Seniors and Technology – The "Mother of Untapped Markets"

Need guidance on establishing “senior-friendly” or universal design for your website or workplace? I found valuable tips from Jane Vincent at the Center for Accessible Technology at the University of Berkeley.  One of the ten tips, using trackballs instead of mice, makes sense not only because it reduces hand fatigue but trackballs are typically not introduced to users (UC Berkeley, 2020). 

Although older adults are portrayed in the media as computer illiterate, studies show the opposite is true: Senior Americans are embracing digital technology.  However, their needs and perspectives have been overlooked by designers and developers. Approximately 73% of older adults use the internet and 53% have smartphones (Jefferson, 2019). However, a recent study from the University of California, San Diego, found that physical challenges and constraints are overlooked among designers, resulting in underutilization of the devices. Older adults have reported that the manuals accompanying the devices are written for advanced users who understand the nomenclature and acronyms (Jefferson, 2019). Instead of including seniors in the design process, geriatricians and aging experts have provided input instead. Jane Vincent and her team at the Center for Accessible Technology at Berkeley are addressing these design gaps and have provided a wealth of feedback and lessons-learned for promoting user-friendly technology regardless of physical challenges.  Check out the Berkeley website. 

Making Computer Use Easier for Elders, UC Berkeley Center for Accessible Technology, by Jane Vincent:

1. Adjust text size
2. Adjust color contrast
3. Introduce keyboard shortcuts
4. Use large-print keyboards with white text on a black background
5. Provide good lighting in the computer environment
6. Use "puffy paint" to make keys easier to locate
7. Provide a way to anchor keyboards
8. Offer trackballs as an alternative to standard mice
9. Design websites with elders in mind
10. Don't make assumptions about user capabilities

References:

Jefferson, R.S. (2019, June 29). More seniors are embracing technology. But can they use it? UCSD researchers suggest asking them. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinseatonjefferson/2019/06/28/more-seniors-are-embracing-technology-but-can-they-use-it-ucsd-researchers-suggest-asking-them/#10e4ca2e2323

UC Berkeley, Office of Communication and Public Affairs. Making computer use easier for elders. Retrieved from  https://webaccess.berkeley.edu/resources/tips/elders