Accessibility (or lack of it) in action.

Having spent a large portion of yesterday browsing a large bookstore (part of a well known chain), my wife and I decided to go for a coffee in their in-store coffee shop (again part of a VERY well known chain).

Having enjoyed our coffee and fed our 9 month old son, we needed to go and change his nappy. As is often the case, the nappy changing facilities were located within the disabled toilet. I suppose this is a space issue, to allow room for buggies and prams etc.

Upon trying to get into the disabled toilet, we discovered it was locked. OK, so back through the two sets of doors to the coffeeshop to find out how to access the disabled toilet. That's two sets of doors to find out that the disabled facilities are locked and two further sets of doors to find out why. Four sets of doors.

We were then given an enormous, medieval looking key with what I can only describe as a dustbin lid attached (presumably in case you decide to steal it - although why you would do such a thing is beyond me). Back through the two sets of doors to the toilet and then once you are ready to leave it's back through the two sets of doors again to hand the key back. Eight set of doors and one case of being made to feel like a potential criminal later, the nappy was changed and we were on our way.

The whole experience was difficult enough for us, and there were two of us, both able-bodied. I shudder to imagine how difficult such a laborious process must be for someone in a wheelchair for example.

If the above process sounds ridiculous, that's because it is. However, many site designers place equally ludicrous obstacles in the path of disabled users every day. Web pages and site functionality are regularly made inaccessible to disabled users for one reason or another, leading to frustration and anger.

Many disabled users shop online, simply because it makes purchasing goods easier for them. When large high street stores implement accessibility hurdles in their stores similar to that which I've detailed above, it's easy to see the appeal.

Sadly, in some cases the online experience can be worse than the offline.