Left Behind by Design: How Unfriendly Products and Services Are Failing Older Australians
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Every day, countless Australians in their 60s, 70s and beyond find themselves frustrated by products and services that seem designed without them in mind.
Consider a few scenes familiar to many: A 70-something struggling with a “child-proof” medicine bottle that might as well be adult-proof; a pensioner driving an hour to the nearest bank after their local branch closed; or a 90-year-old being told to “go online” to access essential government information.
These are not mere inconveniences – they represent a growing pattern of design and delivery failures that erode the independence, dignity and confidence of older people. As one senior advocate bluntly put it, “one of the definitions of elder abuse is neglecting somebody’s needs… we are witnessing a form of institutionalised elder abuse” when vital services default to digital or inaccessible formats.
In a society racing towards the new and the digital, older Australians are too often being left behind by design.
It’s a bitter irony: today’s older Australians are more numerous, active and financially powerful than any generation before them, yet many feel unseen by those who make everyday products and run essential services. A recent national study found more than half of older Australians feel that products aimed at seniors are not user-friendly, and 81% believe product designers routinely overlook their needs.
From tiny print on a microwave display to baffling online banking apps, the message from older consumers is clear – “So many products, so many of them frustrating, impenetrable and hard to use”.
The same goes for services: banks and government agencies are rapidly shifting to online-only models that many in the over-60 cohort find difficult or impossible to navigate. The result? A generation that values its independence above all is feeling increasingly shut out by the very tools and systems meant to help them live well as they age.
In this editorial, we take a deep dive into how unfriendly design is failing older Australians in three key arenas of daily life: home appliances, banking, and government services.
Through research findings and real quotes from older Australians, we’ll explore what’s going wrong – and add a dash of wit where needed, because sometimes laughing at the absurdity is better than crying. If you’re an Australian over 60, you’ll likely recognise some of these headaches (perhaps with a wry smile); if you’re not, it’s worth understanding what our parents and grandparents are up against.
Ultimately, this isn’t just a litany of gripes – it’s a call to action for more inclusive design, smarter service delivery, and a bit more empathy all around. After all, Australia’s population is ageing rapidly (our 65+ group is expected to triple by 2066) – and each of us is, in a sense, an “older Australian” in the making.
Image source: Seniors Discount Club
The Everyday Struggles with Home Appliances
Home is where we all expect to feel most comfortable – yet for many older Australians, home is filled with gadgets and appliances that seem determined to test their patience. In theory, modern technology should be making life easier. In practice, poorly thought-out design often turns simple household tasks into daily battles.“How about a can opener that’s easy to use and instructions that are easy to understand?” one commentator quipped in a recent National Seniors report. It sounds almost facetious to younger ears, but to a senior wrestling with a flimsy tin opener or a microscopic instruction booklet, it’s a very real plea.
A major survey by the Global Centre for Modern Ageing (GCMA) confirmed what older people have been saying for years: everyday products are just not designed with ageing in mind. An overwhelming 93% of Australians over 65 said that easy-to-use products are crucial for independent living, yet a majority reported being dissatisfied with the usability of products on the market. The “design failures” they encounter range from small fonts and confusing interfaces to tough packaging and awkward grips.
Nearly half of those surveyed admitted they’d rather quietly endure these issues than ask for help or hunt for special “seniors’ versions” of products. In other words, older Australians often just put up with badly designed kettles, TVs, phones and more – silently cursing under their breath – because they’re used to being ignored by manufacturers.
What exactly are the most common complaints? The GCMA study highlights a host of pain points that will sound familiar to many over-60s:
- Complicated technology: Many “smart” or digital appliances – from TVs and smartphones to newer washing machines and ovens – have overly complex menus, tiny buttons, or mystifying icons that leave users scratching their heads. The average older person doesn’t need 50 different program modes on their microwave or a fridge that talks to their phone; they just need devices that work intuitively. Instead, they often get tech that feels like it’s “designed to keep you out”.
- Remotes and interfaces: The universal remote that’s supposed to simplify your home entertainment can itself become a puzzle, with dozens of lookalike buttons. Survey respondents reported frequent difficulty navigating on-screen menus and functions. One retiree joked that when his grandkids visit and toggle the TV into some obscure mode, he might as well wait until their next visit to get it back to normal.
- Illegible print: Tiny font sizes on product labels, medication bottles, and instruction manuals are a huge barrier. As vision declines with age, reading glasses become ubiquitous – yet manufacturers continue to print important info in ant-sized text. “Instructions are often impossible to read and indecipherable when you can,” notes 66-year-old author and ageing advocate Jane Caro, describing her frustration with product manuals.
- Difficult packaging and opening mechanisms: This is a big one. Jars, bottles, cans, and that nemesis of aging hands – the blister pack – are frequently too hard to open. Many packages seem engineered to resist entry, requiring brute strength or tools. “Packaging seems to be designed to keep you out. I can no longer undo jars, bottles, boxes, medicines, tubes and containers,” Caro lamented, voicing a sentiment shared by many. For someone with arthritis or reduced grip strength, a simple jar of pickles can become an impenetrable fortress.
- Weight and handling: Heavy or unwieldy items pose a challenge. Think of vacuum cleaners that weigh a ton, awkward corded lawnmowers that require a strong yank to start, or luggage with flimsy wheels. The design assumption often seems to be that the user has the biceps of a bodybuilder and the dexterity of a surgeon – an assumption that fails a large segment of older (and not-so-old) consumers.
- Safety risks: When products are hard to use, safety can be compromised. Older people report feeling uneasy using things like power tools or ladders that lack simple safety features. Stoves with nearly invisible “on” indicators, or mobility aids with complex locks, can be accidents waiting to happen if the user can’t easily tell how to operate them.
These are not niche complaints. They’re everyday issues affecting a significant portion of Australia’s 5+ million seniors. And while younger folks might occasionally shrug and say “well, just ask someone to help or use a gadget to assist,” that misses a key point: older Australians fiercely value their independence. Having to beg a neighbor to open your pill bottle or call your son to set up your new TV each time undermines that independence – and frankly, it gets annoying.
As one 75-year-old put it, “It’s like every other week I need to dial up Tech Support Daughter or Handyman Son-in-Law for something. I raised my kids to be independent; I wish the products I buy would allow me to be independent!” (This particular quote might draw a smile, but the underlying feeling is widely echoed on seniors’ forums and letters to editors.)
To illustrate just how absurd product packaging and design can get, consider this first-person account from Karen Jones, a self-described “pretty nifty nanna” in her 70s. After purchasing a new phone charger, she found the plastic packaging so impossibly sealed that she “needed kitchen scissors and a bread knife” just to hack it open.
“In the hands of a slightly cackhanded pensioner with stiff fingers, it’s like breaking out of Alcatraz for the elderly,” Jones quipped, only half joking. Child-proof medicine bottles? She often has to leave them aside “until I can get a grandchild to come and do it for me,” she admits – meanwhile she once watched a toddler handily pop open a “safety” cap that had stymied her adult hands.
Instruction manuals fare no better in her household: a cheap leaf blower came with a PDF manual so useless that “YouTube and Google do not bring enlightenment,” leading her to just use the device on pure guesswork. Even her air conditioner and oven controls are a mystery of symbols that experimentation eventually solved, though not without exasperation.
Jones’s candid recollection ends on a darkly comic note: “Was life really simpler then, or was I just oblivious... Possibly, but I’m off to find an elastoplast for my finger. I just opened a packet of cling wrap.”
Image source: Sean Foster / Unsplash
If you chuckled at that last line, you’re not alone – humor is one way older Australians cope with these daily design indignities. But beneath the wit lies a serious truth: bad design isn’t just annoying, it can be harmful.
Hard-to-open food packaging, for instance, has been linked to malnutrition in vulnerable seniors (if you physically can’t open a jar or ready meal, you might literally skip meals). Difficult medication packaging can lead to skipped doses. Complex gadgets can deter people from using helpful technologies altogether. And simply feeling constantly defeated by “things” can chip away at a person’s confidence and willingness to engage with new products or services.
As Jane Caro observes, many older Australians have both money to spend and time to shop, yet they are “rapidly losing the inclination” to buy new products because experience has taught them those products will likely be more trouble than they’re worth. “It’s ageism rearing its ugly, wrinkly head again,” Caro says.
“We ignore the old and think of them as deficient. We are not. We are just struggling to use poorly and insensitively designed products.”
The tragedy (and opportunity) here is that designing with older users in mind often results in better products for everyone. A jar that an 80-year-old with arthritis can open is also a jar that a 30-year-old parent with their hands full (or an injured wrist) will appreciate. Clear instructions help all ages.
Big, tactile buttons and simple interfaces are a godsend not just for grandparents but also for kids and indeed anyone fed up with over-engineered contraptions. There’s a term for this philosophy: universal design – create products that anyone can use, regardless of age or ability. Some companies have thrived by embracing it (for example, OXO’s “Good Grips” kitchen tools, which were inspired by a founder’s arthritic hands, have become popular across all age groups).
But too many manufacturers still treat “senior-friendly” as an afterthought or a niche market, rather than a core design principle.
Older Australians are increasingly speaking out with their wallets – or rather, by closing them. If a smartphone or appliance is too convoluted, many over-60s simply won’t buy it. They’ll cling to their trusty older model or opt out of the product category entirely. In an era where the over-60 demographic is the fastest-growing and holds a significant portion of household wealth, ignoring their needs is not just insensitive, it’s also poor business.
As the GCMA researchers pointed out, there’s a “great opportunity for product developers to better understand older consumers and close the gap on usability frustrations”, which would “ensure business success” while enriching seniors’ lives. In other words, making things easier to use isn’t charity or coddling – it’s a win-win that companies would be smart to pursue.
Before we leave the home front, it’s worth noting that not all is doom and gloom in Gadget Land. Some progress is being made. There are now phones marketed as “senior-friendly” with big buttons and high-contrast screens, for example, and microwave ovens with simplified controls. Consumer advocacy groups like CHOICE have also started testing and recommending products for their accessibility. Yet, these remain islands in a sea of otherwise frustrating experiences.
Many older Australians don’t want special versions – they want mainstream products that inherently consider their needs. They’d like mainstream TV remotes with fewer, larger buttons (wouldn’t we all!), pill bottles that aren’t a puzzle box, and websites that don’t assume 20/20 vision and lightning reflexes.
Home may be where the heart is, but until designers consistently put their heart (and brains) into inclusive design, it’s also where many older Aussies will continue uttering some very choice words at inanimate objects. And who could blame them?
As one frustrated senior exclaimed, “So many products, so many of them frustrating!” It shouldn’t have to be this way. Unfortunately, as we’ll see, the problem isn’t confined to household items – it extends to critical services like banking and dealing with the government, where the stakes can be even higher.
Image source: Seniors Discount Club
Banking on Change: When Financial Services Leave Seniors Behind
Imagine walking into your local bank branch – the one you’ve used for decades – only to find the doors shuttered and a sign directing you to handle your banking “online”. For many older Australians, this scenario is becoming all too common. Over the past few years, banks have been closing branches at a dramatic rate, and the push towards a “cashless” digital economy is in full swing.While younger, tech-savvy customers might barely notice (or even welcome the convenience of apps and tap-and-go payments), a huge number of over-60s are feeling abandoned and bewildered by these changes. “Too many older Australians are being left behind in the rush towards online banking and a cashless society,” warns Council on the Ageing CEO Patricia Sparrow, encapsulating a growing concern among seniors’ advocates.
Let’s start with some hard numbers. Between 2017 and 2021, 575 bank branches across Australia closed their doors, and over a third of ATMs in regional areas were removed. And the closures didn’t stop there: by 2023, the tally had swelled to over 2,100 branches shut down since 2017.
In March 2024, one bank (Bankwest) even announced it would close all 60 of its branches in Western Australia, effectively abandoning physical banking in that state. The reasoning from banks is usually some mix of “customers are banking differently now” and cost-cutting – and indeed, the banks’ own data show that by 2023, only 0.7% of transactions occurred in-branch while a whopping 98.9% were digital. But here’s the rub: those aggregate numbers hide a massive generational divide in banking habits.
According to a 2022 UniSA report, 45% of people over 65 still used a bank branch, compared to only 33% of under-65s. Older Australians are also far more likely to depend on cash for day-to-day transactions – one survey found Australians over 65 were five times more likely to be high cash users than those under 30.
This isn’t because seniors are stubbornly clinging to the past for the sake of it; it’s often because cash and face-to-face banking feel safer and more accessible. Many have limited experience with computers or find smartphone apps daunting. Many also have legitimate fears about security – and not without reason, since Australians over 65 are overwhelmingly the victims of banking scams and fraud in recent years.
So what happens when branches close and ATMs disappear? For a lot of older people, it means difficulty accessing their own money and managing basic finances.
If you’re in a rural or regional area (where a large proportion of branch closures have occurred), you might have to travel hours to do in-person banking. “By removing banks in regional areas, it potentially disadvantages an already vulnerable community from accessing basic financial services, impacting their independence,” explains RMIT Professor Julian Thomas, whose team studied the social effects of branch closures. In-person service isn’t just a nicety – for complex tasks like discussing a loan, clarifying account issues, or dealing with a mistake, many seniors rely on talking to a human banker who can guide them.
Thomas also notes that branch staff often play a crucial role in tackling elder financial abuse and fraud, by noticing unusual transactions or advising customers, a safeguard that vanishes when face-to-face contact is lost.
Urban seniors aren’t immune either. Even in cities, banks have been consolidating and shutting branches, especially since the pandemic accelerated the shift to online banking. If you’re not comfortable with internet banking, you’re suddenly facing long trips to the nearest open branch or ATM – or forced to depend on someone else to help with banking.
One Queensland pensioner, interviewed on local news, said he felt “cut adrift” when his branch closed: “I don’t use computers. They told me to use the app – what app? I still use a basic mobile that just makes calls. Now I have to catch two buses just to withdraw cash.” This kind of story repeats across communities.
For a country that promised “it’s your money, you can still use cash”, many seniors feel that promise is ringing hollow as infrastructure to actually use cash is dismantled.
The move towards a cashless society has hit older Australians particularly hard. A flashpoint came recently when 78-year-old MP Bob Katter tried to pay for lunch at Parliament House with a $50 note – and was told the cafe wouldn’t accept cash.
“He was fuming,” media reported, and his public complaint reignited debate about the wisdom of phasing out cash. National Seniors Australia’s CEO, Chris Grice, weighed in, noting that credit cards and online banking are “not as convenient or even possible for many older Australians.”.
“There are many seniors who would be greatly inconvenienced and experience hardship if cash was difficult to access or use,” Grice said, pointing out that cash is the only secure payment method for some elders who either “aren’t tech savvy, are afraid of online scams, or just find that cash is what they know and trust.”.
His message was clear: do not rush to a cashless economy without considering those who rely on cash. Grice even argued that keeping cash in circulation is a matter of national resilience – if a cyber-attack knocks out electronic systems, those who kept some cash under the mattress (as many older folk prudently do) will be the ones still able to buy essentials.
Image source: Within Studios by The Majurity Trust / Unsplash
It’s not just advocacy groups raising alarm. The Australian Senate launched an inquiry in 2023 into bank closures, and organisations like COTA and National Seniors made submissions full of real-life accounts. One common theme: the digital alternatives banks tout are often not truly accessible.
Yes, many older Australians have tried to adapt to online banking – in fact, around 81% of over-65s used internet banking at least once in the past year, showing a willingness to learn. But frequency and proficiency are different matters. Only 26% of over-65s feel comfortable using mobile banking apps regularly, and a significant number cite barriers like rapidly changing app interfaces, confusing navigation, and fears of clicking the wrong thing and losing money.
Sparrow from COTA highlighted that the “constant source of stress and anxiety” around scams drives many seniors to prefer conducting their banking “in person, using cash”. When branches close, those people don’t magically become e-banking whizzes overnight; instead, they feel cut off and anxious.
From the banks’ perspective, many have introduced “solutions” – but their effectiveness is debatable. For instance, some banks offer special training sessions or one-on-one help for seniors to learn online banking, and the big banks now link to the government’s Be Connected digital literacy tutorials on their websites.
These initiatives are surely well-intentioned. However, they often assume the user has already a device, an internet connection, and a baseline digital literacy to find and use these resources. That’s a big assumption. A considerable segment of over-75s, for example, do not own a computer or smartphone at all, or if they do, they rely on very limited use. Telling someone to “go watch our online tutorial” when their very problem is not being able to get online borders on cruel irony.
Furthermore, while banks trumpet their anti-scam measures, the lived experience of many older customers is that scams are getting more sophisticated and prevalent, precisely targeting those less confident with technology. It doesn’t help trust when you hear news of another retiree losing life savings to a phishing email that mimicked their bank.
Indeed, older Australians led both the highest amount lost and the highest number of reports in ScamWatch data for 2023. For someone already hesitant about online banking, hearing that statistic just reaffirms their desire to stick to analog methods. “If I don’t do internet banking, I can’t be scammed on internet banking,” as one senior flatly told a CHOICE forum. It’s a rational stance – albeit one that runs up against the reality that analog options are dwindling.
Let’s not forget the importance of human connection in banking, too. Many older people have built relationships with their local bank tellers over years – people who understand their needs and might patiently explain a form or double-check that a withdrawal isn’t fraudulent. When those humans are replaced by an app or a faceless phone menu, something vital is lost.
One 82-year-old recounted how she tried to get help for a duplicate payment issue: the phone IVR (interactive voice response) system led her in circles for an hour, whereas “if Julie at the branch was there, she’d have fixed it in five minutes and asked me about my grandkids.” That sense of personal service can be essential for trust.
As banks turn more customers into account numbers on a screen, many seniors feel a keen sense of loss – loss of service, loss of security, and loss of respect.
Even when seniors attempt to embrace digital banking, design problems abound. Apps often assume knowledge that new users don’t have (“What is my CVV? What’s 2FA?”). Websites time out too quickly for slow typists. Error messages might as well be in Greek. And updates can change the layout without warning.
One CHOICE Community member in her mid-70s vented that after being forced into online banking, “I am now stressed every day by constant changes in layouts, vocabulary and instructions”. Every time the app “improves,” she has to relearn it and worry she’ll press the wrong button. This highlights an often-overlooked point: consistency and simplicity are key to usability for older users (indeed, for everyone). Rapid-fire software updates and flashy redesigns can do more harm than good if they confuse a loyal customer base.
So what do seniors and their advocates want from banks? The wish list is not unreasonable: keep some form of accessible service for those who need it.
That could mean maintaining a baseline number of physical branches (or at least bank offices in shared facilities like post offices) – especially in regions where internet coverage is poor. It means ensuring ATMs are available and stocked (since telling a 75-year-old to get cash as cashback from a supermarket EFTPOS is not a sufficient solution in many small towns). It means if you do push people online, design your digital products to be senior-friendly – large text options, clear instructions, less jargon, and robust customer support that doesn’t require an IT degree to access.
And above all, it means not punishing people for using traditional methods. Currently, some banks and utilities actually charge fees for paper statements or have higher costs if you pay in person. That “pay online or else” approach, as CHOICE dubbed it, feels like coercion to those who genuinely struggle with online systems.
There have been some positive moves: after public outcry, the banking industry implemented a protocol in 2023 for better communication around branch closures, promising to consult communities and provide transition support. Time will tell if that’s just lip service or real mitigation.
Meanwhile, campaigns like National Seniors’ “Keep Cash” movement are pushing for legislation to guarantee the right to use cash and require businesses (including banks) to accommodate it. Other countries have passed such laws to protect vulnerable groups; perhaps Australia will follow.
At the end of the day, money management is not optional – it’s a necessity of life. For older Australians to feel secure and included, the banking sector must recognise that a one-size-fits-all digital strategy does not fit all. As Patricia Sparrow says, the transition to digital “shouldn’t trample over the needs of these vulnerable groups”. If the banks get it wrong, the outcome is more than inconvenience – it can be seniors losing savings to scams, going without because they can’t access funds, or simply feeling that their society has left them behind.
And if you think these concerns are exaggerated, just ask an older Aussie about their latest experience trying to get some cash or resolve a bank issue. The sigh and the eye-roll you’ll get in response speak volumes.
Image source: Seniors Discount Club
Government Services in the Digital Age: Access Denied?
Dealing with government bureaucracy has never been anyone’s idea of fun. But for today’s seniors, the shift of government services to predominantly online platforms has added a whole new layer of challenge. Whether it’s accessing health services, the aged pension, renewing a license, or simply obtaining information, older Australians are increasingly finding that the “government desk” is now a website – one that might be as welcoming as a locked door without the key.As one frustrated daughter of a 90-year-old put it, “It’s tone deaf in the extreme… policy not matching reality” when her mother is repeatedly advised to ‘go online’ to find information she needs.
Let’s talk about MyGov, the federal government’s all-in-one online portal for services like Centrelink (welfare payments), Medicare, and others. In theory, MyGov is meant to streamline access to services. In practice, ask almost any senior about MyGov and you’re likely to get an exasperated groan.
On the CHOICE forum, one community member didn’t mince words: “The worst example that seniors are increasingly required to use is MyGov. That is a painful experience. Nothing intuitive about it. The interfaces to each department are like crossing a moat designed to keep you out.” This vivid description – a moat keeping you out – struck a chord with many. It encapsulates how opaque and user-unfriendly government websites can feel to someone not adept at navigating them.
Unlike a friendly service centre, a website won’t slow down or simplify itself if you’re confused; it’ll just bounce you for timing out or throw error messages.
MyAgedCare (the portal for aged care services) and other government platforms have similarly earned ire. That earlier quote came from a woman who was told by a recorded message to use MyAgedCare’s website for info – advice given to her 90-year-old mother who has no internet access.
“It’s absurd,” the woman wrote, noting the cruel irony that “those who are most vulnerable and in need of tailored delivery don’t receive it.” She speaks to a larger issue: digital self-service has become the default, but many older people either can’t go digital or find the experience so difficult that it effectively denies them service.
Consider the process of applying for the Age Pension or any senior concession nowadays. While paper forms still exist, the preferred and promoted method is online via MyGov. That requires creating a MyGov account (many hoops of verification), remembering yet another password or using a password manager (good luck with that for the uninitiated), and then navigating a complex form with myriad questions. If you make a mistake, you might not even realize it – you’ll just be denied weeks later. There are horror stories of seniors giving up and physically visiting Centrelink offices (which themselves are dwindling in number) to have staff help complete online forms.
Indeed, long wait times on Centrelink’s phone lines suggest many are resorting to calling for help: seniors now wait on hold an average of 43 minutes to reach Centrelink’s Older Australians line, double the wait from a couple of years ago. One can imagine the handset being passed between ears and hands as the hold music drones on. And if you hang up in frustration or the call drops? Back to square one.
Even something as seemingly simple as accessing medical records or vaccination certificates became a hurdle during the COVID era. The government introduced digital vaccine certificates via Medicare/MyGov. Great for smartphone users – but some older people don’t have a compatible phone or the know-how to download an app. In the end, many had to visit Service Australia offices or enlist family to print certificates. It worked out, but not without stress and a feeling of “why is this so hard?”
A big part of the problem is that government digital systems often lack a user-centric design, especially for those not already digitally literate. They tend to be loaded with jargon, and their accessibility features (like text size adjustment or text-to-speech) are often rudimentary or hard to find. Moreover, changes and updates can be frequent as departments revamp websites – “continually redesigning websites… updates can have the opposite effect [for the elderly],” as CHOICE observed.
One day the menu looks one way, the next day it’s totally different. For someone who just painstakingly learned how to navigate to the page they need, that’s incredibly frustrating. “It’s immensely frustrating that when updates occur the apps or devices change their appearance,” said one commenter, and a woman in her mid-70s confessed that “having been forced into using it, I am now stressed every day by constant changes in layouts, vocabulary and instructions”.
Imagine dreading an update the way one might dread a root canal – that’s how some seniors feel each time MyGov or a banking app announces “new improvements.”
Another dimension is cost and infrastructure. Not all older Australians even have the luxury of a good internet connection or device. In fact, many on low fixed incomes find connectivity expensive. “Somewhere between 20% and 25% of pensioners are living in poverty… it’s out of necessity that they’re not connected to the internet. Some people just don’t have the money,” Ian Henschke of National Seniors points out.
If you’re scraping by on the pension, paying $60+ a month for internet and hundreds for a device is not trivial – it might be the first thing to go when budgets tighten. So when services go online, those without access face a double whammy: either spend money they can’t spare to get connected or lose access to the service. The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has highlighted this affordability issue, noting “a lot of older Australians find it difficult to pay for broadband services”, and calling for subsidised senior broadband plans. As of now, however, those calls haven’t been heeded.
Meanwhile, some remote and rural areas (often with older populations) suffer from patchy connectivity – only one-third of Australian land has mobile coverage, and many remote Indigenous communities lack household internet. For an elder in such an area, telling them to “use the app” is practically a joke.
The human factor in government services is crucial. We’ve seen countless news reports of Centrelink or Medicare phone queues, or people camping outside Centrelink offices from dawn to get a ticket to be seen that day. For older Australians, especially those with hearing or cognitive impairments, navigating phone menus or understanding an overseas call centre worker can be daunting.
Face-to-face, a kind staffer can pick up on confusion or provide assurance. Online or over phone, that empathy is much harder to come by. One senior recounted posting a forms-related query on a government website’s contact form, only to receive a generic FAQ link in response – no actual human engagement with her specific problem. After two such brush-offs, she gave up trying to claim an entitlement she suspected she had. How many others are simply falling through the cracks because the system is too hard to engage with?
It’s not that older Australians are technophobes across the board – indeed, many have adapted impressively to digital life. But there is a significant minority – think of those in their late 70s, 80s and 90s, as well as people with disabilities – for whom the “digital by default” approach feels like being told “get on board or get left behind.”
Henschke calls that out directly: “Telling people you have to get on board or get out of the room… that’s not the way we should run our society. We do actually have to make allowances for people, because that is what a caring society does.”. In other words, inclusivity in public services isn’t a favor, it’s a responsibility.
The government has taken some steps. For example, Centrelink offices often have “digital hubs” where staff or volunteers help seniors set up MyGov accounts and teach them to navigate services. Libraries and community centers host digital literacy classes (like the Be Connected program) specifically aimed at older adults. These are valuable efforts and have helped many to catch the “computer bus” rather than being “left standing on the bus stop wondering what the hell just happened,” as one witty observer divided the elderly into the digital haves and have-nots.
The problem is that the demand far outstrips the supply of such help, and not everyone can easily attend a class or training (due to mobility, health, or even pride – some feel embarrassed to admit they need “computer help”). Moreover, technology keeps evolving, so even those who learn basics can find themselves struggling again when systems update or new requirements (like two-factor authentication via mobile) are introduced.
What’s needed is a twin-track approach: make digital services easier AND keep non-digital pathways open. The Australian government’s own digital transformation strategy acknowledges principles of accessibility, but implementation often lags. At the very least, key services should still be available via phone or in person for those who need them, without punitive wait times or labyrinthine processes.
Some ideas floated include roving service vans for rural areas, more investment in training frontline staff to handle complex cases instead of deferring to online forms, and co-designing digital services with seniors (the way some banks have started involving older customers in app design feedback).
There’s also a cultural element: patience and respect. We as a society need to remember that the generation facing these hurdles did not grow up with computers – they’re learning in their later years something many of us have been doing since kindergarten. As one senior advocate said, “we should make allowances for people, because that is what a caring society does.” That might mean allowing a paper form to be filed without penalty, or a government clerk taking the time to walk an elderly client through an online application step by step. Yes, it costs a bit more time and money, but the return is ensuring an entire segment of citizens isn’t cut off from their entitlements or left feeling like second-class citizens.
We should also acknowledge the psychological toll. Dealing with faceless systems can be intimidating, and repeated failures can erode confidence. There are real cases of older individuals foregoing benefits (like a rebate or a seniors card) simply because the process to get it was too confusing.
For people on limited incomes, that’s a sad outcome – all because of design and delivery issues, not eligibility. Society ends up paying in other ways when seniors don’t get the support or services they should – through higher healthcare costs, social isolation, etc.
In summary, when it comes to government services, digital inclusion of older Australians is far from achieved. We have to bridge this divide, or else the very people who have contributed and paid taxes all their lives will find themselves locked out in their later years. We often talk about “ageing with dignity”; part of that dignity is being able to interact with your government without feeling helpless or humiliated.
One could argue it’s a basic democratic right in the modern era – if services essential to citizenship (like voting information, health services, financial support) require digital access, then ensuring all citizens can access them is as important as providing wheelchair ramps or multilingual support. It’s about equity and respect.
Image source: Seniors Discount Club
Toward an Age-Friendly Future
The stories and struggles we’ve explored – the stubborn jar that won’t open, the bank that waved goodbye just when you learned the teller’s name, the government portal that might as well be written in hieroglyphs – all point to a common conclusion: Australia can do better in designing products and services for older people. And doing better doesn’t only benefit the over-60 crowd; it benefits everyone. The concept of “age-friendly” design overlaps heavily with universally good design.Larger text on a website helps the elderly and the visually impaired and the tired young parent reading on a dim phone screen. Clear, simple interfaces reduce errors for all users. Multiple service channels (online, phone, in-person) give choice to consumers of any age to pick what works best for them. In short, inclusivity begets quality.
So, where do we go from here? First, it’s heartening to see that older Australians are not staying silent. They are raising their voices – through advocacy groups, surveys, media, and yes, even on social media and forums – to call out the barriers they face. People like Jane Caro and Patricia Sparrow are amplifying these messages in the public arena, making sure policymakers and business leaders can’t feign ignorance. There’s increasing recognition (helped by hard data) that the senior demographic is a force: by sheer numbers (nearly one in five Australians is 65+) and by economic clout (the so-called “grey dollar”).
In fact, older Australians are a huge market opportunity for companies savvy enough to meet their needs. As Caro wryly noted, “many older Australians have money to spend and time to shop” – it’s just that they’ll take that money elsewhere if your product frustrates them.
On the industry side, we need more designers and engineers thinking with an inclusive mindset. Some positive steps include the emergence of “co-design” initiatives where seniors are directly involved in testing and giving feedback on new product prototypes or websites. (The GCMA report Caro championed actually calls on older people to join co-design communities to help companies get it right.) Tech companies are also starting to hire usability experts focused on accessibility.
But this needs to become standard practice, not a special project. Imagine if every time a developer at Centrelink wrote a piece of code for the online portal, they had to consider “Can a 75-year-old with mild cognitive decline and shaky hands navigate this?” That might sound like a tall order, but good design can accommodate those needs without compromising on functionality or aesthetics for others. It just requires effort and empathy upfront.
For banking and retail services, perhaps the future lies in a blend of high-tech and high-touch solutions. Some banks overseas are experimenting with “mobile branches” (literally banking vans that travel to communities on set days), or shared service hubs in post offices so that physical presence isn’t lost entirely.
There’s also talk of Australia Post expanding its Bank@Post services so that at least basic transactions remain available in person even if bank branches vanish. And if cash truly is to become rarer, alternatives must be senior-friendly – e.g. widely available simple debit cards with low fees and robust fraud protections, and education to accompany their rollout.
Government services face the tricky task of updating old systems while keeping them usable. The recent overhaul of MyGov, for instance, aims to make it more intuitive (early feedback is mixed). Perhaps more promising is the idea of integrating accessibility by default – consulting groups like the Council on the Ageing or Vision Australia when designing interfaces, and conducting user testing with seniors.
Additionally, keeping non-digital options doesn’t mean rejecting progress; it just means a safety net. For example, when the census went mostly online in 2016, the ABS still allowed people to request a paper form – that’s a model for other services: digital-first but not digital-only. And maybe, just maybe, we could invest in shortening those phone wait times and staffing service centres adequately so that those who do choose to call or visit aren’t punished for it. (To his credit, the current Government Services Minister did announce hiring of more staff to reduce Centrelink wait times – fingers crossed that helps.)
Culturally, we also need to tackle the subtle ageism that often underpins design neglect. It’s the assumption that “older people don’t use X” or “if they have trouble, that’s their own fault for not learning”. Those attitudes are unfair and short-sighted. The reality is, most older Australians have shown incredible adaptability – consider that the majority are now using the internet and even things like online banking to some degree. They’re not unwilling to learn; they just don’t want to be thrown into the deep end without support, or forced to use something clearly not built for them.
Younger designers might do well to spend a day “in someone else’s shoes” – quite literally, some design firms use age-simulation suits or glasses that blur vision and gloves that reduce dexterity, to help them experience what an older or disabled person experiences when trying to use a product. Empathy can be technologically aided, it turns out, and it often leads to engineers exclaiming, “Wow, we need to fix this interface!”
In community discussions, a frequent refrain from seniors is “we’re not stupid; we just grew up in a different era.” They bring a lifetime of skills and wisdom, but navigating digital interfaces or ultramodern devices wasn’t part of their first several decades of life. Imagine if suddenly in your 70s you were asked to pilot a spaceship – that’s how alien modern tech can feel to someone who last used a computer at work in the 1990s (or never at all).
It’s on the tech and service providers to bridge that gap, not simply command the users to “get with the program.” As one CHOICE forum member so aptly divided it: some “caught the computer bus” in time, others have been “left standing at the bus stop wondering what the hell just happened”. Society shouldn’t be content to leave a whole group standing at that bus stop.
We also can’t ignore that designing for older people will become increasingly important for each successive generation. The Boomers and Gen Xers entering their senior years may be more tech-savvy than the previous generation, but they’ll have their own challenges with new technologies (who knows what interfaces will look like in 2040?).
The specific gadgets may change, but human needs – clarity, simplicity, physical ease of use, personal interaction – remain constant. We’re essentially advocating for a world that is “friendly by design” to the old, the young, the abled and disabled alike.
As an older Australian (or someone who cares about one), you might be nodding along to all this, perhaps even formulating your own list of pet peeves and fixes. The good news is that your voices are starting to be heard. The bad news is that change isn’t overnight. It will take persistent pressure – consumer choices (reward the companies that get it right, call out those that don’t), feedback to service providers, and policy nudges from government – to ensure that we don’t end up with a shiny high-tech future that leaves our elders in the dark.
Australia prides itself on the “fair go”. A fair go in 2025 means making sure our seniors aren’t forced to struggle or depend on others for basic tasks because of negligent design. It means recognizing their rights as consumers and citizens to access information and services in ways that work for them. It means valuing the independence they cherish by removing needless obstacles in their daily lives. It means, ultimately, respecting our older generation enough to design a world that includes them.
Before we conclude, it’s worth flipping the perspective for a moment. All of us – tech designers, bank managers, government officials, family members – should ask: if I were 85 today, how would I fare? Would I be able to use the tools I’m building or managing? Would I feel empowered, or frustrated and left behind? Empathy is the heart of good design, and it’s something we could use a bit more of at every level of society.
As Australia hurtles into a future of smart homes, digital wallets, and e-everything, we must not forget those who might not be able to sprint at the same pace. Instead of telling them to catch up, perhaps we should slow down and walk alongside – or better yet, design systems that come back and pick them up. After all, inclusivity isn’t just a box to tick; it’s the foundation of a society that values everyone, young or old.
So, where do you see yourself in this picture? Have you or your loved ones felt the sting of age-unfriendly design, and what do you think needs to change for Australia to truly become age-inclusive? In a world racing towards the new, how can we ensure we don’t leave our elders – and ultimately ourselves – behind?
References
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so I have to open them for her with flat nosed pliers.
