Prospero

Two signs of old age creeping in. First, night time driving causes tired eyes and second, I cannot for the life of me read departure monitors with the clarity of my youth. Keeping tabs on boarding announcements means getting out of my comfy seat and walking up close to the monitor.

Whilst at most BA lounges this does not present much of a problem thanks to lovely pixel sharp high contrast LED monitors, not all are quite so easy to read. Take the Flounge at Gatters as an example. The flat screen monitors there (and those at LCY) are my bęte noire. Destinations are listed in all caps which is a problem for me as I cannot recognise individual words from afar. My experience at EDI, LHR or most other airports is manageable as I can comfortably differentiate each destination through my soft focus by virtue of recognising the shape of words. For example, Chicago and Calcutta are much easier to visually differentiate than CHICAGO and CALCUTTA.

So, as I progress into middle age, my curiosity is raised. As a provider of a public facility, should BA not be obliged to run regular DDA audits to ensure the facilities are accessible to all, or has this detail been overlooked?

Would be interested to learn if others are experiencing similar problems which moves me on to the next question... Is lasik the answer

SirThomas

Get some glasses?

Tom

subhi

I find the displays in the BA departure lounges awful. There is far too much info on them, in the wrong "natural" order and they seem to have been deliberately designed to be confusing.

I don't think it's just you....

Prospero

Thanks, I already possess facial furniture (albeit arguably past their sell by date )

thadocta

My best mates mother is in the same situation as you, as well as being a little bit deaf. Although QF lounges aren't silent, with boarding calls being made, upon entering the lounge, she proceeds to the service desk and explains the situation. They usually take her boarding pass, and when time for boarding they make a concerted effort to find her and personally inform her that her flight is boarding. Not sure if this would work for you though.

I don't really get the need for "silent lounges", what difference does an occasional boarding call make?

Dave

BingBongBoy

I have to admit... I am getting worse with my eyes!

When I am boarding a flight... I can no longer read boarding cards when people whiz them past my eyes. I have to actually take the boarding card (which some seem to get the right arse ache about...) and hold it at an appropriate distance to be able to read the bits I need to...

I am also the same with departure boards and the likes... Same on the Underground too...

Yes, sign of old age I am afraid...

Genius1

Should've gone to SpecSavers ^

HIDDY

I just put my glasses on.....always helps.

As for the Lasik....mmmm my wife was in Buenos Aires the other week for a pre-op appointment - I tagged along to the surgery in a expensive part of town. The decor was better than the Park Hyatt we had just checked in to...someone's making a hell of a lot of money here I thought. The place was that busy with folk waiting to see the specialist we didn't exit till over three hours later after a whirlwind rushed ten minute consultation.

The wife wasn't impressed with the service and didn't fancy having some overworked money grabbing specialist messing about with a laser on her eyes so she has since cancelled the op. I'm sure the UK specialists will have both eyes on the patient rather than one eye on the ever rising bank balance.

studyolic

laser sight enhancement is mostly useful if your prescription has changed little over the last 2 - 3 years. ie. the deterioration in visual acuity has plateau'ed. And merely keeping the same facial furniture for 3 years doesn't count.
Do you get regular headaches? Maybe you forgot to take last year's contact lenses out.

It is probably a good idea to pay a visit to an ophthalmologist.

Lobengula

I don't mind as long as you say: "Welcome back Mr Lobengula, I'm sure you know where your seat is"

Prospero

LHR


LCY


FRA: [Loveable, beckon me over with your clack, clack, clack…]

thadocta

LCY looks ok, the others don't.

Dave

HIDDY

LCY.....^^^
FRA.....^
LHR....

nth_utsera_sth_utsera

The third board @ LHR was quite hard to read. Are you meant to turn your head sideways and learn binary?

Prospero

If you were to imagine for a moment viewing the LCY monitor at increased distance, similar to that depicted in the LHR example, would you be able to differentiate MUNICH from ZURICH?