Role of Ergonomics in the Design of Consumer Products for Use in the Home by Elderly People

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In our modern society many older people struggle to use consumer products whilst in their home environment. This is because of contributing factors such as participation among those with disabilities and the elderly is very rarely employed at all in the design process of mass produced consumer products Sanford et al (1998). And Pheasant (2006) found that in the middle years of life most people suffer a decrease in functional capacities due to disease, injury and the overall ageing process. From these 2 factors you can see that the design and production of consumer products for use in the home often do not take into account the needs of the elderly and because of this they may struggle with use of the product due to reduced physical and mental abilities that occur in the ageing process. Posada (2003) explains that some older adults often experience changes in their physical and cognitive abilities, their health (decreased visual and auditory abilities) and their levels of mobility. This can result in them feeling out of place in society due to the fact that their surroundings are not designed with them in mind. However as we are living in an aging population there is a need for products to be designed with older people in mind. WHO (1998a) anticipate that by 2025 1 in 10 of the world’s population will be over 65, and worldwide life expectancy will have reached 73 years. Therefore, designers need to produce products that include the older and disabled population as the targeted user. This will help to maintain the health and quality of life for the elderly and help them to fit in with society. Furthermore this could help to prolong their life expectancy. And as said by WHO (1993) ‘’the increase of life expectancy of populations in the 20th century is one of the greatest achievements of all time.’’ In this essay I will discuss the role of ergonomics in the design of

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