Abstract
The increasing proportion of the population that is over age 65 stimulates the need for more technologies that can be safely and easily used by older adults to allow them to continue living in their homes. Yet, even designers who know typical age-related declines may not understand specifically how the declines affect interaction with everyday technologies to complete activities of daily living. Thus, technologies may not be effectively designed to accommodate these declines. Through demonstration, participants will develop this experience by completing activities typical of older adults while wearing tools that simulate typical sensory and motor declines. Facilitators will encourage discussion of the specific difficulties experienced by participants with other observers, highlighting features that may facilitate or hinder use given the simulated disability. Highlighting limitations and task difficulties that may be experienced through use of simulation tools will encourage a better understanding of universal design criteria that will be more inclusive of the overall population.
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