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Speech interaction for older adults

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Abstract

Interaction with electronic speech products is becoming a fact of life through telephone answering systems and speech-driven booking systems, and is set to increase in the future. Older adults will be obliged to use more of these electronic products, and because of their special interactional needs due to age-related impairments it is important that such interactions are designed to suit the needs of such users, and in particular, that appropriate mechanisms are put in place to support learning of older users about interaction. Drawing upon the expertise of tutors at Age Concern Oxfordshire, and the results of preliminary investigations with older adults using dialogues in a speech system, this paper explores the conditions which best provide for the learning experience of older adults, and looks at special features which enable instructions and help for learning to be embedded within speech dialogue design.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the tutors and clients at Age Concern Oxfordshire for their valuable support for the work described above.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Technology, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX33 1HX, UK

    Mary Zajicek & Andrew Lee

  2. Age Concern Oxfordshire, The Clockhouse, Long Ground, Oxford , OX4 7FX, UK

    Richard Wales

Authors
  1. Mary Zajicek
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  2. Richard Wales
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  3. Andrew Lee
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Correspondence to Mary Zajicek.

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Zajicek, M., Wales, R. & Lee, A. Speech interaction for older adults. Univ Access Inf Soc 3, 122–130 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-004-0091-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-004-0091-0

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