WCAG 3.0 is an active W3C Working Draft in development by the AGWG. Requirements, assertions, the conformance model and reporting tiers are still being developed and may change. The latest published draft is the 10 September 2026 Working Draft; this site follows the editors’ draft, which also includes exploratory provisions.
developingCore requirement
Direction indicated (immersive)
Group: images-and-media • Guideline: captions
Summary in Plain English
In 360-degree environments, when a sound or speech comes from outside the current view, its direction is indicated.
Why It Matters
Spatial audio is the usual cue for where to look, and it is unavailable to deaf and hard-of-hearing users. A visual direction cue restores it.
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Examples from the Draft
Worked examples the W3C editors wrote into the provision itself, not
examples invented here.
Visual indicators: An arrow with an outline pointing to the speaker or the direction of a sound
Customizable styles: Users can select various arrow sizes, colors, and outline colors
In 360-degree digital environments, the direction of a sound or speech is indicated when audio is heard from outside the current view.
:::example
* **Visual indicators:** An arrow with an outline pointing to the speaker or the direction of a sound
* **Customizable styles:** Users can select various arrow sizes, colors, and outline colors
:::