Improving Web Accessibility for the Elderly

Improving Web Accessibility for the Elderly CSUN 16 March 2011 Roger Hudson Web Usability Site: www.usability.com.au Blog: www.dingoaccess.com

Apology Terminology

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Gen X (born1965-1976) Younger boomers (1955-1964) Older boomers (1946-1954) Silent Generation (1925-1945)

Internet Use by People 60+

% of all Internet users over the age 18 35% Gen Y (ages 18-33) 23% Gen X (34-45) 21% Younger boomers (46-55) 13% Older boomers (56-64) 8% Silent/GI generation (64+) Source: “PEW Generation 2010” report Most of the online world is under 55

In the US 2000: 15% of 65+ using the internet 2009: 38% of 65+ using the internet Number of older users is growing Source: “PEW Internet and Lifestyle” 2009 survey

In Australia 2005: 24% of 65 -74 year olds online 2007: 38% of 65 -74 year olds online Number of older users is growing Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

ALERT! Services Online

Online survey
Physical-world survey
Interviews
Survey of web use by people over 60 2011 Research: Mature age ICT users by Roger Hudson, Peter Hindmarsh and Russ Weakley

Online Participants Survey Recruitment 70% between the ages of 60 and 70 Mature age ICT users survey 2011

Physical-world Participants Mature Age Survey Recruitment
Community
Retirement village residents
48% between the ages of 60 and 70 35% over 80 Mature age ICT users survey 2011

Online survey (124 respondents) 87% use the web every day Physical world survey (31 respondents) 68% use the web every day Mature Age Web Users Mature age ICT users survey 2011

(% of participants who do them 'often' or 'sometimes') What the web users did Mature age ICT users survey 2011 16 31 Online auctions 26 36 Personal genealogical research 39 53 Online shopping 48 66 Book tickets 52 71 Internet banking 68 84 Keep up with the news 71 84 Find health related info Physical world Online

Using Social Media Source: “PEW Generation 2010” report Most popular activity with18-33 age group

"only 16% of adults 74 and older have done so“ (PEW Generation 2010 Report)

Social media use (% of participants) Mature age ICT users survey 2011 35 62 YouTube 6 63 Flickr 0 28 Twitter 3 5 Myspace 32 32 Facebook Physical world Online

Government 2.0

Older boomers not all the same

With nothing to build on learning can be hard Older boomers not all the same

Age is not a disability

Gradual decline

What’s your problem? (% of participants) Mature age ICT users survey 2011 48 19 52 18 Too much information on the page 42 48 48 38 Adverts or announcements that pop-up (without warning) 29 13 45 22 Moving or flashing images on the page 39 6 43 12 Size/colour of the words difficult to read 68 13 69 14 Hard to find what I am after Sometimes Often Sometimes Often Physical Online

Interviews Mature age ICT users survey 2011

Some common problems ‘ Silly little pictures about nothing’ ‘ Fancy stuff that keeps moving’ ‘ Finding what I am after’ ‘ Too many navigation choices with unclear labels’ 32% mention text size Mature age ICT users survey 2011

48% - text size a problem at least sometime 23% - mention colour Specific question about colour or size of text on pages Mature age ICT users survey 2011

‘ Size of text is always a problem for me’ ‘ Sometimes words too small, I just accept what comes up’ ‘ I don't like 'laid back' colours’ ‘ Coloured text on colour background can be a problem’ ‘ Sites are designed by young people with good vision’ Comments Mature age ICT users survey 2011

I'm getting old!

How much do we think about the elderly?

Most computer systems have been designed for a "typical" younger user Source: “ Designing for Dynamic Diversity – interfaces for older people” By Peter Gregor, Alan Newell and Mary Zajicek … and accessibility features focus on younger disabled people

Dynamic Diversity “ User-sensitive Inclusive Design”

Diversity of web skills Mature age ICT users survey 2011

39% felt confident they could make it readable but most had no idea What do you do when the text is too small? Mature age ICT users survey 2011

‘ If I have to read it, I will try getting closer to the screen or getting someone else to help.’ ‘ Go to another site if I can't read it’ ‘ Check my glasses, then I don't know’ ‘ I copy and paste into a document and then increase’ ‘ When using word I can make it bigger, but can't work out how to do that on the web’ ‘ I can make it bigger with PDF because they have that percentage thing, but can't do it with websites.’ ‘ I have printed out pages that are important and then made them bigger with a photocopier’ Comments Mature age ICT users survey 2011

What To Do

Navigation: Clear Choices Good feedback 80% of survey participants had difficulties finding what they were looking for.

Consistency and conventions

Shallow or Deep ‘ It is always good to have a complete sitemap – without it, it can be harder to find things’

Clear headings Short paragraphs Lists and dot points Avoid jargon Write for the web

Colour choices If your colours fail, just get over it and pick some new ones!

Text control ‘ Maybe 30-40% of the time the writing is too small’

Browser controls

“ Accessibility statements are inaccessible to older web users” By David Sloan, Anna Dickinson et al Accessibility statement

‘ Don’t know what accessibility means, don't think I have ever seen that before’ ‘ Never seen it and no idea what it means.’ ‘ I have seen the word, but don't know what it means in the context of a computer.’ ‘ So small it just looks like it isn't important, you know the fine print.’ ‘ How easy it is to find things – you know access information’ Comments Mature age ICT users survey 2011

Text re-size tools

Where next?

Making a person aware that they have accessibility needs
Making them aware that a solution exists
And providing them with that solution
The challenge Source: "The Potential of Adaptive Interfaces as an Accessibility Aid for Older Web Users" By David Sloan, Matthew Tylee Atkinson et al

Browser enhancement
Integrated personal preferences widget
Better advice delivery
Three other options

Browser enhancement

Set preferences for
Font face and size
Text and background colours
Integrated personal preference widget 'Give them fish'

Automatically identify the system and browser
Provide tailored advice for control page presentation
Better advice delivery ‘ Teach them to fish'

It comes down to better branding

Thank you Questions and comments Roger Hudson Web Usability Site: www.usability.com.au Blog: www.dingoaccess.com

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Improving Web Accessibility for the Elderly

by Roger Hudson

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