London Eye: Easing the strain of viewing

Attention is drawn to a browser feature that can assist those with failing or ageing eyesight.

The Site

Since opening in 2000 the London Eye has become one of the UK capital’s central landmarks and tourist attractions. The giant wheel’s website allows people to beat the queues for tickets by booking in advance for rides up to 125 metres above riverbank level.

Unusually, all the site’s navigation menus are on the left of the screen. The last of all, framed as a question and highlighted in a reddish/brown colour, asks “Can’t read the type?”. This links to a pop-up window with advice on how to enlarge or reduce the type size by adjusting the computer browser’s text size setting. This works within featured text areas but leaves unaltered the size of the menu headings.

The Takeaway

London Eye is helpfully drawing its visitors’ attention to a browser feature that can assist those with failing or ageing eyesight. What it is not doing is offering a low-graphic or alternative configuration of its site to allow disabled access.

The issue of disabled access to websites is governed by wider-ranging disability discrimination laws in the European Union, the US and Australia. From a legal standpoint most websites are probably technically in breach, though the amount of case law – that is, prosecutions brought under the legislation – is so far small and confined to Australia and the US. But organisations cannot rely on that remaining the case.

A useful starting point for checking compliance and the website design and architecture issues involved is the RNIB, a UK charity for sufferers of sight loss. Its wide-ranging Web access centre includes practical guides and useful links. It also makes available several online testing tools to allow organisations to self-assess their own sites. See www.rnib.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_webaccesscentre.hcsp or go to www.rnib.org>Good Design>Accessible information>Web access centre.

First published on 20 January, 2004