How Age Affects A11Y

Hilary Stephenson discusses the importance of ensuring older users aren’t discriminated against in our increasingly digital society

- Hilary Stephenson

As a nation, we’re living longer than ever before and, as a result, the number of older people in the UK is on the rise. However, despite technology playing an increasingly significant role in our society, we’re currently not doing enough to digitally engage this growing demographic.

According to a 2018 Office for National Statistics statistical bulletin on UK internet users, the proportion of older people using the internet has risen rapidly since 2011, but there’s still a long way to go. As it stands, the Centre for Ageing Better found that the over-55 age group makes up 94 per cent of those who’ve never been online.

As vital services become digitised, transforming the way we shop, manage money and pay bills, online will become a quality-of-life necessity, not a choice. For example, research from Age UK found that more than two-fifths of local councils (41 per cent) admit their housing benefits and council tax reduction – vital sources of financial support – can solely be accessed online. This begs the question: are we excluding older users as technological innovations propel the rest of us forward?

WHY ARE OLDER PEOPLE BEING LEFT BEHIND?

While age can result in conditions that hinder our ability to use tech and digital services – according to the disability charity Scope, nearly half (45 per cent) of us will experience such a change – in many cases it’s actually poor design that exacerbates the issue of digital exclusion, alongside misconceptions around age and technology. Let’s take a closer look at some of these myths.

MYTH 1: OLDER USERS DON’T WANT TO EMBRACE DIGITAL

Although there are some who will always prefer the traditional, non-digital services they’re accustomed to, 67 per cent of older people show a clear willingness and enthusiasm to engage with digital products and services (