Older adults (65+), who are already at risk of social isolation and loneliness, are at increasing risks of also being “digitally isolated”. The fast-changing landscape of services being transitioned to a primarily digital format (especially services essential to this demographic, from health, to financial, and to personal/social connectivity) may in fact lead to older adults’ digital marginalization. In our AGE-WELL research, we have been investigating inclusive design methods such as the participatory design of interactive applications. However, in our investigation of industry practices and policies, we have also uncovered barriers to the adoption of such methods by developers and designers. We reflect here on the value of such approaches and the limitations of relying exclusively on market forces to address barriers to the use of these design methods. We then describe our emerging research on the policy and procurement changes that may bring meaningful and structurally sustainable changes to the inclusive and ethical development of age-tech.

• Speaker: Dr. Cosmin Munteanu, Director of Technologies for Ageing Gracefully lab (TAGlab) at the University of Toronto Mississauga. With contributions from Simon Cook and Humaira Tasnim.
• Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B6xNKk4LRB-C8NB0wjRGHw