For older adults, touch screens are a drag -- voice overcomes limits

Touch screens are an unending aggravation.

Study the iPhone commands, for example.  Push up to get the display, pull down to select ‘Do not disturb’, but not too hard, because many other options appear. Push sideways, to change screens, move an icon around the screen, and, well, you know what happens then. Of course, knowing these choices is based on experience (and experimentation over time), not based on any training.  So what if you encounter the device for the first time?  Your hands shake just a bit, and you remember how much you liked having a keyboard…You wonder, are there ways to train new (and older) users on how to use touch screens – and for that matter, the essentials of the device? And will Siri’s voice commands overcome the touch screen’s limitations? Yes, actually.

Senior living and rehab saw the problem and tackled it.  Sort of.  Consider this set of instructions for rehab patients:  VoiceOver, Zoom, Double Tap, three fingers – no doubt once a person masters the difference between single, double tapping and when to use three fingers, they will be all set. Hmmm.  And in this other (possibly UK) attempt to overcome limitations, check out this version of a guide for seniors.  It is especially helpful that in this retirement community, staff is always ready to help out with navigating the iPhone, which can be ‘pretty challenging’ – especially after you read that list of instructions.  And another attempt came when Apple released new features, called Assistive Access, described in a July, 2024 article in The Senior List.

Apple has a focus on helping people with disabilities – seniors benefit with help too.  The company continues to announce features, including the upcoming rollout of Apple Intelligence, that will be helpful to individuals with disabilities, the presumed target audience. The company describes ‘Accessibility as a Human Right’, which underpins its efforts to make its products eas(ier) to use.   The touch user interface has clearly become a barrier to overcome. So voice access, including an upgraded Siri, is likely a good next step after adjusting the screen layout to match what a new user (presumed older adult in this case) wants to do.  The videos are likely to be helpful for those who help older adults become comfortable with the device.

Disability in, age out – touch out, voice in. Denial about their customers seems to be a theme for Apple. Apple’s employees are young, mostly under age 40.  The target customer for the company tops out at age 45.  There are 38 million Americans aged 65+ and baby boomers, oldest turning The target audience for Assistive Access (on Apple’s website) are those with cognitive disabilities. While specific reference of the needs of older adults on Apple’s website can be found in discussion forums on their site, it does not seem to be an official category or topic, unlike accessibility improvements for those with ‘cognitive disability.’ This leaves older adults and those who assist them to search elsewhere for specifics about their needs, whether it is customizing the touch screen or benefiting from voice access and AI features, ignoring Apple’s own terminology. But with an employee base aged 20-30, don’t those folks have grandparents?   And did anyone tell Apple that more than half of US wealth belongs to baby boomers (aged 60-78)?

[See latest report, The Future of AI in Senior Living and Care]