How does existing accessibility elements in UI/UX design impact digital usage by elderly and how can they be improved?
Digital interaction is a big part of our daily lives now. The rapid changes in this digital world have both advantages and disadvantages. Following trends and adapting to new technologies is getting harder by the day, especially for the elderly. With increasing senior population especially in the developed world and fast paced changes in technology isolation is imminent. Older generations are excluded from so many developments that change our lives for the better. With the hit of a pandemic it became much more apparent how online and digital technologies can change so much and help us in our lives. And specifically in this example senior citizens should be the ones who are able to take advantage of these developments and tools. But they mostly can’t because of several different reasons like hardships regarding usability, learning issues, trust issues, all in all not being able to adapt to these changes.
There are existing accessibility options embedded in the interfaces we use daily, most of them being OS based. How do these solutions compare to each other, how often are they used and by whom? Universal design principles are key to these elements and they must be as accessible as possible by the user. If these features are hidden in the interface then it defies the purpose.
This whole experience can be improved with better guidelines for designers and adding empathy into the equation. Can every app or appliance be adapted to the seniors through this method?
I’ve chosen this topic mainly because I’m highly interested in inclusive design and my motto would be “design for all”. Besides that, I also have co-written a paper on a similar matter which broadened my perspective for the topic and provided me with the necessary basis for a starting point.
Sources:
- https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/02/designing-digital-technology-for-the- elderly/
- https://www.toptal.com/designers/ui/ui-design-for-older-adults
- https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-for-senior-citizens/
- https://uxplanet.org/accessible-design-designing-for-the-elderly-41704a375b5d
- https://uxplanet.org/ux-accessibility-for-elderly-12-principles-9708289b6f78
- “User interface based on natural interaction design for seniors”
- https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/learn-to-create-accessible-websites-with-the-principles-of-universal-design
- https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/
- https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/understand-the-social-needs-for-accessibility-in-ux-design
