7526 3 3 econsultancy_xml <p>A spokesperson for the charity <a href="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/archive/20070605.html">said</a>: </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>"The animated footage could affect the 23,000 people in the UK who have photosensitive epilepsy and may also affect other people who do not yet know that they are photosensitive."</em> </p> </blockquote> <p>The Olympics organisers duly complied, agreeing to re-edit the segment, which included a diver leaping across multi-coloured shapes. The animation had also been aired on TV, breaking Ofcom guidelines.</p> <p>But behind the headlines, regulations already compel web designers to act with sensitivity, and remind marketers to act accordingly toward epileptics.</p> <p>Epilepsy Action <a href="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photo_web.html">calls on designers</a> to adhere to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) 1999 <a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#gl-movement">Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0</a>, which asks that web page users are able to control flickering and blinking and also require readers can avoid them altogether.</p> <p>According to the guidelines: </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>"People with photosensitive epilepsy can have seizures triggered by flickering or flashing in the four-to-59 flashes per second (Hertz) range with a peak sensitivity at 20 flashes per second as well as quick changes from dark to light (like strobe lights)."</em> </p> </blockquote> <p>Epilepsy Action also reminded designers of their duty under the <a href="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/dda.html">Disability Discrimination Act</a> not to treat disabled users unfavourably during the design of a website.</p> <p>Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160374/london-2012-appoints-head-of-new-media">Alex Balfour</a>, London 2012's head of new media and a founder of the CricInfo website, <a href="http://blog.london2012.com/?p=477#comments">used his official blog to defend the logo</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p> <em>"What we hope people will appreciate in time is that we have embarked on one of the biggest branding projects in this decade.</em> </p> <p> <em>"We have built a brand identity which has over 40,000 elements, which will evolve over the coming months and years in many smart ways. ... A brand which is flexible enough to render in multiple different formats on multiple platforms. </em> </p> <p> <em>"It’s not about the shape. It’s not about the colours. It’s about what we can do with it - there is a lot more to see, and you’ll see it soon. </em> </p> <p> <em>"In the course of playing with it over the past few weeks our new media team has enjoyed playing with the flexibility that the whole system around the brand offers."</em> </p> </blockquote> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>A spokesperson for the charity <Link URL="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/archive/20070605.html" Window="New">said</Link>: </Paragraph> <Block> <Paragraph> <Quote>"The animated footage could affect the 23,000 people in the UK who have photosensitive epilepsy and may also affect other people who do not yet know that they are photosensitive."</Quote> </Paragraph> </Block> <Paragraph>The Olympics organisers duly complied, agreeing to re-edit the segment, which included a diver leaping across multi-coloured shapes. The animation had also been aired on TV, breaking Ofcom guidelines.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>But behind the headlines, regulations already compel web designers to act with sensitivity, and remind marketers to act accordingly toward epileptics.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Epilepsy Action <Link URL="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photo_web.html" Window="New">calls on designers</Link> to adhere to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) 1999 <Link URL="http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#gl-movement" Window="New">Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0</Link>, which asks that web page users are able to control flickering and blinking and also require readers can avoid them altogether.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>According to the guidelines: </Paragraph> <Block> <Paragraph> <Quote>"People with photosensitive epilepsy can have seizures triggered by flickering or flashing in the four-to-59 flashes per second (Hertz) range with a peak sensitivity at 20 flashes per second as well as quick changes from dark to light (like strobe lights)."</Quote> </Paragraph> </Block> <Paragraph>Epilepsy Action also reminded designers of their duty under the <Link URL="http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/dda.html" Window="New">Disability Discrimination Act</Link> not to treat disabled users unfavourably during the design of a website.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Meanwhile, <Link URL="http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160374/london-2012-appoints-head-of-new-media" Window="New">Alex Balfour</Link>, London 2012's head of new media and a founder of the CricInfo website, <Link URL="http://blog.london2012.com/?p=477#comments" Window="New">used his official blog to defend the logo</Link>:</Paragraph> <Block> <Paragraph> <Quote>"What we hope people will appreciate in time is that we have embarked on one of the biggest branding projects in this decade.</Quote> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Quote>"We have built a brand identity which has over 40,000 elements, which will evolve over the coming months and years in many smart ways. ... A brand which is flexible enough to render in multiple different formats on multiple platforms. </Quote> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Quote>"It’s not about the shape. It’s not about the colours. It’s about what we can do with it - there is a lot more to see, and you’ll see it soon. </Quote> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Quote>"In the course of playing with it over the past few weeks our new media team has enjoyed playing with the flexibility that the whole system around the brand offers."</Quote> </Paragraph> </Block> </FormattedContent> 2007-06-07T09:51:00+01:00 3 1 econsultancy_xml <p> <strong>The London 2012 Olympics effort has attracted international ridicule after it was forced to remove an animated version of its controversial new logo because it was causing epileptic seizures.</strong> </p> <p>The dayglo, nu rave-style jigsaw images have drawn derision - and several attempts to do better - since their <a href="/blog/1302-mobloggers-lend-pr-pace-to-olympics">unveiling</a> on Monday. But the online animation fuelled the matter further after Epilepsy Action requested its removal following complaints from sufferers.</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>The London 2012 Olympics effort has attracted international ridicule after it was forced to remove an animated version of its controversial new logo because it was causing epileptic seizures.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The dayglo, nu rave-style jigsaw images have drawn derision - and several attempts to do better - since their <Link URL="/blog/1302-mobloggers-lend-pr-pace-to-olympics" Window="New">unveiling</Link> on Monday. But the online animation fuelled the matter further after Epilepsy Action requested its removal following complaints from sufferers.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> false 1315 363504 Olympics logo causes fits, but defended false 2007-06-07T09:59:00+01:00 olympics-logo-causes-fits-but-defended 2009-04-28T22:51:04+01:00 2009-04-28T22:51:04+01:00 193