SAS Output

Designing Data for All Ages: Accessible Visualizations for Older Adults

September 24, 2024: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

Visualization & Reporting, Linden Oak

Authors	Abstract
Dikha De	Visualization considerations for older adults are essential due to the unique cognitive and perceptual challenges they may face, such as declining vision, slower information processing, and reduced memory capacity. Older adults are defined as ≥ 60 years, and ≥ 50 years in countries with low life expectancies. Ensuring that the elderly demographic can effectively interpret with informative visuals is crucial for promoting inclusivity, informed decision-making, and digital accessibility. Diseases further affecting vision in older age such age-related macular degeneration affects dark adaptation, contrast sensitivity, cylindrical axes in the earlier stages and loss of central vision in the advanced stages of the disease. This presentation addresses the need to design visualizations tailored to older users, optimizing readability and comprehension. Utilizing SAS and R programming languages, the aim is to explore effective visualization techniques that enhance accessibility for older adults. By leveraging these tools and including specific design elements such as color schemes, font size, labeling, and simplicity in graphics can lead to better layouts. The primary audience for this work includes researchers and science communicators focused on user experience design, particularly those interested in enhancing the accessibility of digital tools for the aging population. The impact of incorporating tips in this presentation has implications for the older adult, vision-impaired community and professionals developing technology for them. Improved visualization techniques can lead to better information retention, increased engagement with digital interfaces, and more accurate decision-making among older adults. Additionally, the research informs designers and developers on how to create age-friendly data visualizations, which can be applied across healthcare, financial services, and public information systems. This contributes to a more inclusive digital ecosystem that empowers older users to remain active participants in an increasingly data-driven world.

Dikha De

Visualization considerations for older adults are essential due to the unique cognitive and perceptual challenges they may face, such as declining vision, slower information processing, and reduced memory capacity. Older adults are defined as ≥ 60 years, and ≥ 50 years in countries with low life expectancies. Ensuring that the elderly demographic can effectively interpret with informative visuals is crucial for promoting inclusivity, informed decision-making, and digital accessibility. Diseases further affecting vision in older age such age-related macular degeneration affects dark adaptation, contrast sensitivity, cylindrical axes in the earlier stages and loss of central vision in the advanced stages of the disease. This presentation addresses the need to design visualizations tailored to older users, optimizing readability and comprehension. Utilizing SAS and R programming languages, the aim is to explore effective visualization techniques that enhance accessibility for older adults. By leveraging these tools and including specific design elements such as color schemes, font size, labeling, and simplicity in graphics can lead to better layouts. The primary audience for this work includes researchers and science communicators focused on user experience design, particularly those interested in enhancing the accessibility of digital tools for the aging population. The impact of incorporating tips in this presentation has implications for the older adult, vision-impaired community and professionals developing technology for them. Improved visualization techniques can lead to better information retention, increased engagement with digital interfaces, and more accurate decision-making among older adults. Additionally, the research informs designers and developers on how to create age-friendly data visualizations, which can be applied across healthcare, financial services, and public information systems. This contributes to a more inclusive digital ecosystem that empowers older users to remain active participants in an increasingly data-driven world.