On This Page
Our Publications and Presentations
Guidelines on Designing for Older Adults
Other Relevant Literature
Blogs
Organizations Focusing on Technology and Older Adults
Online Website Accessibility Checkers and Validators
Our Publications and Presentations
- Is this the Future of Design for Aging? Senior Planet, January 23, 2014. Discusses students in design programs at several universities, and their innovative design ideas (walkers, exercise aid, wheelchair-based Kinect gaming, social opportunities).
- Design + Empathy = A Brighter Future for People Aging in Place, Aging Today, January 14, 2014. American Society on Aging. Second in a series of articles about the intersection of design, aging, technology, and education. Focuses on a Disability+Relevant Design course at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
- Usability Considerations for Real People: Designing for Older Adults, January 10, 2014, Computer Science Department, Stanford University. (slideshare)
- High-Touch Tech: Forging Intergenerational Connection and Friendship, Aging Today, November 1, 2013, American Society on Aging. First in a series of articles about the intersection of design, aging, technology, and education. Focuses on the Gerontechnology program at Pace University, NY.
- Designing User Interfaces for Older Adults: Myth Busters, UXMatters, October 7, 2013. Common excuses given for not bothering with the usability needs of older adults, with rebuttals to each.
- A Usability Study of Websites for Older Travelers, Proceedings of Human-Computer Interaction International conference (HCII 2013), July 2013, Springer Verlag. Usability study of the websites of 3 travel companies that focus on older adult travelers.
- Making Websites More Usable by Older Adults (slideshare). Presented at ASA/Aging in America Conference, Chicago, IL, March 2013.
Back to Top
Guidelines on Designing for Older Adults
- Wiser Usability’s Design Guidelines for Usable Websites
- National Institute on Aging: Making Your Website Senior Friendly
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): Web Accessibility and Older People: Meeting the Needs of Ageing Web Users
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review
- Chisnell and Redish (for AARP): AARP Audience-Centered Heuristics: Older Adults
- Kurniawan and Zaphiris (2005): Research-Derived Web Design Guidelines for Older People
Back to Top
Other Relevant Literature
- Connected Living for Social Aging: Designing Technology for All (Laurie Orlov, for AARP; April 2011).
- Design and the Digital Divide: Insights from 40 Years in Computer Support for Older and Disabled People (Alan Newell; 2011). Paperback or PDF.
- Designing Effective Interfaces for Older Users (Dan Hawthorn; Ph.D. Thesis, 2006).
- Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: Expert Review of Usability for Older Adults at 50 Web Sites (Chisnell and Redish; 2005).
- Older Adults and Technology Use: (Some of) What We Know (Mary Madden, Pew Research Center, October 2013).
Back to Top
Blogs
- Age in Place Technology Watch: Industry Trends, Research & Analysis. “Aging In Place” is a phrase that describes people staying in their own homes as they age, rather than moving to some type of care community. Laurie Orlov, a market research analyst and certified Geriatric Care Manager, “provides thought leadership, analysis and guidance about technologies and related services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice.” Also includes a good resource list.
- Disruptive Demographics: Global Aging, Technology & Innovation (Joseph Coughlin, Director, MIT AgeLab).
- Kate-Finn.com: Intersections: Design, Aging, Technology, Education.
Back to Top
Organizations Focusing on Technology and Older Adults
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: AGE Project
- Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE)
- University of Dundee (UK) School of Computing
- Center for Technology and Aging: A non-profit affiliated with the Public Health Institute whose mission is to “advance the diffusion of technologies that help older adults lead healthier lives and maintain independence.”
- MIT AgeLab: “Created in 1999 to invent new ideas and creatively translate technologies into practical solutions that improve people’s health and enable them to ‘do things’ throughout the lifespan… innovations in how products are designed…are of critical importance to our quality of life tomorrow.”
Back to Top
Online Website Accessibility Checkers and Validators
- University of Toronto: A-Checker
- ETRE.com: Accessibility Check
- WebThing.com: Site Valet
- University of the Basque Country: Eval Access
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Functional Accessibility Evaluator
- Sidar.org: HERA
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT): Imergo Online
- AcessoBrasil.org.br: Da Silva Online Website Evaluator
- Universidad Carlos III De Madrid: Web Accessibility Evaluator (WAEX)
- WebAIM.org: Web Accessibility Evaluator (Wave)
