*This article has been (patronizingly) posted in a larger-than-normal font for our older readers
From next year, the fonts in Ford’s Edge and Explorer SUV models will be some 40% larger as well as thicker. The reason? Baby Boomers have poor eyesight. No, really, Ford’s done a study and everything. The bigger fonts will extend to interior display screens control and A/C controls, and will gradually be rolled out onto other models in the Ford range in coming years.
In a statement on their website, Ford expressed its desire to make it, “easier for people of all ages, particularly aging Baby Boomers, to read display fonts.” Ah, like the little boy or girl who flat-out tells his grandparents that they’re old and wrinkly, Ford has snagged upon that babying / slow and loud way anyone under the age of 30 speak to anyone over the age of 50:
“YES, MRS. JOHNSON. THE WEATHER IS NICE TODAY. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL GO DOWN TO THE PARK?”
Or to your local Ford dealership, perhaps? Ford continues its onslaught on the not-elderly as their statement continues:
“Today, aging consumers are of great interest to companies including Ford. For the first time, people age 65 and over will outnumber children under the age of 5. It’s a transformation that’s changing the world, along with all kinds of products in it.”
Ouch. Maybe they should just go all out and put a catheter under the front seat and a folding Zimmer frame in the boot. Ooh, and a radio that only plays music from before 1970! Whether or not this will be as big an upset as SmartMoney’s Catey Hill predicts, I can’t say. We will wait and see.
By Tristan Hankins
