A Survey of Technology Accessibility Problems Faced by Older Users in China
Dengfeng Yao, Yunfeng Qiu, Zaixin Du, Jianqing Ma, Harry Huang · 2009 · Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A) · doi:10.1145/1535654.1535659
Summary
This paper presents the broadest survey of web accessibility for older users conducted in China at the time, with 180 valid responses from participants across all 25 Chinese provinces. The web-based questionnaire was supplemented with in-person discussions at meetings with older users. The study was motivated by China's rapidly growing older internet population — from 16,000 users aged 60+ in 1999 to 4.47 million by mid-2008, though this still represented only 1.5% of China's total internet users. The questionnaire covered 17 questions spanning demographics, opinions on barriers to internet access, computer training received, success in accessing information, and satisfaction with specific web design elements (layout, text, images/animation, color, site operations, and links). The participant pool was predominantly male (70%), aged 60-65, highly educated (62% college-educated, reflecting China's Cultural Revolution impact on education patterns), and concentrated in research/education (43%) and IT (42%) fields. While this demographic skew limits generalizability, it means the accessibility problems identified affect even the most tech-literate segment of older Chinese adults.
Key findings
The survey revealed that 39% of participants could not or could only partially access the information they sought online. The most significant technology barriers were: health barriers (33.33%, including concerns about computer radiation, age-related vision and hearing decline, and physical pain from prolonged use), circumstance barriers (20.83%, including young people's impatience with helping elders, lack of training opportunities, and no venues for peer exchange), internet design barriers (20.83%, including insufficient elder-customized resources, unclear UI and navigation, and complex content), knowledge barriers (12.50%, including unfamiliarity with computers and difficulty with Chinese input methods like Wubi), economic barriers (8.33%), and mental barriers (4.17%, including fear of learning, shame about being slow learners). Notably, 77.78% had never received any computer training. Across web design satisfaction questions, the majority consistently rated themselves only "partially satisfied" — 72.22% for layout, 66.67% for text and color, 77.78% for images/animation, and 50% for links. Participants reported that links were not always distinguishable from regular text, fonts were too small, colors were too bright or lacked contrast, and scrollbars and pull-down menus were difficult to use.
Relevance
This study provides a rare non-Western perspective on older adult web accessibility, revealing that barriers extend far beyond technical web design issues. The finding that health barriers (including radiation fears) and circumstance barriers (social environment, lack of training) outweighed internet design barriers challenges the accessibility community's typical focus on technical compliance. In China's context, the absence of accessibility legislation at the time of the study (unlike the US Section 508 or European standards) meant there was no policy driver for accessible design. The cultural dimensions — intergenerational tension around technology help, shame associated with slow learning, and social stigma around older adults using the internet — highlight that accessibility is deeply embedded in cultural context, not just technical standards. For global accessibility practitioners, this research reinforces that truly inclusive design must address the full ecosystem of barriers: not only website design but also training infrastructure, social support systems, input method accessibility (particularly important for non-Latin script languages), and government policy frameworks.
Tags: aging · older adults · digital divide · global accessibility · survey research · China · accessibility barriers · accessibility policy
Standards referenced: WCAG 1.0 · WCAG 2.0 · Section 508