Exploring How the Elderly Use the Web

The fastest growing segment of the US population is persons over the age of 65, according to the US Bureau of the Census (1996). With the growing use of computers by the elderly, designers should be sensitive to the specific abilities and performance characteristics of the aged. Previous studies of web design for the elderly have primarily focused on naive computer users, but the findings of such studies may not adequately reflect the performance of more experienced users (Mead, Spaulding, Sit, Meyer, & Walker, 1997). We have been exploring the ways in which the elderly use websites in comparison to college-age students. In one study, we compared college-age (19-27 years) and elderly (64-87 years) users in a usability test of two websites. One site used a combination of graphics, text, and animations. Navigation on this site required the use of a variety of inputs, including forms, drop-down boxes, image maps, and text hyperlinks for navigation.