Ouch weblog: individual blog entry
12 Jul 04, 12:00 AM - Odeon goes dark
Bad news if you're visually impaired and have been a user of Matthew Somerville's excellent Accessible Odeon site, providing listings of what's on at your local Odeon in a format that's truly accessible - in other words, getting rid of all that troublesome Javascript, those frames and pop-up windows. After some strongly-worded emails from the cinema chain, plus the threat of legal action, Matthew has been forced to remove the site from the web. So that means it's back to using Odeon's own highly inaccessible site, if you can. Alternatively, of course, film-goers are reminded that other cinema chains are available.
We say: if it's open season for taking legal action against websites then, as Matthew points out, it would be wise for Odeon to remember that their current site contravenes the Disability Discrimination Act, wouldn't it?
Related links: check out the Accessible Odeon site, because although it's no longer in operation, Matthew has placed online the email correspondence between himself and Odeon Cinemas, which makes for interesting reading. Plus, read an interview about his full range of accessible sites that Matthew gave to Giles Turnbull in September last year.
