My Story
UX Through a Different Lens
After spending many years in the world of physical accessibility and independence as an occupational therapist, I spent time working with seniors during the pandemic. I treated independent/semi-independent seniors in an apartment environment that was managing visitor restrictions, like many others. What followed was an acute awareness and involvement with individuals who were feeling lonely and socially disconnected from friends and loved ones. These seniors were spending more time on their cell phones, their grown children were sending tablets to try to communicate via video messaging platforms or social media, and individuals were attempting to stream content or download aps and games to be active
I found myself assisting and educating families in the use of technology to stay connected, find enjoyment, and manage well-being. Sounds wonderful, right? With this tech boom, came a great deal of frustration for many of these individuals. Often, they owned a phone or tablet but had very little knowledge of how to use them. Many of my patients had vision or hearing issues, dexterity issues, or need for simplification. I explored accessibility modes and carefully adjusted settings to individual needs, strategically minimizing unnecessary content to improve focus. Careful assessment, questioning, adjustment, and education helped, but more was needed. I often found myself thinking, "Could this be displayed a different way?" or "Why couldn't this part of the interface be created differently?"
More focus needs to be placed on the intersection of accessibility and senior-focused design. With a focus on the "Why" of the user and the product, I carefully integrate the ability to assess for individual, contextual needs to improve success and independence with the technology that improves independence, communication, and enjoyment in daily life for seniors and people of all ages.
Inspiration and Joy
