That s how they summarize their Checklist, a glossy 16-page booklet of advice to webmasters that the two National Institutes of Health units have just released after doing site usability research. An NIH Web team from left, Joyce E. B. Backus, Sithipong J.J. Intoronat, Kathleen Garner Cravedi, Stephanie Dailey, Claudia Feldman, Roger W. Morrell and Jane Shure set out to build a checklist for what constitutes a citizen-friendly site. NIA s chief constituency is people 60 and older the fastest-growing category of Web users. The more we know about how to reach them, the better we fulfill our mission, said Jane Shure, the team leader and chief of the Office of Communications. Web gatekeepers are so different from the larger audience, she said.
Young webmasters think the techier, the better.
Everyone wants JavaScript and animation. You ll find it s very different from most Web sites, Shure said. It s hard to retrofit a site, said Stephanie Dailey, one of the developers. Much is repeated in different sections to increase levels of retention, she said. The Interactive Age Page will strive not just to post public information but also to teach medical personnel and lay visitors.