MUMBAI: The BBC has announced 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.

BBC Future Media Head of Audience Experience and Usability Jonathan Hassell says, ""We‘re 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."