She's 74. She's been a faithful member of your community for decades. She rarely misses a gathering. But lately, she's been feeling disconnected.

The announcements moved to WhatsApp. The sermon recordings are on YouTube. The event registrations happen online. She has a smartphone her grandson bought her, but she mostly uses it to make calls. The rest feels confusing. Too many buttons. Text too small. Too many steps to do something simple.

She's not alone. And she's not incapable. The design is failing her, not the other way around.

Your community's move online is a good thing. But only if everyone can follow. Here's how to make sure your older members aren't left behind.

Start by Understanding Their Experience

Technology feels intuitive to you because you've absorbed it gradually over years. Many elderly members didn't have that gradual exposure. They were handed a smartphone one day and expected to figure it out.

That doesn't mean they can't learn. It means the learning curve is steeper. Patience is not optional. It's the whole thing.

Common struggles include small text that's hard to read, buttons that are too close together, interfaces with too many options, language that assumes prior tech knowledge, and processes with too many steps. Every one of these is fixable.

Make Your Text Readable

This is the simplest fix with the biggest impact.

Use larger fonts. Not tiny. If you're sending a WhatsApp broadcast, don't shrink the text. If you're designing a flyer or a web page, body text should be at least sixteen points. Headings should be clearly bigger.

High contrast matters. Dark text on a light background. Light text on dark backgrounds is harder for aging eyes. Avoid pale grey text on white backgrounds entirely.

Choose clear fonts. Fancy script fonts might look elegant. They're also impossible for many older eyes to decipher. Stick to simple, clean typefaces. Arial. Helvetica. Verdana. The boring ones are the readable ones.

Break up long paragraphs. Large blocks of text overwhelm. Short paragraphs. Clear headings. Space between ideas.

Simplify Your Layout

Look at your website or your event flyer. Now squint. What disappears first?

If your page is cluttered with sidebars, pop-ups, multiple columns, and competing buttons, you're losing older visitors before they even start.

Keep the layout clean. One main action per page. Clear labels on buttons. Not "Click here." Say "Watch Sunday Service" or "Give Offering." Tell people exactly what will happen when they tap.

Put the most important things at the top. Don't make anyone scroll through paragraphs to find the donation link or the service time.

Write Instructions That Don't Assume Knowledge

"Click the hamburger menu and navigate to the media section."

What's a hamburger menu? Many older users don't know. That icon with three horizontal lines is meaningless if no one ever explained it.

Write instructions with zero assumptions. Instead of "Scan the QR code," try "Open your phone's camera. Point it at the square barcode on this page. Tap the link that appears." Instead of "Download the app," try "On your phone, go to this web address. Tap the share button, then tap Add to Home Screen."

Every step. No shortcuts. Respectful, not patronizing.

Choose the Right Channels

Not every older member needs to be on every platform. Meet them where they already are.

WhatsApp is familiar to many. It's often their primary app. If you can deliver content there, do it. Voice notes work wonderfully for elderly members who struggle with typing. A short voice update from the leader can mean more than any newsletter.

SMS still works. For urgent announcements, a text message reaches people who never check email or group chats. Phone calls matter. For the most isolated elderly members, a real human voice checking in is irreplaceable.

Printed materials are not outdated. Some older members will never fully adopt digital. A printed bulletin, a mailed newsletter, or a phone tree ensures they still belong. Don't punish them for that.

Design Your Website With Them in Mind

If your community has a website or platform, prioritize accessibility.

Make buttons large and spaced apart. A fingertip is less precise than a mouse cursor. Small, tightly packed buttons lead to frustrating misclicks.

Ensure your site works well when text is zoomed in. Test it. Zoom your browser to 150 percent. Does everything still work? Or do elements overlap and break?

Add captions to videos. Not just for those with hearing difficulties. Captions help anyone who processes written information better than spoken.

Avoid timed actions. A form that expires after five minutes is stressful for someone who types slowly. If you must have a timeout, make it generous and warn people before it happens.

Offer Human Help

Technology frustrates. Even well-designed technology. When it does, older members need to know they can call a real person who will walk them through it patiently.

Designate someone on your team as the go-to helper. Share their number openly. Let them have the gift of time. No rushing. No sighing. Just walking alongside someone until they get it.

Consider hosting occasional in-person sessions. "Bring your phone and we'll help you set up the new platform." Make it social. Tea and snacks. No judgment. Just support.

Why This Matters Beyond Accessibility

This isn't just about being nice. It's about honouring the people who built your community.

The elderly woman who can't open your sermon link. She taught Sunday school for thirty years. The old man who can't figure out online giving. He helped fund the building you worship in today.

They carried the community. Now it's the community's turn to carry them.

When you make your content accessible to the elderly, you're not doing them a favour. You're keeping a promise. That they belong here. That they still matter. That no one gets left behind just because the world got faster and they didn't.

Slow down enough for everyone to keep up. Your community will be stronger for it.

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Looking for practical ways to serve every member of your community? Explore our blog for more guides on inclusion, care, and thoughtful community leadership.