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State of the eNation Reports
New Wembley Stadium shoots wide on website accessibility
19 August 2008
The country’s new national stadium at Wembley might be ‘a truly iconic venue’ in the words of Lord Coe, but it stops well short of the top of the league as far as access to its new-look website for disabled fans is concerned, according to a report published today by AbilityNet – the national computing and disability charity.
www.wembleystadium.com which showcases our official national stadium, uses the latest in interactive technology, webcams and downloads to enable site visitors to find out about the history of the facility, forthcoming events and applying for tickets, as well as allowing fans to take a virtual tour of the ground.
AbilityNet’s assessment looked at both usability and accessibility with a focus on the real life challenges that disabled users experience when attempting to navigate their way around the site. In addition to a series of manual checks, the assessment included a range of tests employing the types of adaptive technologies commonly used by disabled people such as screen readers and voice recognition software. Testers also examined the ease with which the types of changes necessary to improve access for those with visual impairments, dyslexia or physical problems which make mouse-use difficult, could be effected.
Wembley’s Disability Liaison Coordinator, Marie Head, has welcomed this independent audit in helping to further improve and develop Wembley Stadium’s website in line with the location itself – “one of the most accessible sporting and entertainment venues in the country.”
Lamentably, the physical accessibility of the stadium is not reflected in its website presence, which obtained only a two star rating – one star short of the basic three stars which denote a minimum standard of accessibility - meaning that it lacks many of the fundamental features allowing disabled people to use the site effectively.
Typical problems encountered during the testing included:
Small text and poorly contrasting colours make the site inaccessible for users with a vision impairment or dyslexia. Moreover, when the end user attempts to re-size text, much of it will not oblige at all, whilst other text overlaps, partially disappears or drops to the bottom of the page.
Deaf or hard of hearing fans are not able to book tickets on-line as one might assume from a website. Only a standard telephone number is offered - which would present obvious difficulties. No Minicom (text phone) or email alternative is offered. The same group are also not provided with subtitles to the extensive narration of the virtual tour of the new stadium.
Blind users will encounter a wide variety of difficulties using this site. The virtual tour, for example, provides no spoken or text description of what is being shown and they have to struggle with inaccessible controls on the player it uses. Many labels to images on the site, which blind users rely on as a key accessibility tool, are uninformative or unnecessary - adding a large amount of confusing 'auditory clutter'.
Visitors who have difficulties using a keyboard or mouse will find that the history of Wembley timeline facility moves so fast that only an expert ‘mouse sharpshooter’ will be able to use it - let alone keyboard users, blind users and those using voice recognition.
At the same time the main menu of the site is unusable by the keyboard so visitors unable to operate a mouse are effectively barred from the site.
Last, but not least, the Wembley site is totally reliant on JavaScript - those mini programs embedded in a web page that add extra functionality, but which are often problematic for those users of the special technologies required by many disabled people. Without JavaScript, the main menu and search facilities cease to function.
The survey’s author, Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet’s Web Consultancy Manager, himself blind, says:
“Millions of people all over the world have looked forward to exploring this flagship stadium via its Internet site, in addition to accessing the practical information they require to plan a visit, see a game, or attend other events on-site.”
“Whether Chelsea or Manchester United wins at the Cup Final on 19th May, it is disabled people who will lose out either way. The site shows evidence of some efforts towards accessibility, but there are still major faults which need to be remedied from a legal and moral as well as commercial perspective before disabled fans can do half the things the site has to offer!”
In the UK an estimated 2 million people have a vision impairment, some 1.5 million have cognitive difficulties, a further 3.4 million have a disability which prevents them using the standard keyboard, screen and mouse set-up with ease, around 6 million are dyslexic and many millions experience literacy difficulties, not to mention the increasing number of elderly ‘silver surfers’ with failing eyesight or arthritis. These potential internet users also represent a spending power in excess of £120 billion. The arguments are compelling, whether from a moral, legislative or commercial perspective, suppliers of goods, services and information on the internet are ignoring a highly significant market sector.
Despite legislation being in place for over a decade, AbilityNet’s quarterly e-Nation reports finding consistently that between 80 and 96% of sites do not even meet a minimum accessibility threshold. It would appear that there has been no discernable movement towards accessibility since the Disability Rights Commission investigation ¥ in 2004 which put this figure at 81%.
In contrast, able-bodied visitors also benefit from accessible websites, finding them easier and quicker to use by a highly significant factor of 35%. When we visit a website we are seeking critical functionality - namely speed and efficiency - not a life-changing experience. Accessible sites are simply easier and more intuitive to use: they improve productivity for everyone.
Christopherson adds: “Encouragingly, we are now beginning to see examples of highly professional and accessible sites that prove incontrovertibly that an organisation’s website can and should be accessible to the broadest audience possible. Commercial websites that have been re-launched in a more accessible form have seen savings in maintenance costs of up to 70%, rises in natural search engine traffic of around 30% and an additional 13,000 visitors each month from improved browser compatibility alone. This shows the scope for really tangible benefits.”
State of the eNation reports
AbilityNet is at the forefront of a number of initiatives both at home and abroad to improve website accessibility for disabled people and provide both private and public sector organisations with the expertise they need to ensure that their websites are meeting guideline levels of compliance (such as those recommended by the W3C/WAI).
AbilityNet’s ‘State of the eNation’ reports are designed to draw attention to the issue of accessibility and usability and to help disabled people find the best websites for their needs.
For more information on website accessibility, usability and design, contact AbilityNet on 0800 269545 or at accessibility@AbilityNet.org.uk.
Issued by the AbilityNet Press Office - 01926 429595
Editors’ notes
¥ The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People – DRC Press Office or http://www.drc-gb.org/publicationsandreports/report.asp
W3C/WAI
These guidelines, first published in May 1999, provide a framework for accessibility. There are over 65 individual W3C checkpoints arranged in three levels of compliance to test for and only small proportion can be assessed for conformity by an automated tool. A comprehensive series of manual and automated tools is employed by AbilityNet in carrying out its surveys.
EuroAccessibility Consortium
On 28 April 2003 in Paris, 24 European organisations from 12 countries agreed to establish a certification authority for web accessibility leading to an Accessibility Quality Mark. AbilityNet joined other disability charities, universities and communications companies in cooperation with US-based W3C/WA1, to pursue this objective, which aims to harmonise standards Europe-wide.
About AbilityNet
AbilityNet is a charity that brings the benefits of computer technology to adults and children with all types of disabilities. Through its network of eleven centres, it offers a comprehensive range of services to disabled people, professionals, employers and statutory bodies. It provides free information and advice on any aspect of computer use by disabled people including individual assessment of technology needs, adapted computer equipment with full training and technical support, a programme of awareness education, and consultancy for employers on system and workstation adaptations, as well as website accessibility.
In 2006 AbilityNet supplied free advice and information to some 850,000 enquiries through its national freephone and web-based services. In addition, the charity's consultants saw nearly 2,000 disabled children and adults face-to-face for individual assessments, equipment, training sessions and home support visits.
In the same year, AbilityNet's professional education courses and seminars attracted around 6,000 staff from public, private and voluntary sector organisations, seeking to develop their awareness of adaptive technology for those with disabling conditions and learn practical solutions to apply in the workplace, at home or in education.
AbilityNet is dependent both nationally and locally on grants and donations from charitable trusts and companies, to carry out its work on behalf of disabled people and those who support them.
For further details check www.abilitynet.org.uk or call AbilityNet’s freephone helpline on: 0800 269545
Issued by: Caroline Saint Freedman, AbilityNet Press Office, Tel: 01926 429595 E: press.office@abilitynet.org.uk.
For more information:
- Email accessibility@AbilityNet.org.uk
- Phone 0800 269545
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