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Comment by cratermoon | Hacker News Reader

The way tech companies are today, no matter how groundbreaking and excellent the monitoring technology, the UI will completely fail on the accessibility needs of the biggest audience: adults 50+

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I'm guessing you've had many of the same experiences I have of trying to help elderly parents. The tech industry is way too focused on young people and cool design.

And personal experience, during a period of, thankfully temporary, disability.

You were over 50 but then you recovered?

There are many things in life that can disable a person for a time. With proper care, healing and rehab, abilities can be regained. In the mean time, many experiences that were formerly unexamined bring valuable insights. As Cindy Li observed, "We’re All Just Temporarily Abled" <https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2023/temporarily-abled/>

50+ includes half of GenX, many of which are more sophisticated technologically than their successors.

60+, yeah.

It's not about tech saavy. It's about the slow decay that is life. You could be Bob Metcalf, Doug Englebart, and Marty Cooper all wrapped up into one, but none of that will suffice to overcome the challenges of the aging body.

As someone in my late 50s, with friends around the same age, our only accessibility issue is an occasional need for reading glasses.

You've lived fortunate lives if you've never experienced mobility or perception issues sufficient to interfere with daily life, even temporarily. Not a single broken leg, black eye, torn ligament, not even a sprained ankle. Never experienced the joy and trails of pregnancy.

Sure I've been injured, but that's not due to an "aging body." I got injuries in my 20s, but I don't attribute that to aging. Most people wouldn't put pregnancy in that category either.

Besides, a sprained ankle or whatever doesn't much affect your ability to use tech.

You could be in your 50s and have used computer tech since your youth in the 80s and still hate the current UI holy war against scrollbars and contrast.

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