Aging in Digital Worlds: What Is the Experience of Seniors Using Accessible Government Websites?

Previous research has shown that seniors often face barriers to internet website accessibility due to age-related physical disabilities and memory loss issues. Web content accessibility guidelines (W3C WCAG 2.0, 2008) have been employed by government legislation to assist in making websites accessible to people with disabilities, including seniors suffering from age-related ability changes. This study examined how usable seniors found these technically accessible websites, adopting a mixed methods approach to gather data on the user experience of seniors while accessing technically accessible websites. The study provided evidence as to whether technical accessibility standards met the needs of seniors while accessing government services on the internet, while documenting the reported experiences of seniors using those websites.