We’re committed to making our broadcasts and online services as accessible as possible, including our media player which is used for playing audio and video content across www.bbc.co.uk. It has been built following the principles of inclusive design so everyone, regardless of ability, can enjoy BBC on-demand and live content across desktop, tablet and mobile. This page outlines how people can use the player and its accessibility features.
The media player is constantly evolving and so is its accessibility.
Keyboard
The media player is fully keyboard accessible allowing users to tab around the player controls both in the page and in full screen. Use Enter to activate buttons or space bar when playing media in full screen. Use the arrow keys to increase or decrease the volume as well as forward and rewind the timeline. Buttons have clear highlighted states to support navigation regardless of whether you are using a mouse, keyboard or other means of input.
Screen readers
We have built in accessibility from the outset and will continue to make the media player progressively more accessible to screen reader users as it evolves. The accessibility of the player may, however, be affected due to changes in versions of the media player, the browser or the screen reader. While some of these issues are within our control others may be down to 3rd party partners, including media player or browser vendors or the screen reader. We research, user test and carry out technical testing regularly in order to ensure accessibility continues to be maintained and that we are giving users what they want.
Screen reader support
The media player is optimised to work with the following screen readers and browser combinations:
- The latest two versions of NVDA on Windows with Internet Explorer and Firefox
- iOS 12.2 or above using VoiceOver
- The latest two versions of Mac OS X VoiceOver with Chrome and Firefox when opted into using our HTML5 Player
Other screen readers may work, but we don’t test against them and so are unable to offer support.
How to access the media player
If you are using Jaws and it works for you, you’ll need to disable Virtual Cursor mode. NVDA users should enable focus mode. Keyboard commands are:
- Tab - to move forward through the buttons
- Shift + Tab - to move backwards through the buttons
- Arrow keys - to increase/decrease the volume and fast forward and rewind
- Spacebar or Enter - to activate buttons
- ESC - to exit full screen
Transcripts
You can access transcripts for In Touch on BBC Radio 4 by visiting the specific episode page on the website. Transcripts are also available for most Reith Lectures individual episode pages on the website.
Aside from these two examples, transcripts are rarely made available. On the occasion that a transcript is made available, you can find it on the programme’s website.
Some browsers and devices may offer live captions when listening to a live or on demand programme. Information on this can be found within the accessibility options of that browser or device.
Please read the following page for advice on what you need to do to keep enjoying our content if you are dependent on Flash for accessibility features: Why am I seeing an error message when I try to play BBC audio and video?
How does the BBC ensure Sounds is accessible to all?
Mobile app
Our aim is that the Sounds app is accessible and fully functional to those with accessibility needs. Before we begin any work, the accessibility requirements or impact on current accessibility is discussed. Specific tests are then run using accessibility features (e.g. screen reader and increased text sizes) as part of our quality assurance process to ensure we adhere to our Mobile Accessibility Guidelines. If issues are identified our practice is to resolve them before progressing any further with the work. If there is any reason why this is not possible we follow the same triage practice as with any other issue to ensure no critical issues are introduced into live.
It is worth noting that there are instances where we are dependent on others systems to resolve the issue (for example it may be a constraint of the OS) in which case we escalate as best we can to the parties involved.
We also perform full accessibility reviews at regular intervals, ideally monthly or when major UI changes have been implemented. Any defects in live are recorded, reviewed and fixed on a regular basis to try to ensure that there are no significant usability issues.
Smart Speakers - Alexa
Smart speakers and voice assistants are seen as beneficial for users with visual, motor and cognitive accessibility needs, and we strive to make BBC Sounds experiences on smart speakers as easy-to-navigate as possible.
For major feature releases we conduct equality impact assessments, to ensure that we are considering all user groups, and making efforts to cater for any accessibility needs which are identified. We triage, and prioritise the resolution of, any accessibility concerns or issues raised by audience members using BBC Sounds on smart speakers.
It is worth noting that BBC Sounds experiences on smart speakers rely on 3rd party hardware and technology providers - where we cannot resolve issues raised to us, we will always escalate to our partners, and work with them to resolve issues in a timely manner.
Finally, we continue to assess, review and improve our strategy for ensuring BBC Sounds products on smart speakers are built with all audience members in mind, and that accessibility needs are properly considered.
TV app
BBC Sounds TV Screen Readers.
The Sounds TV application has also been built with accessibility in mind from the start, with screen reader support for both Standard Navigation and Review mode where devices support it.
The experience we are able to provide will vary depending on the TV device being used, the web browser on the device and the maturity of the screen reader which has been implemented by the TV manufacturer.
The provision of screen readers on TV devices is a developing space, and whilst there have been significant improvements recently, screen readers are often implemented inconsistently or sometimes not at all. Even some newer TV devices do not always fully adhere to the relevant standards which can produce varying results. We are however committed to working with our partners to help improve the experience as much as possible.
The Sounds TV application is designed to work with devices that support the HTML 5 and Aria specifications.
Known issues
- The sign in screens are not fully screen reader capable. These screens are being worked on to improve the compatibility with TV screen readers.
- Using Talkback on a Google TV device can cause the app to become unusable