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UK Digital Changeover Help Scheme

Under a 'help scheme' funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport with the BBC, eligible households can receive a Freeview

set-top box with audio-description and other special access features for just £40, including installation and some training (see

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/helpscheme ).

For an extra charge households can receive further subsidised systemssuch as a satellite TV service.

Ultimately around 7 million UK households would qualify for support under the help scheme, including people aged 75 and over; people

claiming disability living allowance; and people registered as blind or partially sighted. However, despite the scheme's equipment including

features such as a user-friendly remote control and compatibility with audio description of programmes, the electronic programme guides do

not 'speak'.

"This is our main concern," RNIB Media and Culture Department Manager Leen Petré told E-Access Bulletin this week. "Once that help

scheme person is out of the door, how will blind people know what channel they are on?"

A joint government and BBC emerging technologies committee will review the findings of the pilot in February and make a

recommendation about changes to the set-top boxes, including speaking menu options, Petré said. A decision would then have to be

taken on inclusion of any new features; and also on how these would be funded, whether by the help scheme partners or by TV users. "We

would hope it doesn't affect the price which users have to pay," Petré said.

Last month the charity Age Concern welcomed the help scheme, but said their own research had shown that many older people in

Whitehaven had not been ready for the change. "The experience of Whitehaven residents signals that such support needs to be given

earlier," the charity said.