RE: Something else interesting from the BBC

> Had a quick look and kind of like the idea. Obviously it needs websites to
download and
> configure it but in principle semms fine. Not sure about one of the points
under functionality > in the Technical Outline though. Apparently it uses
yellow fonts on a black background to make > it easier for screen readers to
read!!!*grin* 
 
Yes, it does this by *default*, based on information I received both from
the RNIB and the BBC subtitling department, who cited research saying that
while in general this was the easiest colour scheme for most people to read,
that there were wide divergencies of experience in this area, and so a range
of colour schemes should also be provided, with yellow on black as default.

On the day the version of Betsie with this colour scheme first went live, I
received mail from people saying both words to the effect of
'Congratulations for at last choosing a sensible default colour scheme for
my visual impairment' and 'You fool! Don't you know that we visually
impaired people can't cope with such stupid colour scheme.' This kind of
bears out what the subtitling people and RNIB had told me, and until I hear
of a better way around of doing things (or am pointed to new research
showing that yellow on black is not the best default), I'll keep it as it
is. Users can always change the colour scheme, or indeed use their browsers
to override the (limited) set of options given by Betsie with their own
preference.

Also, anyone installing their own version of Betsie should find it trivial
to change the default colour scheme to something that a majority of their
users prefer.

Cheers etc.,

Wayne

Wayne Myers
Betsie Project
BBC Interactive F&L
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/betsie/
http://betsie.sourceforge.net/

PS - My apologies for the below disclaimer, over which I have no control,
and which may be completely meaningless in the context of this list


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Received on Monday, 25 March 2002 12:35:53 UTC