A support to evaluate web accessibility and usability issues for older adults

The constant evolution of the Web has enabled that new online services in various segments be offered. Following this evolution, it is crucial that its content allows access to the different user's profiles. Older adults (age 60+) are users who typically have limited capacities due to ageing process and they have encountered difficulties in interacting with websites. Several accessibility and usability issues still have to be solved, despite the legislation and guidelines established for the development of accessible and usable web content. In particular, little attention has been devoted to the difficulties faced by older adults because most websites are not designed with these users in mind. This paper addresses the development of a checklist, a support to web accessibility and usability evaluations for the older adults profile and its validation. The checklist was elaborated from analysis of the state of the art, based on a literature review. During the checklist development we investigated the main barriers faced by older adults in web interaction. We conclude by highlighting the need for more studies on web interaction by older people and proposing new strategies for future research.