Heuristics in ergonomic design of portable control devices for the elderly

Abstract

The prolonging life expectancy and, as a result of it, the growing number of people of elderly age means that more attention should be devoted to the design of ergonomic equipment which includes the needs of this group of customers. Elderly people often suffer due to poorly designed technical facilities, which discourages them from using equipment to improve the quality of their lives. The article summarizes the identified needs of elderly people in relation to control devices along with the general guidelines for the ergonomic design and design approaches for people with disabilities including: universal design, inclusive design, design-for-all, barrier-free design, and accessible design. Among the most important limitations of elderly people are included: reduced psychomotor and sensory efficiency and range of motion, decreased strength, and a decreased ability to remember. In this way a checklist is comprised of criteria such as anthropometric compatibility, ease of use and handling, transparency and visibility, tolerance for error, sensory substitution, and palpability and feelings. The list of identified criteria is evaluated by users resulting in a quantification of individual requirements. Based on interviews with users, an identification and classification is also made of the basic groups of control devices used by the elderly. As a result of these measures checklists are obtained to evaluate each group of the control devices, which examine the typical and commonly used devices in the Polish market. Some selected devices have also been subjected to an evaluation during arranged performance situations involving elderly persons. The information obtained during this is discussed within the article. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.