or impossible to follow.

Source: 3Play Media State of Captioning Report 2024

2. 85% of Facebook Videos Are Watched Without Sound

Facebook's internal data, widely cited in marketing research, shows that 85% of videos on the platform are watched with the sound off. This statistic—originally reported by Digiday—reveals that captions aren't just an accessibility feature; they're essential for reaching the majority of viewers on social platforms.

Users scroll through feeds in quiet environments, in public spaces, or simply prefer not to activate audio. Without captions, these viewers can't engage with video content regardless of disability status.

Source: Digiday - 85 percent of Facebook video is watched without sound

3. Captioned Videos See 40% Higher Engagement

Multiple studies have demonstrated that captioned videos achieve significantly higher engagement metrics than uncaptioned equivalents. Research published by Verizon Media and Publicis Media found that adding captions increased view time by 12% and improved completion rates.

PLYMedia research showed even more dramatic results, with captioned videos seeing 40% more views overall. The engagement benefits extend to all viewers, not just those who require captions for accessibility.

Source: Verizon Media/Publicis Media Caption Study

4. Legal Complaints About Video Accessibility Increased 300% Since 2018

According to data compiled by UsableNet's annual report on digital accessibility lawsuits, legal complaints specifically citing video accessibility violations—missing captions, lack of audio descriptions, inaccessible video players—have increased approximately 300% since 2018.

The FCC's regulations on broadcast captioning, combined with ADA interpretations extending to digital video, have created clear legal requirements that many organizations still fail to meet.

Source: UsableNet Annual ADA Digital Accessibility Report

Audio Description Statistics

5. Only 7% of Streaming Content Has Audio Descriptions

Despite regulatory requirements for broadcast television, streaming platforms lag significantly in audio description availability. Research from the American Council of the Blind found that only approximately 7% of streaming content includes audio descriptions for blind and low-vision viewers.

Audio descriptions—narrated descriptions of visual elements inserted during dialogue pauses—enable blind viewers to follow plot developments, understand character actions, and experience visual storytelling. Without them, significant portions of video content remain inaccessible.

Source: American Council of the Blind Streaming Accessibility Report

6. 93% of Blind Users Consider Audio Description Essential

A survey conducted by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) found that 93% of blind and partially sighted respondents consider audio description essential or very important for enjoying video content. The gap between this stated need (93%) and availability (7%) represents one of the largest accessibility chasms in digital media.

Source: RNIB Audio Description Research

7. Netflix Leads With 40% Audio Description Coverage

Among major streaming platforms, Netflix has made the most progress on audio description, with approximately 40% of its library including audio descriptions as of 2024. This remains far from comprehensive but significantly exceeds competitor coverage.

The streaming leader has committed to increasing audio description availability, partly due to advocacy pressure and partly due to legal requirements in certain markets.

Source: Netflix Accessibility Features

Video Player Accessibility

8. 67% of Video Players Have Keyboard Navigation Issues

Automated accessibility testing of popular web video players found that 67% have significant keyboard accessibility issues. Common problems include inability to pause/play with keyboard commands, inaccessible volume controls, and caption toggles that can't be activated without a mouse.

For users who navigate with keyboards due to motor impairments, these players create complete barriers to video content regardless of whether the content itself is accessible.

Source: WebAIM Video Player Accessibility Analysis

9. Custom Video Players Are 3x More Likely to Be Inaccessible

Organizations that build custom video players rather than using established accessible players (like YouTube's embedded player or Video.js) are approximately three times more likely to have accessibility issues. Custom development frequently omits accessibility considerations that established players have addressed.

The recommendation for most organizations is clear: use tested, accessible video player frameworks rather than building custom solutions.

Source: Deque Systems Video Accessibility Research

Business Impact Statistics

10. 50 Million Americans Use Captions Regularly

Nielsen research indicates that approximately 50 million Americans regularly use closed captions when watching video content. This includes the 11 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing, plus the much larger population who use captions for language learning, watching in noisy environments, or personal preference.

The audience for captions extends far beyond the disability community, making caption investment valuable for overall audience engagement.

Source: Nielsen Caption Usage Statistics

11. Caption Search Indexing Improves Video SEO by 16%

Videos with caption files enable search engines to index their spoken content, improving discoverability. Research from Cisco and various SEO studies indicates that properly captioned videos see approximately 16% improvement in search performance compared to uncaptioned equivalents.

This SEO benefit adds business value to caption investment beyond accessibility compliance.

Source: Cisco Digital Media Research

12. Live Caption Accuracy Requirements: 98.6% for Broadcast

FCC regulations require broadcast television to achieve 98.6% caption accuracy for live programming—a standard that streaming and web video rarely meet. The gap between broadcast standards and web video practice represents both a compliance risk and a quality gap.

Organizations aiming for genuine accessibility should target similar accuracy standards even when not technically required by regulation.

Source: FCC Closed Captioning Quality Standards

13. Automatic Captioning Market Growing 15% Annually

The market for automatic captioning and transcription services is growing approximately 15% annually, driven by both accessibility requirements and broader content consumption trends. This growth indicates increasing awareness of caption importance, though automatic solutions still require human review for accessibility-grade accuracy.

Source: Grand View Research Transcription Market Report

What These Statistics Mean

The data reveals a significant gap between the importance of media accessibility and current implementation reality.

Captions benefit everyone. The 85% of Facebook users watching without sound demonstrates that caption investment serves accessibility and mainstream engagement simultaneously.

Audio descriptions remain severely underserved. The 93% need versus 7% availability gap represents one of accessibility's largest unmet obligations.

Technical implementation matters. Even organizations creating accessible content can fail if their video players prevent users from accessing that content.

Business benefits align with accessibility. SEO improvements, engagement increases, and audience expansion all result from the same accessibility investments.

Taking Action

Media accessibility requires attention to both content (captions, audio descriptions) and technical implementation (accessible players, keyboard support). Organizations should audit their current video content, prioritize high-traffic videos for remediation, and establish processes for accessible media creation going forward.

TestParty helps organizations identify media accessibility issues as part of comprehensive accessibility monitoring.

Schedule a TestParty demo and get a 14-day compliance implementation plan.

Related Resources

• How to Add Video Captions
• Video Captioning Requirements
• WCAG 2.2 Level AA Checklist
• 15 Digital Accessibility Statistics That Prove ROI