Elderly people let down by product design

The Council on the Ageing has proposed a scheme where elderly people design and test products better suited to the aged.

Elderly people are being let down by everyday products, from food containers to computer software, a lobby group says.

The Council on the Ageing wants to make South Australia the nation's hub for troubleshooting products better suited to the aged under a proposal submitted to the state budget.

"Older people continually encounter fundamental errors in assumptions about them as a market and many would be happy to help design products and services which more appropriately suit their needs," the proposal said.

COTA said SA's social, economic and aging demographic made it ideal for such a laboratory.