MUMBAI: BBC Vision, a division of BBC, has reached its target of subtitling 100 per cent of programmes on its main channels – BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBeebies, CBBC and BBC News.

Deaf and hard of hearing people will now be able to fully enjoy the complete range of BBC television programmes on these networks.

BBC Vision director Jana Bennett said, "Reaching this ambitious target is a fantastic achievement for BBC Vision and our technical teams. It's great to know that viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing will be able to enjoy the full breadth of our programmes across all of the BBC's television channels."

BBC technologists have played a key role in developing the technical standards for subtitling over many years. In 1979, a documentary about deaf children called Quietly In Switzerland became the first BBC programme to carry subtitles using the new Ceefax technology.

Within a few years, programmes such as The Living Planet were being made accessible to wider audences using this important new service.

Blue Peter was the first live programme to carry subtitles in 1986 and subtitling of news programmes followed in 1990.

The BBC's commitment to subtitle 100 per cent of its programmes was made in 1999 and has required the development of new speech recognition technology.

The service now amounts to more than 50,000 hours of subtitled content each year and this includes all the BBC's National and Regional programming on BBC One and Two.

Delivering access services on demand via the BBC iPlayer is the BBC's next priority.