As a complementary point of view, it is possible to find studies where older people demand mobile services compatible with the modern image of the ‘active senior’: people who remain capable of managing their affairs and pursuing an independent life long after retirement from working life.。 Instead, seniors are interested in services that promote their physical and mental well-being, thus providing opportunities for a longer and healthier independent life (Oksman, 2006).。 Kurniawan (2008) suggests that mobile phone design for older persons is not necessarily limited to or centered around old-style, out-of-date models supporting only very basic calling functions.。
Table 2 summarizes the needs and expectations found in the bibliography analyzed in the present section.。 Table 1 relates them to the quality of life components nominated by elderly people.。
Specific barriers: It is impossible to forget that the mobile phone is a relatively recent development.。 For people who have organized their lives without the mobile phone, the adoption of the device often involves a readjustment of well-established routines (Ling, 2008).。 It is also necessary to consider memory decline (or in general, cognitive decline), which causes problems for older persons in using and learning to use mobile phones (Kurniawan, 2007), and the limitations of mobility, visual and hearing impairments and high disease susceptibility, especially for chronic diseases (Gaßner and Conrad, 2010).。
Thus, the need for support is an important motivating factor for mobile phone acceptance according to Conci (2007), and the design of mobile phone terminals should be improved to be fully accessible for older people (Goodman et al.。, 2004).。 Kurniawan (2007) conducted a study seeking to identify problems older people (aged 60 years and over) may experience when using mobile phone technology.。 The results from the study identified the following problems.。
1.。 Buttons: Some are too small, rubbery, do not click when pressed
and therefore provide no feedback regarding whether the associated number had been dialed.。
2.。 Menus:Too many, and most of them are unnecessary and difficult to understand and recall.。
3.。 Devices: Too small to hold comfortably.。
4.。 Text size: Too small to read even with corrective lenses.。
In general, the desired features can be classified into the following categories (Kurniawan, 2008).。
1.。 Memory aids: These include appointment reminders, alarm, address book, diary, and caller ID.。 Another set of features is not strictly memory aids but would help older persons with reduced cognition.。 These include a personalized interface that only displays a limited number of essential menus and a design that is easy to learn and navigate.。
2.。 Visual aids: These include stronger backlight, larger text, bold color, and differently shaped, colored or located keys for important functions.。
3.。 Haptic aids:These include rubber grips, easy-to-hold phones, big buttons, and antenna (easy to pick-up).。
4.。 Features to minimize user error: These features are related to the fear of consequences of unintended actions and include mechanisms to prevent accidental dialing, alert the user when the battery is almost empty, and provide feedback indicating whether a call has gone through or a button has been pressed.。