Following the successful launch of Panasonic televisions with voice guidance and the TVonics talking set top box in the UK last year, RNIB has been lobbying the other manufacturers to consider including text to speech [TTS] in their products.
As part of its strategy to increase the availability of talking solutions, , RNIB has also worked with IEC on an International Standard on how to provide text to speech in television equipment [IEC 62731:2013] which has now been published.
What is IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)?
IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is an organization for the preparation and publication of International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. It provides a platform to companies, industries and governments for meeting, discussing and developing the International Standards they require.
How will an IEC Standard make television equipment easier to use for people with sight loss?
IEC 62731:2013 guides television manufacturers, application developers and professionals from other allied fields worldwide on how to include speech in their consumer products in support of people with sight loss.
The standard does not dictate implementation, but instead specifies user needs, functional requirements, information on what should be spoken in different contexts and introduces TTS profiles (basic, main and enhanced profiles that act as bronze, silver and gold standards).
The drafting of IEC 62731:2013 has focussed the attention of leading manufacturers on this area, and they have contributed to its development. Whilst the standard cannot replace tailored advice from accessibility experts, it means that manufacturers have access to top level user needs and an agreed set of functional requirements for implementing TTS.