Senior Citizen Technology Accessibility Assessment

Abstract

The Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation runs numerous programs to serve senior citizens. This includes programs ranging from intellectual and physical engagement to social services and healthcare-related programs. Due to the pandemic and enforcement of social distancing protocols, the county has moved most of its services online. The Department of Parks and Recreation is eager to ensure that the senior community is engaged with the online services and they can leverage online access and services to use the entire catalog of senior-focused events and services. Currently, many in the senior community find it challenging to navigate the Parks and Recreation website and access its resources. This situation is limiting the engagement of the senior community with the online services. A new education curriculum is necessary to help teach those who find the online registration system challenging to access and interact with the services. This document explores various problems senior users encounter when working with technology in general and in navigating the Parks and Recreation’s website in particular. It proposes website improvements and recommendations to increase senior citizen participation in Parks and Recreation programs in a virtual environment.