Traintimes.org.uk is exactly what it says it is. A website where you can view train times, plan journeys and even look at the live departure boards. The difference with this site is it is specifically designed to be accessible.
Why is TrainTimes website of the month?
We were recently contacted by Paul. Paul travels lots for his job and with the help of his guide dog and assistance at the station he gets along quite well. Paul was having trouble finding train timetables that were easy to navigate and view both with his screen reader and magnification software.
The TrainTimes website is essentially an accessible version of the National Rail Enquiries site. It doesn't matter what browser you are using either.
The site will tell you about all the trains on a particular route and allow you to specify direct trains or slower trains. It will tell you how much a ticket costs, but not allow you to book them. It also allows you to insert a calendar appointment in Outlook to remind you of your journey.
User comment
Our traveller Paul told us:
"I used to get really frustrated with websites when looking for train times, I travel lots for work and spend a lot of time on the trains so want to make sure I get on the best ones for me. I use both speech and magnification depending on what I am doing and find the train times site so easy to use. There are no cookies or javascript on the site which makes it much more basic to use, no pop ups, adverts or scrolling hour glasses telling you to wait. The screen reader loves it.
"I like that I can also put the train times directly into my diary, when this is synchronised with my phone I have all the information on the go, again making me that much more independent.
"There is a mobile version of the site but it is only recommended for iPhone users. This works really well with VoiceOver and allows me to look at the accessible information when I am not in front of my computer. Overall this is a fantastic, simple site that helps me to be more independent, to get around on my own without having to rely on others."
Got a suggestion?
We want to hear from you, our users. Which apps and websites should we be writing about on the TechKnowMore blog? Is there an app you can no longer live without? What website is at the top of your favourites list?
Drop us an email on DigitalAccess@rnib.org.ukto let us know, and your favourite service could be featured in the very near future!