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Abstract
Older adults are the fastest growing population of Internet users. As websites acquire a greater number of older visitors, it is vital that they are designed with this demographic in mind. Older users typically have different user characteristics than younger users; they may have changes in perceptual abilities, motor skills, cognitive abilities, mental models, and confidence in the use of technology. This research documents the development of a new weighted heuristic measure for evaluating the usability of websites for older adults and its validation with performance testing. Results from a repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that websites with different heuristic classifications were significantly different with respect to performance metrics and System Usability Scale ratings. Conclusions point to the need for web design that takes into account preferences and abilities of older web users.
Acknowledgments
This research study was (partially) supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Pilot Research Project Training Program of the University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center Grant #T42/OH008432-05.
