Improving Web Accessibility for the Elderly CSUN 16 March 2011 Roger Hudson Web Usability Site: www.usability.com.au Blog: www.dingoaccess.com
Improving Web Accessibility for the Elderly
Dec 07, 2014
CSUN 2011 presentation about use of the web by people over the age of 60. Also looks at some of the common problems they have and suggests some solutions
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Transcript
Improving Web Accessibility
for the ElderlyCSUN 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
1. Online survey
2. Physical-world survey
3. Interviews
Survey of web use by people over 60
2011 Research: Mature age ICT usersby 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')
Online Physical world
Find health related info 84 71
Keep up with the news 84 68
Internet banking 71 52
Book tickets 66 48
Online shopping 53 39
Personal genealogical research
36 26
Online auctions 31 16
What the web users did
Mature age ICT users survey 2011
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
Online Physical world
Facebook 32 32
Myspace 5 3
Twitter 28 0
Flickr 63 6
YouTube 62 35
(% of participants)
Mature age ICT users survey 2011
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
OftenSometimes
OftenSometimes
Hard to find what I am after 14 69 13 68Size/colour of the words difficult to read 12 43 6 39
Moving or flashing images on the page 22 45 13 29Adverts or announcements that pop-up (without warning) 38 48 48 42
Too much information on the page 18 52 19 48
Online Physical
What’s your problem? (% of participants)
Mature age ICT users survey 2011
InterviewsMature 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?
1. Making a person aware that they have accessibility needs
2. Making them aware that a solution exists
3. 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
1. Browser enhancement
2. Integrated personal preferences widget
3. 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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