Special screenings

Does the fact that a website is aimed especially at disabled people mean it’s no fun asks Cathy Reay

Open Britain, a service providing support and information for disabled travellers, boasts an impressive regularly updated Twitter feed and RSS blog links. But the basic and garish colour scheme, simple fonts and lack of imagery create an uninteresting layout that certainly made this reader want to quickly switch to another page.

We expected something livelier from Living Made Easy, the Disabled Living Foundation’s site offering advice and information on independent living for disabled people, as it recently won the ‘Best Use of the Web’ award at the Charity Times Awards 2009. It is more eye-catching than Open Britain’s effort, with plenty of pictures and easy access links to regularly updated forums.

But the colour scheme again is very, very plain and there’s nothing fun to do on the site.

Of course it is arguable whether a website designed to inform also needs to entertain, but surely the more interactive, eye-grabbing features available the more people will remember and turn to the site, which in turn increases traffic and could widen a website’s potential audience.

At the other end of the spectrum, Able2UK is fun but not very informative. Opening with a quote from Madonna (on what she would do if she was “able 2” do anything), the site serves as a place to read quotes from A-list stars, reviews of films and, bizarrely, flip through a slightly offensive online ‘dictionary’ of disabilities (a highlight is the entry for epilepsy – “when somebody has an Epi fit they can completely spazz out”). Meant to be taken very light-heartedly, it is quite funny, and certainly eye-catching. Though the colour scheme is not well-balanced it’s more effective than that of the two previous sites, but simple spelling errors and layout inconsistencies make it a little hard not to get irritated by – though the administrators do point out that it’s meant to be a bit silly.

From the selection of websites we’ve reviewed it seems unusual for websites to combine entertaining, interactive features with disability information and news. Do you think it’s important or would you rather access the information you require on a simple, no frills website?

Do elements like layout and tone of voice help you decide whether to revisit a website or use its services? Email what you think to editor@disabilitynow.org.uk or write to Disability Now,
6-10 Market Road, London N7 9PW and your views may be published in our next issue.

• References: www.openbritain.net, www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk, www.able2uk.com