Online shopping for people with vision impairment

The weekly grocery shop is a relatively simple task for most sighted people, but have you ever wondered how difficult it may be to do the shopping if you had a visual impairment? The supermarket visit can be quite time-consuming and often challenging for individuals with a vision impairment, so the advent of supermarket online shopping should make this process simpler. Unfortunately this may not yet be the case in Australia.

Coles supermarket is facing a landmark claim following allegations the supermarket’s online shopping website discriminates against people with vision impairment.
Gisele Mesnage from Sydney has launched legal action against the supermarket giant in a bid to allow people with vision impairment better access to online supermarket shopping in Sydney and Australia.
For Ms Mesnage, an in-store shop at her local supermarket in Sydney can take 20 minutes just to purchase a loaf of bread. Currently, online shopping can take up to 8 hours due to glitches in the online ordering system which have allegedly remained unresolved.
This case is the first of it’s kind on web accessibility for people with a disability to go as far as the Federal Circuit Court in Australia.

For the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald, please visit http://m.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/blind-woman-gisele-mesnage-sues-coles-over-online-shopping-website-20141105-11h6zw.html