[Missouri-l] from The BBC Press Office:

[Nancy Lynn]

>From the BBC Press Office, feel free to repost to other lists:
BBC launches audio description on BBC iPlayer
Date: 26.08.2009

The BBC today announces that approximately 25 hours per week of the BBC's
audio-described programmes
are now available on BBC iPlayer.
Audio description describes what is happening on screen using the gaps
between dialogue in
programmes. This helps viewers with visual impairments to better follow what
is happening in the
programme.
Audio-described programmes from a variety of different genres are available
including dramas, such
as Doctor Who, Being Human and EastEnders; comedy including Little Britain
and Jam And Jerusalem;
and children's programmes such as Tracy Beaker and The Sarah Jane
Adventures.
There are also plans to extend the coverage of the service to include more
of the BBC's weekly
broadcast audio described programmes in the future.
To access the service, users need to go to the "Audio described" category in
BBC iPlayer and select
the programme they would like to play from the list of the audio-described
programmes available from
the last seven days.
Jonathan Hassell, BBC Future Media Head of Audience Experience & Usability,
said: "The BBC is
committed to high standards of accessibility across all of its sites and
services, especially
popular new services like BBC iPlayer which aim to deliver the benefits of
emerging technologies to
all our audiences.
"We're therefore delighted that the BBC is the first broadcaster in the
world to include
audio-described TV programmes for our blind and visually impaired audiences
in its video-on-demand
service."
Lesley-Anne Alexander, Chief Executive, RNIB, said: "RNIB welcomes the
launch of audio description
on the BBC iPlayer and recognises this as a major breakthrough and great
leap forward in access for
blind and partially-sighted people in the UK which will hopefully
reverberate around the world."