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WCAG-Aligned Motion & Flashing Mitigation

1. Scope

We generate audio-responsive visual effects (zoom and glow) for some video content. Our systems have been intentionally designed to minimize the risk of photosensitive seizure triggers and to conform with relevant accessibility guidance, including WCAG 2.2 and broadcast best practices.

2. Applicable WCAG Criteria

The following WCAG success criteria are considered:

2.3.1 — Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A)

Content does not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second.

2.3.2 — Three Flashes (Level AAA)

Content does not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second at all.

2.2.2 — Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)

Motion that starts automatically can be controlled or avoided.

2.3.3 — Animation from Interactions (Level AAA)

Motion animation is not essential to understanding content.

3. Identified Risk Factors

Common seizure-risk factors in dynamic video content include:

Rapid repetitive motion (3–60 Hz)
Beat-locked or rhythmic visual pulsing
High-contrast brightness changes
Full-screen flashing effects
Sudden scale or luminance changes

These factors are explicitly avoided or constrained in our systems.

4. Safety-First Design Controls

4.1 Motion Constraints

Motion is continuous and slow, comparable to cinematic camera drift.

4.2 Brightness & Glow Constraints

Glow effects are layered, blurred, and opacity-limited to avoid high-contrast transitions.

4.3 Audio-Visual Decoupling

No beat detection is used.
No BPM-locked timing is used.
Audio influence is derived from smoothed RMS energy, not transient peaks.
Envelope smoothing prevents rhythmic flashing.
This ensures visuals do not pulse in sync with musical beats.

4.4 Temporal Smoothing & Rate Limiting

All visual parameters are:

Frame-rate independent
Smoothed with slow attack/release envelopes
Rate-limited to prevent sudden change
This prevents flicker or repetitive motion patterns.

5. Compliance Summary

6. User Safety Considerations

Motion effects are purely decorative
Content remains readable without animation
Effects can be reduced or disabled in “Safe Mode”
No automatic flashing or strobes are present

7. Disclosure Recommendation

For public-facing distribution, the following notice is recommended:

This video contains gentle motion effects. While designed to minimize visual sensitivity risks, viewers with photosensitive conditions may wish to view with caution.

8. Conclusion

Through strict constraints on motion amplitude, frequency, contrast, and synchronization, our systems are designed to operate well below known seizure-risk thresholds and to align with WCAG guidance on flashing and animation safety.

9. Notes for Auditors & Reviewers

No flashing content is generated.
No rhythmic visual repetition above 1 Hz.
Motion patterns are slow, smooth, and non-essential.
Audio-reactive elements are heavily filtered and envelope-controlled.

This statement only applies to the following videos: