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Status: Editors' Draft. This page is an in-progress draft revision. Updated $Date: 2010/08/10 18:41:37 $
The published version is at www.w3.org/WAI/older-users.

[DRAFT UPDATE]
Web Accessibility and Older People:
Meeting the Needs of Ageing Web Users

This page was developed as part of the WAI-AGE Project, introduced below.

Introduction

Older Web users are an increasing market segment and an important target group for many businesses, governments, and other organizations.

Web developers, managers, and owners who want to make their websites, web applications, and web tools usable by older people can use existing international accessibility guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). For example:

• WCAG 2.0 - WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and supporting materials include guidelines and techniques for making websites and web applications work better for people with disabilities as well as older users with accessibility needs due to ageing.
• UAAG - WAI's User Agent Accessibility Guidelines explains how to make web broswers and media players accessible, which is of particular importance to older users who have accessibility needs that should be met through the browser instead of requiring additional assistive technologies.

Overlapping Needs

Many older people have age-related impairments that can affect how they use the Web, such as declining:

• vision - including reduced contrast sensitivity, color perception, and near-focus - making it difficult to read web pages
• physical ability - including reduced dexterity and fine motor control - making it difficult to use a mouse and click small targets
• hearing - including difficulty hearing higher-pitched sounds and separating sounds - making it difficult to hear podcasts and other audio, especially when there is background music
• cognitive ability - including reduced short-term memory, difficulty concentrating, and being easily distracted - making it difficult to follow navigation and complete online tasks

These issues overlap with the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. Thus, websites and tools that are accessible to people with disabilities are more usable to older users as well.

Improving usability

Older people are less likely to use assistive technologies and adaptive strategies than people who acquired disabilities earlier in life. Some older people don't think of their age-related impairments as disabilities and thus don't seek accessibility solutions. Many have less experience with computers and are new to the Web. Thus, more advanced accessibility solutions that work for experienced users might not work well for some older users.

Improving accessibility for people with disabilities generally improves usability for all users, which usually helps older users even more. This is addressed in [Draft document on usability-acccessibility coming in 2010].

Introductions and Research

• "Web Accessibility for Older Users" Presentation
  Presents the changing worldwide demographics, the prevalence and impact of age-related limitations and older people's use of the Web, some requirements of older users, and the role of WAI accessibility guidelines in meeting these requirements.
• Older Users Online - WAI Guidelines address older users' Web experience
  (Originally published in User Experience Magazine, Vol 8, Issue 1, 2009)
  Explains age-related impairments that impact Web use, requirements for web design that enhance the ability of older people to use the Web, how existing accessibility guidelines for people with disabilities cover the needs of older users, and future work in this area.
• Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review
  Provides detailed research on ageing age-related impairments and Web accessibility.

Resources for Users and Advocates

• Better Web Browsing: Tips for Customizing Your Computer [coming in 2010]
  Provides guidance for users on how to set your computer to work better for your specific needs and preferences so it's easier to use websites; for example, enlarging text, making the mouse pointer bigger, and using the keyboard instead of the mouse to browse websites.
• Contacting Organizations about Inaccessible Websites
  Provides guidance on what to do when you come across a website that has accessibility barriers that make it hard to use. Explains how to identify key contacts, describe the problem, and follow-up as needed. Includes sample e-mails.

Resources for Developers and Managers

• Developing Websites for Older People: How Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Applies [coming in 2010]
  Describes the overlap between web accessibility guidelines and guidance on designing for older users, including detailed tables mapping WAI guidelines and techniques. Points to WCAG 2.0 materials for website developers.

Additional Resources

The resources listed in the previous sections address various aspects web accessibility related to web users who are older and the overlap with web users who have disabilities. Additional resources available through the WAI website navigation also touch on this issue, including:

• Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization, specifically the sections Overlap with Older Users' Needs and Access for Older People
• How People with Disabilities Use the Web, specifically the sections on older users
• Involving Users in Web Projects for Better, Easier Accessibility

WAI-AGE Project

Web Accessibility Initiative: Ageing Education and Harmonisation (WAI-AGE) is a European Commission IST Specific Support Action with the goal of increasing accessibility of the Web for older people as well as for people with disabilities in European Union Member States. It focuses on:

• Better understanding the needs of older web users
• Participation of older users in W3C standardization
• Development of educational materials and resources
• Pursuit of international standards harmonization

To learn more about the WAI-AGE project, see the WAI-AGE Project page, which includes:

• About WAI-AGE
• WAI-AGE Publications and Presentations

Terminology

adaptive strategies

Adaptive strategies are techniques that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web, such as increasing the font size in a common browser. Adaptive strategies include techniques with mainstream browsers or with assistive technologies.

assistive technology

Assistive technologies are software or equipment that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web, such as screen readers that read aloud web pages for people who cannot read text, screen magnifiers for people with some types of low vision, and voice recognition software and selection switches for people who cannot use a keyboard or mouse.

Document Information

DRAFT last updated: $Date: 2010/08/10 18:41:37 $
Editor: Shawn Lawton Henry. Contributors: Andrew Arch and Shadi Abou-Zahra. Developed with the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG), related to the WAI-AGE Project (IST 035015) funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework.

[Contacting WAI] Feedback welcome to wai-eo-editors@w3.org (a publicly archived list).