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Universal AccessibilityDesign and Support Considerations for an Aging Population
Bill Gribbons, PhD, Director, Human Factors ProgramBentley CollegeWaltham, Massachusetts, USA
[email protected]/gr/mshfidwww.bentley.edu/usability
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Overview
Define universal accessibility Describe the aging population Discuss the characteristics and requirements
of the aging population Discuss what is best practice in this area - both
research and information design Make a business case for accommodating the
needs of this rapidly expanding market
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A Couple of Stories..
1. “Harold, bring me my screwdriver”
2. Lost in IVR
3. “Two and a Half Popcorn”
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Accessibility
Our mission is to provide full and complete access to technology and information design through a deeper understanding of a disability. Through this understanding, the information designer provides appropriate performance support and design accommodations. We assume that the majority of these accommodations will improve usability for all users.
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Aging Population
The United States Census Bureau projects the number of people age fifty-five and older will grow by 73% by the year 2020.
The over sixty-five population is anticipated to rise from 15.5% of the EU population in 1995 to 22.4% by 2025.
Every day 6,000 Americans turn 65
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More Facts There are half a billion people age 50+ in the world today The world’s age 65+ population is increasing by 800,000
per month The number of the world’s 80+ is growing more rapidly
than the elderly population as a whole. The United States has more than 9.2 million citizens who
are age 80+ Half of the world’s oldest elderly (80+ years) live in six
countries: China, the U.S., India, Japan, Germany, and Russia
In developed regions, 74 percent of age 65+ individuals are urban dwellers
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Opportunities
Healthcare Retail Financial Services Transportation Telecommunications Government
Consumers over 45 account for more than half the total consumer
spending in the United States
The Sad Truth:
Vision Hearing Motor Cognitive
Aging is a dynamic disability with each individual experiencing the effects of aging to varying degrees
As we age, our bodies start to change, physically and mentally
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Designing for our future selves
Vision
Cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration
Presbyopia: beginning at the age of 45 Lens becomes less flexible Lens yellows Less light passes through the lens Lowered visual acuity Increased sensitivity to glare More susceptible to fatigue and eyestrain
Disease and Age-related Decline
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Accommodations Larger text sizes (12-14 point) in static displays Moderate to heavier weights: avoid kerning and condensed
faces Easy access to changing size in dynamic displays Avoid violet, blue, light grays and green tones Increase contrast through higher brightness and
saturation Avoid yellow in foreground (e.g., text) Avoid similar tones or variations of a single hue Maintain maximum contrast between foreground and
background – no background textures Avoid fine details in typeface or illustration
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Type Size
Type style and weight
Contrast
Background
Color
Brightness
Saturation Differential
Color Combination
Type on a textured background lowersLegibility for the elderly
Allow easy re-sizing of type on the screen. In fixed displays, use 13 points or larger.
Use heavier weights to increase contrast and avoid type faces with fine lines
Auditory Slow decline in sensitivity to high frequencies Lowered ability to discriminate between tones More susceptible to masking Decreased auditory selection: separating speech
from ambient noise
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Motor Increased occurrence of arthritis Decline in fine motor control, eye-hand
coordination Increased time to complete motor tasks Increase the size of buttons, targets, and
sensitivity zone Provide tactile feedback to confirm action
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Cognitive Decline in working memory capacity
Problematic in heavy workload situations such as decision-making, problem-solving, navigation, and learning
Long-term memory is largely intact, barring disease
Decrease in ability to differentiate between categories and complex termsB
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Accommodations Limit information to the essential Integrate the users’ mental models
Headings should trigger existing models In learning applications, make links to existing knowledge
Provide all information necessary to support decision-making in a single eye-scan
Avoid recall tasks Self complete operations whenever possible Provide confirmation and feedback Support navigation through simple and known
information architectures Employ persistent concept maps
Maintain consistency
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Conclusion Accessibility improves usability for all users Aging populations will represent a large,
profitable market for technology products The design community should assume a
leadership role in embracing and accommodating this populationB
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