A Practical Guide to Content for Older Audiences
Writing and structuring content for readers who may have lower digital confidence or age-related impairments.
Dana Whitfield
What is at stake
Older audiences are a large and growing market, and content that ignores their needs excludes buyers.
The playbook
- Write plainly and define digital terms
- Keep text large and high contrast
- Provide phone and postal alternatives
- Make provenance and contact details obvious
- Test with older participants
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Jargon such as onboarding and dashboard without explanation
- Small low-contrast text
- Digital-only contact routes
- Assumptions about device familiarity
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vision | age-related changes affect contrast and text size needs |
| Terminology | unfamiliar digital jargon creates barriers |
| Trust | clear contact and provenance information matters |
| Devices | device and browser use varies by generation |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when serving older customers.
Where this comes from
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative — Older users and web accessibility
- PlainLanguage.gov — Federal Plain Language Guidelines
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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