Abstract
Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12 to 22%. Maintaining a high quality of life for these people has become an important issue throughout the world. The Web has been shown to have a positive experience on the quality of life and well-being of older adults, by assisting them to maintain an independent living. However, many older adults seem to shy away from the Web due to various problems they experience when interacting with the Web. To understand the nature of these problems, this chapter presents the functional impairments and the attitudes that might contribute to older adults’ hesitation of utilising the Web. This chapter then discusses the changes that happen with age and their effects on Web interaction. It then moves to the standards surrounding Web accessibility, more specifically WCAG, and how they assist older adults. Finally, it discusses activities that older adults perform on the Web.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Adiseshiah E (2017) UX Design thinking from a senior citizen’s perspective. https://usabilitygeek.com/ux-design-thinking-senior-citizen-user/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Age UK (2016) The Internet and older adults in the UK. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/active-communities/rb_july16_older_people_and_internet_use_stats.pdf. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
AgeLight LLC (2001) Technology and generational marketing strategies: interface design guidelines for users of all ages. http://www.agelight.com/Webdocs/designguide.pdf. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Arch A, Abou-Zahra S (2010) Developing websites for older adults: how web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 applies. Accessed at https://www.w3.org/WAI/older-users/developing/. Accessed 6 July 2018
Arch A, Abou-Zahra S, Henry S (2009) Older users online: wai guidelines address older users web experience, Accessed at https://www.w3.org/WAI/posts/2009/older-users-online. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Armstrong D, Marmor MF, Ordy JM (1991) The effects of aging and environment on vision. Plenum Press, New York
Aslan S (2018) YouTube by the numbers: stats, demographics & fun facts, accessed at https://www.omnicoreagency.com/youtube-statistics/. Accessed 29 Aug 2018
Australian Communications and Media Authority (2016) Digital lives of older Australians, Accessed at https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/engage-blogs/engage-blogs/Research-snapshots/Digital-lives-of-older-Australians. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Bailey B (2002) Age classifications. UI design update newsletter, http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/jul02.asp. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Barnes SB (2006) A privacy paradox: social networking in the United States. First Monday, 11(9)
Bergström A (2015) Online privacy concerns: A broad approach to understanding the concerns of different groups for different uses. Comput Hum Behav 53:419–426
Birren (1970) Cited in Eisdorfer C, Lawton P (1973) The psychology of adult development and aging. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC
Brasil FCB (2014) CNA-Speaking exchange [Video file]
Braun MT (2013) Obstacles to social networking website use among older adults. Comput Hum Behav 29(3):673–680
Caldwell B, Cooper M, Guarino Reid L, Vanderheiden G (2008) Web content accessibility guidelines 2.0 https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Campbell O (2105) Designing for the elderly: ways older adults use digital technology differently. Accessed at https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/02/designing-digital-technology-for-the-elderly/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Cerella J, Poon LW, Fozard JL (1982) Age and iconic read-out. Journal of Gerontology 37:197–202
Charness N, Bosman E (1990) Human factors in design. In: Birren JE, Schaie KW (eds) Handbook of psychology of aging, 3rd edn. Academic, San Diego, pp 446–463
Chisholm W, Vanderheiden G, Jacobs I (1999) Web content accessibility guidelines 1.0. Accessed athttps://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/. Accessed 6 July 2018
Christopher P (1999) Older adults—special considerations for special people. http://www.gsu.edu/mstswh/courses/it7000/papers/newpage31.htm. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Clark J, Hall I (2011) The Skype Grannies Project. Technical report, Research Centre for Learning and Teaching, Newcastle University
Cunningham WR, Brookbank JW (1988) Gerontology: the psychology. Biology and sociology of ageing, Harper and Row, New York
Czaja S (1997) Using technologies to aid the performance of home tasks. Handbook of human factors and the older adult, chapter 13:311–334
Czaja SJ, Sharit J (1998) Age differences in attitudes toward computers. J Gerontol 53B(5):329–340
Davis FD (1989) Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Q 319–340
Dohr A, Modre-Opsrian R, Drobics M, Hayn D, Schreier G (2010) The internet of things for ambient assisted living. In: 2010 seventh international conference on information technology: new generations (ITNG). IEEE, pp 804–809
Edwards R, Englehardt KG (1989) Microprocessor-based innovations and older individuals: AARP survey results and their implications for service robotics. Int J Technol Aging 2:56–76
Ellis RD, Kurniawan SH (2000) Increasing the usability of online information for older users: A case study in participatory design. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 2(12):263–276
Fine SL, Berger JW, Maguire MG (1999) Age related macular degeneration. Mosby Inc, Missouri
Ford, M. (1993) Coping again. broadcasting support services, pp. 6–28
Fox, S. (2011) Peer-to-peer healthcare. Pew Internet & American Life Project
Fox S, Duggan M (2013) Health online 2013. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, DC, p 1
Gitlow, L. Technology Use by Older Adults and Barriers to Using Technology, Journal Physical & Occupational Therapy In Geriatrics, Vol 32(3) https://doi.org/10.3109/02703181.2014.946640. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Google (undated) reCAPTCHA, accessed at https://developers.google.com/recaptcha/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Grady CL, Craik FIM (2000) Changes in memory processing with age. Curr Opin Neurobiol 10:224–231
Gregor, P., Newell, A.F. and Zajicek, M (2002) Designing for dynamic diversity – interfaces for older adults. In: Proceedings of the fifth international ACM conference on Assistive technologies. ACM Press, New York, pp. 151–156
Hartley, A.A. (1992) Attention. In: F.I.M. Craik, T.A. and Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ
He, W., Goodkind, D. and Kowal, P. (2016) An Aging World: 2015, accessed at https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/demo/P95-16-1.html. Accessed 28 Aug 2018
Hawthorn, D. (2000) Possible implications of aging for interface designers. Interacting with Computers 12, 507–528.Hoisko, J. (2003) Early Experiences of Visual Memory Prosthesis for Supporting Episodic Memory. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 15(2), 209–230
Hoofnagle, C. J., King, J., Li, S., & Turow, J. (2010) How different are young adults from older adults when it comes to information privacy attitudes and policies?
Hopping Mad Designs (2013) Tips for Designing a Website for Seniors and the Elderly accessed at https://hoppingmad.com.au/blog/tips-for-designing-a-website-for-seniors-and-the-elderly/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Hoya Speech Company (undated). ReadSpeaker accessed at https://www.readspeaker.com/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Ibarra F, Korovina O, Baez M, Casati F, Marchese M, Cernuzzi L, Barysheva GA (2016) Tools enabling online contributions by older adults. IEEE Internet Comput 20(5):58–65
IFLANET (1997) older adults and the Internet. http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla63/44pt2.htm. Jagacinski, R.J., Liao, M.J. and Fayyad, E.A. (1995) Generalised slowing in sinusoidal tracking in older adults. Psychology of Aging 9, 103–112
Interaction Design Foundation (2016) Improving the User Experience for the Elderly accessed at https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/improving-the-user-experience-for-the-elderly. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Ivil, L. (2016) Designing A Dementia-Friendly Website Accessed at https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/05/designing-a-dementia-friendly-website/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Kirkpatrick, A., O’Connor, J., Campbell, A. and Cooper, M. (2018) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 accessed at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Kline DW, Scialfa CT (1996) Sensory and perceptual functioning: basic research and human factors implications. In: Fisk AD, Rogers WA (eds) Handbook of human factors and the older adult. Academic Press, San Diego
Knowles B, Hanson V (2018) The wisdom of older technology (non)users. Commun ACM 61(3):72–77
Kobayashi, M., Arita, S., Itoko, T., Saito, S., & Takagi, H. (2015, February). Motivating multi-generational crowd workers in social-purpose work. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (pp. 1813–1824). ACM
Kotary L, Hoyer WJ (1995) Age and the ability to inhibit distractor information in visual selective attention. Exp Aging Res 21(2):159–171
Lee, J, and Baily, G. (2005) Presbyopia: All about sight. http://www.allaboutvision.com/ conditions/presbyopia.html. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Light LL (1990) Memory and language in old age. In: Birren JE, Schaie KW (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging, Third Ed., Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 275–290
Mead, SE., Spaulding, VA., Sit, RA., Meyer, B. and Walker, N. (1997) Effects of age and training on world wide Web navigation strategies. In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 41st annual meeting Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Santa Monica, pp. 152–156
Moth, D. (2013) Six design tips for making your website senior friendly accessed at https://econsultancy.com/blog/62815-six-design-tips-for-making-your-website-senior-friendly. Accessed 6 July 2018
Murman DL (2015) The Impact of Age on Cognition. Seminars in Hearing 36(3):111–121
Myatt ED, Essa I, Rogers W (2000) Increasing the opportunities for ageing in place. In: Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Universal Usability, ACM Press, New York/ Washington, DC, pp. 39–44
National Eye Institute (2004) What is Glaucoma? http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/ glaucoma_facts.asp#1. Accessed 6 July 2018
National Institute on Aging (2009) Making Your Website Senior Friendly, http://www.lgma.ca/assets/Programs~and~Events/Clerks~Forum/2013~Clerks~Forum/COMMUNICATIONS-Making-Your-Website-Senior-Friendly–Tip-Sheet.pdf. Accessed 6 July 2018
National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine (2002) Making your Website More Senior Friendly: A Checklist, http://www.usability.gov/checklist.pdf. Accessed 6 July 2018
Nielsen, J. (2013) Seniors as Web Users. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-for-senior-citizens/. Accessed 6 July 2018. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Nielsen J (1996) Accessible Design for Users with Disabilities. http://www.useit.com/alert box/9610.html. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Norberg PA, Horne DR, Horne DA (2007) The privacy paradox: Personal information disclosure intentions versus behaviors. Journal of Consumer Affairs 41(1):100–126
Norman CD, Skinner HA (2006) eHealth literacy: essential skills for consumer health in a networked world. Journal of medical Internet research, 8(2)
Orimo H, Ito H, Suzuki T, Araki A, Hosoi T, Sawabe M (2006) Reviewing the definition of “elderly”. Geriatrics & gerontology international 6(3):149–158
Perrin A (2015) Social media usage. Pew research center, 52-68
Petrie H, Kamollimsakul S, Power C (2013) Web accessibility for older adults: effects of line spacing and text justification on reading Web pages, ASSETS ‘13 Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility
Pew Research Centre (2017) Tech Adoption Climbs Among Older Adults accessed at http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/17/tech-adoption-climbs-among-older-adults/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Piper, A.M., Brewer, R. & Cornejo, R. Technology learning and use among older adults with late-life vision impairments, Univ Access Inf Soc (2017) 16: 699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0500-1. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Pollack ME (2005) Intelligent technology for an aging population: The use of AI to assist elders with cognitive impairment. AI magazine 26(2):9
Ratner HH, Schell DA, Crimmins A, Mittleman D, Baldinelli L (1987) Changes in adults prose recall: aging or cognitive demands. Dev Psychol 23:521–525
Recite Me (undated) Recite, accessed at http://www.reciteme.com/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Rogers WA, Fisk AD, Hertzog C (1994) Do ability related performance relationships differentiate age and practice effects in visual search? J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 20:710–738
Roselli, A (2017) Selfish Accessibility, https://wordpress.tv/2017/06/21/adrian-roselli-selfish-accessibility-3/ & https://www.slideshare.net/aardrian/selfish-accessibility-wordcamp-europe-2017. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Rybash JM, Roodin PA, Hoyer WJ (1995) Adult Development and Aging. Brown and Benchmark, Chicago
Salthouse TA (1991) Theoretical perspectives on cognitive aging. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale
Salthouse, TA. (1994) The aging of working memory. Neuropsychology 8, 535–543 Scheiber, F. (1992) Aging and the senses. In: JE. Birren, RB. Sloane, GD. Cohen (Eds.)
Santos J, Rodrigues JJ, Silva BM, Casal J, Saleem K, Denisov V (2016) An IoT-based mobile gateway for intelligent personal assistants on mobile health environments. Journal of Network and Computer Applications 71:194–204
Shapira, N., Barak, A., & Gal, I. (2007) Promoting older adults’ well-being through Internet training and use
Siedler R, Stelmach G (1996) Motor Control. In: Birren JE (ed) Encyclopedia of Gerontology. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 177–185
Spiriduso WW (1995) Aging and motor control. In: Lamb DR, Gisolfi CV, Nadel E (eds) Perspectives in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine: Exercise in Older Adults. Cooper, Carmel, pp 53–114
St. Lukes Eye (2005) Cataracts. http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions/Cataracts.asp. Stokes, G. (1992) On Being Old. The Psychology of Later Life. The Falmer Press, London
Stokes G (1992) On being old. The Falmer Press, London, The Psychology of Later Life
Straub, K. (2003) The Gradual Graying of the Internet. http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/jun03.asp. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Stuart-Hamilton I (1999) Intellectual changes in late life. In: Woods ERT (ed) Psychological Problems of Ageing. Wiley, New York
Tennant B, Stellefson M, Dodd V, Chaney B, Chaney D, Paige S, Alber J (2015) eHealth literacy and Web 2.0 health information seeking behaviors among baby boomers and older adults. Journal of medical Internet research, 17(3)
Texthelp (undated) Browsealoud, accessed at https://www.texthelp.com/en-gb/products/browsealoud/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Uhlmann RF, Larson EB, Rees TS, Koepsell TD, Duckert LG (1989) Relationship of hearing impairment to dementia and cognitive dysfunction in older adults. The Journal of American Medical Association 261(13):1916–1919
United Nations (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) accessed at https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html. Accessed 23 Aug 2018
Valentijn SA, Van Boxtel MP, Van Hooren SA, Bosma H, Beckers HJ, Ponds RW, Jolles J (2005) Change in sensory functioning predicts change in cognitive functioning: Results from a 6-year follow-up in the Maastricht Aging Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 53(3):374–380
Venkatesh V, Davis FD (2000) A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: Four longitudinal field studies. Manage Sci 46(2):186–204
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003) User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS quarterly, 425–478
Vercruyssen M (1996) Movement control and the speed of behaviour. In: Fisk AD, Rogers WA (eds) Handbook of human factors and the older adult, academic press. San Diego, CA
Walker N, Philbin DA, Fisk AD (1997) Age related differences in movement control: adjusting sub-movement structure to optimize performance. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences 52B(1):40–52
Web Accessibility Initiative (2017) Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Task Force, accessed at https://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/cognitive-a11y-tf/. Accessed 29 Aug 2018
WHO (World Health Organization) (2002) Proposed working definition of an older person in Africa for the MDS Project. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
WHO (World Health Organization) (2018a). Ageing and health. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
WHO (World Health Organization) (2018b). What is Healthy Ageing? http://www.who.int/ageing/healthy-ageing/en/. Accessed 6 Aug 2018
Yang G, Xie L, Mäntysalo M, Zhou X, Pang Z, Da Xu L, Zheng LR (2014) A health-IoT platform based on the integration of intelligent packaging, unobtrusive bio-sensor, and intelligent medicine box. IEEE Trans Industr Inf 10(4):2180–2191
Zajicek, M. (2001) Special interface requirements for older adults. Workshop on Universal Accessibility of Ubiquitous Computing: Providing for the Elderly. http://virtual.inesc.pt/ wuauc01/procs/pdfs/zajicek_final.pdf
Zeissig EM, Lidynia C, Vervier L, Gadeib A, Ziefle M (2017). Online privacy perceptions of older adults. In: International conference on human aspects of IT for the aged population. Springer, Cham, pp. 181–200
Zhao H (2001) Universal usability web design guidelines for the elderly, age 65 and older, April. http://www.otal.umd.edu/uupractice/elderly/. Accessed 6 Jul 2018
Zickuhr K, Smith A (2012) Digital differences
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kurniawan, S., Arch, A., Smith, SR. (2019). Ageing and Older Adults. In: Yesilada, Y., Harper, S. (eds) Web Accessibility. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-7440-0_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-7440-0_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-7439-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-7440-0
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)