RE: What age is old?

Hi,
I support the Bailey's classification if we want to adopt one, since he
reviewed a lot of literature before making his proposal. However, we have
also to accept that such classification may not support differences between
old-old and older web users. 

Aging is a process (not a state or clear condition) and the difference
between two "older" users of 60 and 74 year may be bigger than the
difference between a 70 year-old "older" user and a 76 years-old "old-old"
user. Even more, some studies suggest that aging starts at 30! (e.i. memory
of names are 10 % worst in 35 year-old persons than in 25 year-old persons).


I think it will be useful to point at the fact that the abilities decline
after the 75 are faster than after the 60.

Regards,

__________________________________________
Nacho Madrid
Investigador del Proyecto INREDIS
Technosite - Grupo Fundosa
Telf.: 911 210 330
Fax:   913 757 051

 


-----Mensaje original-----
De: public-wai-age-request@w3.org [mailto:public-wai-age-request@w3.org] En
nombre de Andrew Arch
Enviado el: lunes, 02 de junio de 2008 21:47
Para: public-wai-age@w3.org
Asunto: What age is old?


Hello,

At the most recent WAI-AGE TF teleconf [1] it was suggested that the 
project should possibly have a definitive position of what age a person 
becomes an "older person". Section 2.1 of the Literature Review [2] 
discussed the issue of age and section 2.4 talks about the interaction 
of chronological age with Attitude and Aptitude. Other factors also come 
into play.

Should we take a position that an "older person" is 60 years (or 50 
years or 70 years or ???)? Is Bailey's classification [3]:
   older = 60-74 years
   old-old = 75+ years
a reasonable one to adopt?

Please share your thoughts on this topic on the mailing list.

Thanks, Andrew


[1] http://www.w3.org/2008/05/27-waiage-minutes.html
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-wai-age-literature-20080514/
[3] http://www.webusability.com/article_age_classifications_8_2002.htm

-----------
Andrew Arch
Web Accessibility and Ageing Specialist
W3C/ERCIM, Sophia Antipolis, France
Ph +33 (0)4 92 38 79 46
www.w3.org/WAI/WAI-AGE/

Received on Wednesday, 4 June 2008 15:09:47 UTC