diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 93ad88f00..efe22dd19 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -3314,6 +3314,50 @@ clutter_actor_finalize (GObject *object)
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (clutter_actor_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * clutter_actor_get_accessible:
+ * @actor: a #ClutterActor
+ *
+ * Returns the accessible object that describes the actor to an
+ * assistive technology.
+ *
+ * If no class-specific #AtkObject implementation is available for the
+ * actor instance in question, it will inherit an #AtkObject
+ * implementation from the first ancestor class for which such an
+ * implementation is defined.
+ *
+ * The documentation of the <ulink
+ * url="http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.0/atk/index.html">ATK</ulink>
+ * library contains more information about accessible objects and
+ * their uses.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none): the #AtkObject associated with @actor
+ */
+AtkObject*
+clutter_actor_get_accessible (ClutterActor *actor)
+{
+  ClutterActorClass *klass;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_ACTOR (actor), NULL);
+
+  klass = CLUTTER_ACTOR_GET_CLASS (actor);
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (klass->get_accessible != NULL, NULL);
+
+  return klass->get_accessible (actor);
+}
+
+static AtkObject*
+clutter_actor_real_get_accessible (ClutterActor *actor)
+{
+  AtkObject* accessible;
+
+  accessible = atk_gobject_accessible_for_object (G_OBJECT (actor));
+
+  return accessible;
+}
+
 static void
 clutter_actor_class_init (ClutterActorClass *klass)
 {
@@ -4685,6 +4729,7 @@ clutter_actor_class_init (ClutterActorClass *klass)
   klass->queue_redraw = clutter_actor_real_queue_redraw;
   klass->queue_relayout = clutter_actor_real_queue_relayout;
   klass->apply_transform = clutter_actor_real_apply_transform;
+  klass->get_accessible = clutter_actor_real_get_accessible;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.h b/clutter/clutter-actor.h
index b7ae817a6..7a3915a02 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 #include <glib-object.h>
 #include <pango/pango.h>
+#include <atk/atk.h>
 
 #include <clutter/clutter-color.h>
 #include <clutter/clutter-types.h>
@@ -208,6 +209,8 @@ struct _ClutterActor
  * @apply_transform: virtual function, used when applying the transformations
  *   to an actor before painting it or when transforming coordinates or
  *   the allocation; it must chain up to the parent's implementation
+ * @get_accessible: virtual function, returns the accessible object that
+ *   describes the actor to an assistive technology.
  * @parent_set: signal class handler for the #ClutterActor::parent-set
  * @destroy: signal class handler for #ClutterActor::destroy
  * @pick: virtual function, used to draw an outline of the actor with
@@ -273,6 +276,9 @@ struct _ClutterActorClass
   void (* apply_transform)      (ClutterActor           *actor,
                                  CoglMatrix             *matrix);
 
+  /* accessibility support */
+  AtkObject* (*get_accessible)  (ClutterActor *actor);
+
   /* event signals */
   gboolean (* event)                (ClutterActor         *actor,
                                      ClutterEvent         *event);
@@ -301,7 +307,7 @@ struct _ClutterActorClass
 
   /*< private >*/
   /* padding for future expansion */
-  gpointer _padding_dummy[31];
+  gpointer _padding_dummy[30];
 };
 
 GType                 clutter_actor_get_type                  (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
@@ -564,6 +570,8 @@ void                 clutter_actor_pop_internal       (ClutterActor         *sel
 
 gboolean             clutter_actor_has_allocation     (ClutterActor         *self);
 
+AtkObject*           clutter_actor_get_accessible     (ClutterActor *actor);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __CLUTTER_ACTOR_H__ */