Abstract

This paper looks at different ways of personalising web page presentation to alleviate functional impairments in older people. The paper considers how impairments may be addressed by web design and through various personalisation instruments: accessibility features of standard browsers, proxy servers, assistive technology, application adaptors, and special purpose browsers. A pilot study of five older web users indicated that the most favoured personalisation technique was overriding the CSS (cascading style sheet) with a readily available one using a standard browser. The least favoured one was using assistive technology. In a follow-up study with 16 older web users, performing goal-directed browsing tasks, overriding CSS remains the most favoured. Assistive technology remains the least favoured and the slowest. Based on user comments, one-take-home message for web personalisation instrument developer is that the best instrument for older persons is one that most faithfully preserves the original layout while requiring the least effort.

Keywords: Ageing; Elderly; Gerontology; Web; Assistive technology; Accessibility

Article Outline

1. Introduction

2. The web in theory and in practice

3. Ageing-related functional impairments and their implications for web interaction

3.1. Visual impairments

3.2. Motor impairments

3.3. Cognitive impairments

3.4. Hearing impairments

3.5. Attitudes towards computers and the web

4. Personalising web page presentation

4.1. Accessibility features of standard browsers

4.2. Transcoding proxy servers

4.3. Application adaptors/mediators

4.4. Assistive technology

4.5. Special purpose browsers

5. A pilot study: testing various instruments

6. A user study of goal-directed web browsing using various personalisation instruments

6.1. Results

7. Concluding remarks

References