The number of Americans over the age of 65 will double to 65 million by the year 2030. As a result, more of the elderly will be reading text originally designed for younger readers. For the purpose of text design it is important to keep in mind that the elderly will most likely experience a sharp decrease in eyesight as well as reduced capacity for remembering details. Therefore, the designer must consider using text that features additional word spacing, larger type size with a heavier weight, and a clearer layout.
Most elderly readers find it easier to read text with more spacing between words, letters and lines.
Avoid bizarre or deocrative fonts that may confuse the reader. Avoid typefaces that are light and small. I nstead use medium and bold type weights that are easier to read. Along with larger type sizes and a font that provides adequates spacing between letters and words, use paragraph indents. Indents help elderly readers navigate from one line to another.