A Call for Integrated Approaches in Digital Technology Design for Aging and Disability

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Disability Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Technology Design

Background:

• Digital technology design for aging and disability often operates in separate fields, limiting the impact of existing guidelines and standards.
• Current standards lack comprehensiveness and enforcement, failing to address the diversity within aging and disability communities and the influence of ageism and ableism.
• Contemporary technology discourse, including data privacy and artificial intelligence, exacerbates these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review best practices in digital technology design across the aging and disability fields.
• To identify opportunities for bridging these distinct yet overlapping fields.
• To propose pathways toward comprehensive and enforceable standards for digital technology design.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of best practices in digital technology design for aging and disability.
• Analysis of limitations in current guidelines and standards.
• Identification of synergistic opportunities for joint efforts.

Main Results:

• Aging and disability share distinct but overlapping technological needs and experiences.
• Joint efforts can build political power to address limitations and mitigate harms from pervasive technology.
• A paradigm shift towards asset-based, context-responsive design is possible.

Conclusions:

• Integrating aging and disability in digital technology design is essential for creating inclusive and effective standards.
• Collaborative approaches can foster a more holistic design philosophy that recognizes the full personhood of older adults and disabled individuals.
• Addressing ageism and ableism in technology design requires unified action and robust, enforceable standards.