Respect Your Elders - Web Accessibility for Seniors
With Baby Boomers moving into their sixties and the average life span increasing, more and more senior citizens are utilizing the Internet for everything from Medicare research to buying gifts for their grandchildren. As this market expands, web designers, Internet retailers and service providers should begin to take this demographic’s needs into account. There are a variety of website modifications which increase accessibility for seniors without disrupting the average user’s ability to achieve his or her goals on the site. One of the complaints voiced most often by senior citizens is the small size of the text on web pages; particularly those pages that are informational or text-heavy. A text resizing tool can play a vital role in alleviating this issue.
Below are some examples of this tool that can be found on various sites:
Regardless of the format chosen for the text resizing tool, designers should ensure that the tool noticeably increases the font size in the body of a given page and that the tool itself is located in an easily accessible location. A preferable position would typically be at the top of the page, just above the text it corresponds to, so that users can access it without difficulty. Another common text-related issue older users struggle with is the font color used by various websites. A general rule of thumb regarding UI design is to ensure that the chosen font color on any given page contrasts with its background enough that the user can easily and quickly discern the information. Too many sites use light gray text on white backgrounds or dark blue text on black backgrounds. These are UI faux pas. As users become older and their eye-sight slowly declines, this lack of contrast becomes more and more of an issue. It is somewhat discouraging to note that this is a common occurrence on sites that are geared toward seniors (e.g., Medicare and prescription drug websites).
The color scheme of the navigation buttons below is a good representation of what not to do with font colors and their backgrounds:
A by-product of selecting a poor font color is that this text can be mistaken for active links, especially in instances where headers and/or short phrases/sentences appear in colors that are associated with action, such as blue or dark purple. Designers should always be conscious of pitfalls such as these when considering text-styles. A great way to help minimize these text issues is to ensure that text links highlight as users scroll over them.
Furthermore, the cursor should change from the typical arrow pointer to the “hand pointing” icon as a user hovers over an active link, such as the example shown below:
Two other usability practices that should be made commonplace when considering web accessibility for seniors are:
- Ensure that terminology remains consistent throughout a site and;
- Terminology is made easy to understand without diminishing the impact of the overall writing style.
For instance, many Medicare sites use the term ‘Formulary’, which is unfamiliar to many seniors. Alternative wording, such as ‘Drug List’ or ‘List of Drugs’, could be used to make this information more clear. Finally, whenever possible, use graphical images to better explain instructional text and/or demonstrate how something, such as a medication or a device, works. Users, in general, find websites more appealing and user-friendly when they are assisted with visual aids. This is especially true for senior citizens. Ensure that the illustrations and graphics are easy to follow and that, if applicable, captions are provided to assist with further clarification of the image.
The following is a good example of using a graphical illustration to explain migraines:
In conclusion, many of the aforementioned recommendations are based off of standard usability principles that should be applied to a majority of sites, where appropriate. However, with regards to senior citizens, these practices become even more important. As people live longer, the proportion of seniors turning to the Internet for their information needs is growing. This group’s unique physical and cognitive needs, as well as their buying power, must not be ignored. Remember, the easier a site is for people to use, the more likely they are to use it. Senior citizens are no exception.
Tony Moreno
Usability Analyst
