BBC

Facts & Figures

BBC Targets

The reviewed corporate workforce targets are:

• 5.5% for disabled staff (4.4% at 31 January 2009; 4.5% at 31 January 2008)The BBC are trying to increase the workforce amount of disabled workforce despite this

decreasing in the last year, they are failing to reach this target.

Statement From BBC:

The BBC has a longstanding commitment to creating a diverse workforce. The BBC is not complacent about its progress to date, and recognises that there is

more work to be done to achieve a diverse workforce at all levels.At the same time, the BBC will always look to recruit the best person for the job. We are legally required to do so, and the BBC is also bound to provide the best value for licence fee payers. The BBC is investing £3million over the next three years in an action plan to help meet the workforce targets.

(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/diversity.shtml)

• Offering 50 Extend placements per year for people with disabilities

• Holding open sessions in different parts of the UK to encourage groups under-represented in the BBC to apply

• Playing an active role in industry networks aimed at creating a skilled and diverse workforce across broadcasting

The BBC has a diversity strategy agreed by the most senior people in the organisation. Progress against the strategy is reviewed regularly by the Diversity Board, chaired by the Director-General.

What the BBC is doing to create a diverse workforce

Objectives

Public function: TV Licensing

• To communicate with disabled people, wherever practicable, in a way that is accessible and appropriate to facilitate a clear understanding of television licensing obligations

• To ensure that all BBC TVL staff and contractors fully understand their duty to promote disability equality and are active in implementing actions identified

• To develop and maintain a strategic and systematic approach to integrating disability equality into all TVL activities

• To maximise the potential for data and information management systems to enhance and promote disability equality

• To ensure that all payment methods and processes are accessible and appropriate for a range of needs and lifestyles

• To ensure a strategic approach to integrating disability equality into all TVL procurement activities

Public function: the BBC Trust in relation to certain functions under the BBC Charter and Agreement

• To ensure that the Trust actively engages with and seeks the views of disabled people, and that engagement activities encourage participation and are accessible

• To monitor and assess the BBC’s strategic approach to disability equality in order to review and continually improve outcomes for disabled people

• To ensure that all disabled people have equal and fair access to the Trust’s complaints processes

• To ensure that disabled people have equality of access to consultations and are involved in Trust decision-making regarding issues which are of a public nature

• To ensure that, where appropriate and reasonable, the Trust’s public reports and communications (including online) are accessible (in language, format and content) for disabled people

Public function: the BBC’s obligations in relation to digital switchover

• To assist the “most vulnerable beneficiaries” (older and disabled people) to make the switchover to digital TV

• To ensure that the transition to digital-only broadcasting is a fully inclusive process

• To involve disabled people in the planning and rollout of DSO and in the planning and rollout of the Help Scheme

Key achievements during 2008/2009 Last year we reached our target of 100% of subtitled programmes on BBC One, BBC Two,

BBC Three, BBC Four, CBeebies, CBBC and BBC News Channel. This amounts to more than 50,000 hours of subtitled content each year.

During 2008/2009, we achieved the following audio-described content (against a target of 10%): – BBC One 14.7% – BBC Two 12.1% – BBC Three 29.3% – BBC Four 20.7% – CBBC 12.3% – CBeebies 13.7%

During 2008/2009, we achieved the following signed content (against a target of 5%):

– BBC One 5.2% – BBC Two 5.7% – BBC Three 5.8% – BBC Four 7.1% – CBBC 6.3% – CBeebies 5.5% – BBC News 5.1%

• The BBC also took steps to make its on-demand services accessible by ensuring that BBC iPlayer subtitles 90% of its programmes. iPlayer now includes Sign Zone: bbc.co.uk/iPlayer/categories/signed. BSL users have access to all BBC BSL programming, in one place any time they want to find it.

• We conducted a piece of audience research with disabled people in partnership with Channel 4 to see what disabled people thought about access to our services, and how disabled people felt reflected by them. The BBC was identified as a leader in online accessibility and as a result our audiences’ expectations remain high.

Areas for improvement

• Audience research with disabled people this year found that they expect iPlayer to have a level of access equivalent to that available at the point of broadcast. We will continue to work to deliver audio description services on the iPlayer.

• Community engagement to promote greater media literacy among disabled (and older) audiences about the benefits of the internet.

(Source (Slides 4-8): www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/pdf/DES_perf_summary_2008-9.pdf)