And the weather today is... inaccessible

Grim outlook


Disabled people have criticised the BBC for introducing inaccessible
graphics on its new weather bulletins.

The BBC has banished the old weather symbols for rain, sunshine and
clouds and replaced them with 3D graphics.

But people with learning difficulties told the charity Mencap that
they found the new-style map "confusing" and that too much visual
information was provided too quickly, although they liked the rain
graphic.

And visually impaired people said there was poor contrast between the
brown colour of the land and graphics representing different weather
conditions.

A group of visually impaired mature students from Dorton College of
Further Education in Kent said there was "insufficient contrast" in
the new version.

Andy Rowell, communications manager for the Royal London Society for
the Blind, which runs the college, said: "The rain graphic is so
difficult if you have anything less than perfect vision to actually
ascertain that it is raining."

The BBC said it had consulted visually impaired people and carried out
"specific tests" on the new graphics before introducing the bulletins,
but a spokesman could not say whether they had consulted people with
other impairments.

He added: "We welcome feedback, but with any new system it will take a
little time to get used to. We regard it as an improvement in terms of
clarity."


(from Disablity Now)