Web Accessibility for Older Users Andrew Arch Web Accessibility and Ageing Specialist W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin2 Overview W3C and WAI A changing world Web usability and WAI Guidelines Opportunities

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin3 World Wide Web Consortium - W3C Leading the Web to Its Full Potential... International vendor-neutral consortium Evolution and interoperability of the Web: for everyone, everywhere on everything Operates from: MIT, ERCIM, and KeioMITERCIMKeio Develops key Web technologies such as: HTML, CSS, XML, SVG, SMIL,...

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin4 Web Accessibility Initiative - WAI Accessibility support in W3C technologies Guidelines for implementing accessibility Methods for evaluating accessibility Conducting education and outreach Coordinating with R&D world-wide

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin5 WAI-AGE project EC funded project focused on: Better understanding the needs of the ageing community Working with the ageing community Developing educational materials Pursuing standards harmonisation

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin6 Demographic Changes The world is getting older UN prediction is that by 2050 one out of every five people will be over 60 years Some countries will experience greater ageing than others

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin7 Demographic Changes

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin8 Abilities Change Vision decline –Affects screen and keyboard use Hearing decline –Affects multimedia use Dexterity decline –Affects mouse and keyboard use Cognitive decline –Affects navigation and comprehension

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin9 Abilities Change Proportion affected: Vision decline –16% of years; 46% of over 85 years Hearing decline –19% of years; 75% of over 80 years Dexterity decline (arthritis) –50% of over 65 years Cognitive decline (dementia) –1.4% of years; 25% of over 85 years

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin10 Attitude & aptitude Pew Internet’s latest US survey shows a large increase in over 70s going online Older people undertake similar activities online as younger people Experience is important in understanding older people’s requirements We need to consider the whole ICT experience, not just the Web content

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin11 Who’s online? Presentation included photo of 85 year old women using a laptop for

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin12 What age groups? Australia %77%67%47%28% Spain %52%26%8% UK %78%63%26% USA 2008 (est) %79%66%49%27%

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin13 Ageing workforce With an ageing population, we also have ageing employees: People are choosing to keep working Government is encouraging people to work longer Lifelong learning is important Age-related impairments can be experienced while still employed

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin14 Literature reviewed Literature review included: Discussions of functional limitations Usability studies of older users Studies focused on particular limitations Studies looking at specific aspects of websites Reports on training older users in Web access

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin15 Web usability General usability factors were reported as particularly important, e.g. –Too much material present –Distracting advertisements and other movement –Unclear hypertext navigation options –Changing navigation schemes and page layouts across the Web –Presentational aspects WAI Guidelines help

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin16 Components of Web Accessibility

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin17 Components of Web Accessibility Thinking about the whole ICT experience … it’s about the browser, and the author, not just the content. The diagram on the previous slide came from “Essential Components of Web Accessibility” at

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin18 Web content Compiled requirements for older users –Concentrate on usable accessibility –Largely overlooked technical accessibility Analysis showed that most requirements met by WCAG 2.0

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin19 WCAG 2.0 examples Presentation aspects covered –Large fonts by default –Left justification –Spacing (sentences, lines and columns) –High contrast –Use proper case –Link visibility –Movement on the page

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin20 WCAG 2.0 Examples continued Navigation –Consistent navigation –Linking to the ‘home page’ –Providing ‘breadcrumbs’ –Providing a whole-site search function Forms –Providing instructions for form completion –Accommodating misspellings and common variations –Providing clear error messages

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin21 WCAG 2.0 techniques WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria have: Sufficient Techniques –minimum requirements Advisory Techniques –additional improvements Common Failures –often encountered mistakes

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin22 Web authoring Surfers are becoming authors –User generated content is increasing –Older people are blogging, sharing photos, writing reviews, and using social networking sites Older employees may need to use CMSs –Ageing related impairments can be experienced well before retirement –Governments are raising retirement age ATAG applies to all authoring tools –including web-based Blogs and Wikis

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin23 Web browsing Simplified interfaces help new older users Adaptive strategies not adopted –Hidden deep in the browser Accommodation needs to be made easy UAAG has a role to play

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin24 Browser importance Simplified interfaces help learning User Agent Accessibility Guidelines call for configurability –Opportunity to contribute to new version –Ensure older people’s needs are considered

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin25 Assistive technology Older people often deny disability Supporters don’t know about assistive technology Assistive technology can be very complicated Again, UAAG has an role to play –Configurability applies to assistive technology too

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin26 Research opportunities Impact of hearing loss and multimedia use Cognitive decline and page comprehension Text style and decoration preferences Navigation and menu style preferences

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin27 Research opportunities continued Noticing and understanding small page changes Use of social networking sites and applications Use of assistive technologies Older people with disabilities experiencing additional ageing-related impairments

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin28 Cognitive Decline "I wish you were around here to show this geriatric how to really use the computer. Last night I was trying to get something I need via google and it nearly drove me crazy and I didn't get it in the end. So many things happen on it when i am doing ordinary things and I never know why it does them and I can't always sort it out.“ Andrew’s 83 year old aunt Presentation also included a photo of Terry Pratchet who recently featured in a BBC documentary on Alzheimer's

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin29 Accessibility awareness … industry Encouragement to better accommodate older users –Organizations need more education about benefits –Web industry needs to understand the applicability of WAI Guidelines –Developers need to understand the requirements –Older people need to be included in the process WAI-AGE will develop educational materials

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin30 Accessibility awareness … users Older users and their supporting organizations –Increasing older users' awareness of the benefits of Web accessibility –Support with taking advantage of Web accessibility –Help with identifying and reporting Web accessibility problems –Support for promoting Web accessibility WAI-AGE will develop supporting materials

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin31 Actions? Contribute to an ability to age in place Promote business case for industry to adopt Web accessibility Contact organisations with poor websites Understand older users’ needs by involving older people in the Web development process Provide training and support for older users Develop browsers and assistive technology that can grow with the users’ needs Get involved with standards development and adoption

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin32 Progress is occurring Presentation included a photo of William who, in his 70’s is the oldest participant on the WAI-AGE task force

15 May 2009Older Web Users Seminar - NDA/CEUD, Dublin33 Discussion Contact Details: –Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) –WAI-AGE Project –