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OCR for page 68
s
Strategic Recommendations
In order to bring human factors methods to bear productively
on the problems of an aging population, two thugs will be required.
The first ~ to get ex~st~g and future human factors knowledge into
effective use. One vehicle for accomplishing this would be the cry
ation of a handbook on human factors and aging. There are human
factors handbooks a~railable for the design of equipment, specifically
for military ~d certain other kinds of equipment. But by and large
the existing handbooks are directed at the young and occupationally
specialized segments of the population. Their norms and the kinds
of tasks for which the data and principles have been selected are not
well chosen for efforts concerned with the problems of the elderly.
A handbook containing relevant background data and what is cur-
rently known about analysis and solution techniques specifically with
regard to older people would be valuable. Such a handbook should
provide ~ reference for architects, system developers, and designers
as well as for hump factors researchers and practitioners. Prior to
the compilation of such a handbook, it would be useful to have a
thorough literature review on human factors =d aging. While such
a review might discourage publication of a handbook due to scarcity
of data, it is as likely to encourage it as a means of codifying avail-
able data and pointing the way for future research. In addition to a
textual compendium of such knowledge (which might also be made
available on computer disks), mechanism for instructional disserni-
nation might be useful. For example, we think it would be useful to
68
OCR for page 69
STRATEGIC RE;COA~JDATIONS
69
offer short courses on hum" factors for the aging to product design-
ers and architects and to gerontologists ar ~ specialists in geriatric
and rehabilitative medicine and social services.
With regard to encouraging more research of the kinds we urge,
various mechanisms suggest them,3eives. Principally, what is called
for is Braising the consciousness of human factors specialists con-
cerning the problem of aging. The best way to do that is to over
fuming for related research. However, there "e some other useful
mechanisms available as wed. Summer schoob =d short workshops
for graduate students and faculty with backgrounds ~ human factors
or disciplines related to human factors would be one such mechanism.
The creation of internships arid graduate fellowships for support of
thesm research specifically ~ human factors for the aged would be
another. In addition, the sponsorship of focused conferences ~d
workshops (e.g., on vision testing ard driving or stairway design)
would be useful. What ~ needed most is a commitment on the
part of policymakers, funding organizations, and scientists to devote
resources to the study of problems relearnt to older adults.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
aging population
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