· Virendra Raheja · Compliance · 9 min read
Audio Description Mandates in the USA: The Complete 2026 Guide
Every current and upcoming US audio description requirement in one place. From FCC television rules to ADA Title II deadlines, here is what you need to know.
I’ve spent over four decades in technology, the last two focused on accessibility. For most of that time, audio description in the US was a slow, expensive process. The industry matured gradually — standards improved, production methods got better, and coverage expanded year by year. But now the regulatory landscape has shifted, and the pace is picking up fast.
Today, audio description is governed by four distinct federal mandates, each covering a different part of the media industry, each with its own rules and timelines. Television, movie theaters, federal government content, and now state and local government digital media all require audio description under separate regulatory frameworks. This guide puts every current US audio description mandate in one place.
The good news: meeting these obligations doesn’t have to mean six-figure budgets and months of lead time. At Visonic AI, we help organizations produce broadcast-grade audio description at a fraction of the traditional cost, across multiple languages, with pricing designed for real-world compliance volumes.
Television and Cable: The CVAA and FCC Rules
The most established US audio description mandate comes from the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), signed into law in 2010. The FCC enforces these rules, requiring specific quantities of audio-described programming on broadcast and cable television.
Who’s Covered
Broadcast television: Local affiliates of the four major networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) in covered Designated Market Areas (DMAs) must provide audio-described programming.
Cable and satellite: Multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) with 50,000 or more subscribers must carry audio description on the top five most-watched non-broadcast networks. The FCC updates this list every three years based on Nielsen ratings. The current top five (effective July 2024 through July 2027) are:
- HGTV
- Hallmark
- TLC
- TNT
- TBS
How Much Audio Description Is Required
Each covered network must provide 87.5 hours of audio-described programming per calendar quarter. Of those:
- 50 hours must be prime time or children’s programming
- 37.5 hours can be any programming type
That works out to roughly one hour of described content per day, weighted toward the time slots when audiences are largest.
The DMA Expansion Schedule
This is where things get interesting. The FCC originally required audio description in the top 60 DMAs, later expanded to the top 100. In 2023, the FCC adopted a Second Report and Order that phases in the remaining markets at a steady clip: 10 new DMAs every January 1.
| Date | DMAs Covered |
|---|---|
| Pre-2025 | DMAs 1-100 |
| January 1, 2025 | DMAs 101-110 |
| January 1, 2026 | DMAs 111-120 |
| January 1, 2027 | DMAs 121-130 |
| January 1, 2028 | DMAs 131-140 |
| … | 10 additional DMAs each year |
| January 1, 2035 | DMAs 201-210 (all markets) |
By 2035, every television market in the country will be covered. The FCC has been issuing annual reminders to broadcasters as each new batch of DMAs comes online.
The TNT/TBS Waiver
One notable exception: Warner Bros. Discovery received a limited waiver from the standard rules for TNT and TBS in August 2024, valid through June 30, 2027. Instead of the standard 87.5-hour requirement, TBS must air at least 1,000 hours of audio-described programming per quarter (including repeats), and TNT must provide at least 2,500 hours per year. The FCC granted the waiver because both networks air significant amounts of previously described content.
Movie Theaters: ADA Title III
Under a 2016 Department of Justice rule, digital movie theaters are required to have and maintain equipment necessary to provide closed captioning and audio description at patron seats.
What’s Required
- Theaters must provide audio description devices (typically wireless headsets) when showing digital movies that were produced with AD tracks
- Staff must be trained and available to assist patrons before, during, and after screenings
- Theaters must provide public notice that captioning and audio description are available
- Equipment must be maintained in working order
What’s Not Required
The rule doesn’t require theaters to add audio description to films that weren’t produced with it. The obligation is to deliver the AD track when one exists. Most major studio releases now include AD tracks, but independent and foreign films may not.
This rule has been in effect since approximately June 2018, giving theaters 18 months from the December 2016 publication to comply.
Federal Government Content: Section 508
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires all federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible. For video content, that means audio description is mandatory.
The Technical Standard
Section 508 references WCAG 2.0 Level A and Level AA success criteria (the last refresh was January 2017). Under WCAG Success Criterion 1.2.5, audio description is required for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.
Who’s Covered
- All federal executive agencies
- Federal contractors and vendors providing ICT to the government
- Any video content published on federal websites or distributed through federal systems
Practical Impact
Federal agencies produce a lot of video: training materials, public information campaigns, congressional hearing recordings, educational content, and promotional videos. All of it requires audio description if it contains visual information not conveyed through the existing audio track.
Products that display video with synchronized audio must also provide user controls for audio descriptions at the same menu level as volume and program selection controls.
State and Local Government: ADA Title II (2026-2027)
This is the broadest mandate yet. In April 2024, the Department of Justice published a final rule under ADA Title II requiring state and local government entities to make their web content and mobile applications conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.2.5 requires audio description for all prerecorded video content. Every video published by a covered entity needs AD.
Compliance Deadlines
April 24, 2026: Public entities (other than special district governments) serving populations of 50,000 or more.
April 26, 2027: Public entities with populations under 50,000 and special district governments.
Who’s Covered
The scope is wide:
- State government agencies
- County and city governments
- Public universities and community colleges
- Public school districts
- Public libraries and museums
- Public transit agencies
- Public hospitals and health departments
Penalties
Non-compliance carries real financial consequences:
- First violation: Up to $75,000 in civil penalties
- Subsequent violations: Up to $150,000 per violation
- Individuals can file private lawsuits
- The DOJ can investigate and pursue enforcement actions
Web accessibility lawsuits in the US have been growing at roughly 20% year over year, with video accessibility increasingly in the crosshairs. For a deeper look at the compliance timeline and a practical checklist, see our ADA Title II Audio Description Compliance Checklist.
The Scale Challenge
Many public entities have thousands of videos across their digital properties. A mid-sized state university might have 2,000 videos averaging 10 minutes each — that’s 20,000 minutes of content that needs audio description. The cost of meeting that obligation depends entirely on the approach you choose.
What Does Compliance Cost?
The mandates above tell you what’s required. The next question is always: what will it cost to get there?
Traditional manual audio description runs $15-50 per finished minute of video. That covers scripting, voice talent, studio recording, mixing, and QC. For a broadcaster producing 87.5 hours of described content per quarter, or a public university with 20,000 minutes of back catalog, the numbers add up fast.
| Approach | Cost per Finished Minute | Turnaround | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual (premium) | $30-50 | 2-4 weeks | Theatrical releases, prestige content |
| Manual (standard) | $15-30 | 1-3 weeks | Broadcast programming, corporate video |
| AI-powered | $5-15 | Hours to days | Back catalogs, high-volume compliance |
| AI + human QC | $5-20 | Days | Best of both: speed with quality assurance |
For that same university with 20,000 minutes of video, the difference is stark: $300,000-$1,000,000 with manual AD versus $100,000-$300,000 with AI-powered AD — and the AI approach delivers in weeks rather than months. For a detailed breakdown of the real costs and tradeoffs, see our Complete Cost Comparison: AI vs. Manual Audio Description.
Visonic AI delivers the highest quality AI-generated audio description on the market at the most competitive price point. Our platform produces production-grade AD across languages and content types, and we publish our pricing transparently so you can plan your compliance budget with confidence.
What’s on the Horizon: The CVTA
The current mandates cover television, cinemas, federal agencies, and state/local governments. One major gap remains: streaming services and online video platforms have no specific federal audio description requirement.
The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA), introduced by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Anna Eshoo, would close that gap. The bill would extend audio description requirements to streaming platforms, online video services, and video conferencing tools. It would also give the FCC authority to regulate accessibility of emerging technologies including AI and AR/VR.
The CVTA has strong backing from advocacy organizations including the American Council of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind, but hasn’t been enacted yet. Whether or not the CVTA passes in its current form, the trajectory is unmistakable. In my experience, accessibility mandates only ever expand. They don’t contract.
How to Access Audio Description
For anyone who wants to use audio description, here’s how to find it on each platform:
Television (Broadcast and Cable)
Audio description is delivered through the Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) channel. To enable it:
- On most TVs: Go to Settings > Audio and select the SAP or secondary audio option
- On cable/satellite set-top boxes: Look for Audio or Language settings in the menu
- The exact location varies by manufacturer and provider, but it’s typically under audio or accessibility settings
Streaming Services and Digital Content
Most major streaming platforms offer audio description as a separate audio track:
- Look for audio or language settings within the video player
- AD tracks are typically labeled “Audio Description” or “English AD”
- On some platforms, you can set a preference for AD to be enabled automatically across all content
Movie Theaters
- Ask the theater staff for an audio description headset before the screening
- Theaters are required to have staff available to help with the equipment
- Not all films have AD tracks — check with the theater in advance for specific titles
The Big Picture
The United States now has audio description mandates covering broadcast television, cable networks, movie theaters, all federal government content, and (starting April 2026) state and local government digital media. The CVTA would add streaming services to that list.
When I first moved into accessibility two decades ago, the idea of universal audio description across all these channels felt like a distant goal. It’s no longer distant. The regulatory framework is in place. The deadlines are real. What’s changed is that the technology to meet these mandates at scale now exists too.
For organizations producing or distributing video content in the US, the question isn’t whether you’ll need to provide audio description. It’s how you’ll produce it at the volume and speed the regulations demand.
The smartest way to future-proof your regulatory obligations is to build audio description into your content workflow now, before the next round of mandates arrives. At Visonic AI, we produce broadcast-grade AI audio description across multiple languages, so whether you’re a broadcaster meeting FCC quotas or a public university facing ADA Title II deadlines, you can get compliant without blowing your budget.
Our pricing is transparent and built for scale. If you’d rather spend your accessibility budget on coverage than on overhead, it’s worth a look.
For a broader view of accessibility regulations beyond the US, see our Global Video Accessibility Compliance Map.
Visonic AI delivers the highest quality AI-powered audio description at the best price in the industry. See our pricing, or get in touch to discuss your compliance needs.
