Making The Internet Inclusive: What Do Older People Need A Website To Do For Them?
Guest contributor: Jane Sandwood
The number of older adults who use the internet has risen substantially over the last eight years, with the Office for National Statistics reporting than 47% of adults over the age of 75 now access material online. With this number steadily rising, it’s more important than ever for internet content to be fully accessible to older users, who may face particular difficulties as they age. Internet literacy is crucial in order to access an increasing amount of online services, and it’s important that all sections of the population are included when services are designing their websites. So what should websites be doing in order to welcome their older service users?
Be Crystal Clear
A good website is accessible to everyone, and an inclusive design will account for the needs of older users, those with disabilities, and those who may not be operating in their first language. The needs of these groups intersect, and a site that caters to all users must be clear to navigate and understand. Our eyesight declines as we age, so sites should be using a size 12 font at the minimum, and an option to increase the size of the font if necessary should be clearly signposted. It’s crucial for hyperlinks and navigation buttons to be large and clearly demarcated in a different colour, with plenty of space around the links.
Dexterity can be impaired as we get older, which can make clicking on the right thing difficult if there is not enough space and it isn’t clear to see which part of the text should be clicked on. Hyperlinks that change colour when they’ve been clicked on help older users to keep track of the links they’ve visited, and minimise confusion. Simply by making fonts and links clearer and using contrasting colours, website designers make it easier for all users, but particularly older people, to navigate the site.
While it’s inevitable that a website will need to evolve and develop over time, it’s important for sites to remain consistent. Many older users keep information about how to navigate websites they use regularly, so major design changes can make it difficult for them to access information or complete tasks. This can end up alienating users, so it’s important for websites to remain as consistent as possible, and notify their audiences of any upcoming changes. When upgrades are necessary, an inclusive website will make changes gradually, and allow users to become accustomed to each change. There should be an easy-to-navigate help menu, and it should be possible for users to contact the site owners when they have a problem.
Be Simple And Straightforward
Websites often require users to fill out forms. These should be easy to find and fill out, and care should be given to make them as straightforward as possible. Mistakes are made when brackets or hyphens are needed, so forms that require phone numbers and credit card details should omit the need for them. If an error occurs, the notification message must be simple and clear, providing a clear fix to the problem and an easy way back to the previous page. Users who are not confident with using the internet are likely to give up if they’re constantly frustrated by forms and error messages.
With so many important services and information now operating online, it’s crucial that websites cater to the needs of the whole population. Ensuring that websites are accessible will enable older users, as well as those with disabilities or additional needs, to access all the services they need.