This summer TV users will be able to buy Freeview set top boxes with text-to-speech software that talks to them.
Korean company Arion Technology will introduce the accessible boxes, aimed at blind and partially-sighted people in August.
The software in the boxes, called Talk@TV, will read out the electronic programme guide and on-screen prompts. It was developed by UK firm Ocean Blue Software in collaboration with RNIB.
Owners will also be able to adjust the speed and verbosity of the voice, choose to enlarge or reduce font sizes and change background and text colours. A re-designed remote control will also be included.
Ocean Blue’s Talk@TV will be available in different languages and dialects; the UK version supports both the Scottish Gaelic and Welsh language, for example.
The price of the set top boxes had not been set at the time of going to press, but they will be between £70 and £100, according to Laura Buck, Ocean Blue Software’s marketing manager.
Phase two of the Talk@TV development will introduce voice activation technology to allow owners to talk back to their TV sets to chose channels and alter the volume, it will probably be available next year.
An online video demonstration of the Talk@TV technology is available at http://tinyurl.com/y9tpvq9