www.britishmuseum.org/ British Museum British Museum website www.britishmuseum.org/ Level: novice What is The British Museum? The British museum is the online version of London’s attraction, with the same name. It contains thousands of images and information for prospective visitors and members, as well as an online shop. Using the website The website is simplistically laid out, with links to the main sections found at the top. You can find out opening times, accessible attractions, how to get there and where to eat under the visiting section. Clicking what’s on will show you current and future exhibitions, along with pricing (if applicable, many are free) and the opportunity to purchase tickets online. The calendar is fully accessible and you can either view a full calendar, day time/evening events or by type, i.e film, educational, performance. Each exhibition title is a link, and selecting this will then give you a page containing a fuller description, where exactly the event is taking place, the price and duration and whether you need to book in advance. The online ticket system and shop doesn’t appear accessible with WebbIE and Thunder, however the museum does provide a phone number to book tickets, but unfortunately there’s an additional fee for this service. The next three links are Explore, Research and Learning. Explore This is probably the most useful for visually impaired users, it gives a range of topics you can select and read bits about. Research This is mainly composed of images and complex searches to find bits of information, however the very patient user may be rewarded! Learning This is mainly aimed at younger children, teachers, parents and further education students. It does provide some information on how exhibitions can be accessible, but is generally there to provide pointers for those looking for specific images, ways of learning, or exhibitions related to their studies. The museum link will provide you with information on latest projects, news and press releases. You can also see what jobs are currently available at the museum. You can join the museum, either as a volunteer or member by clicking the join us link. They also provide an electronic newsletter. By becoming a member you can get discounts on tickets and free entry to certain exhibitions – but it’s only worthwhile if you plan on visiting a lot! The shop The shop is vaguely accessible, but the checkout process doesn’t seem to work particularly well. Most items are also quite expensive! Navigating the website This website is best navigated by links and headings. Under most of the links in the sections there is a line or two of description as well. It may be advisable, to jump to the first heading on the page – after selecting your section, then simply arrowing down to get the most information |