Audio description

Audio description is a means of assisting people with visual impairments be better able to enjoy a television programme. It involves creating a secondary audio track which contains an illustrative account of the visual components of the story. Thus, important information that is imparted entirely visually in the story is verbally recounted. In essence, these tracks give the listener an entire auditory script, including both dialogue and action description.

By virtue of BBC policy, the BBC iPlayer has provided on-demand audio description since 2009. Doctor Who was one of the shows chosen for regular audio descriptions in the iPlayer, but audio description was available, for conventionally broadcast episodes before 2009, variously via BBC Red Button or. Access to the audio description track outside the United Kingdom is more problematic.

Although BBC audio describers actually work for subcontractor Red Bee Media, they and their craft have been featured on Doctor Who Confidential. Jo Sykes became the "face of audio description" on the episode, After Effects.

Audio description has regularly featured on DVD releases of the revived series since 2005, No DVDs or BluRay releases of the original series of Doctor Who have audio description, although many feature Audio Navigation on the menus allowing the visually impaired to explore the discs with cursor keys and audio prompts. Audio description is however featured on the widescreen version of Pyramids of Mars on Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 DVD and Blu-ray release