The percentage of adults aged 65 years or older is expected to increase from 12 percent of the population in 1980 to more than 21 percent by the year 2030. Since many adults stay involved with learning activities well into their 80s and 90s, educational organizations have a great opportunity to supply learning activities to this population. To take advantage of this opportunity, adult educators need to understand both the uniqueness of these older adults and the barriers they face. These unique characteristics and challenges can be organized into four categories: (1) physical challenges (changes in vision, hearing, muscular system); (2) cognitive challenges (decreased short-term memory, decreased ability to think abstractly, decreased level of concentration, and increased reaction time); (3) life-stage challenges, including loss of identity, self-confidence, and independence; changes in roles because of retirement; loss of spouse and close friends; life patterns and reasons for learning; role and effect of past education; and society's view of older adults and education; and (4) other barriers, such as inadequate transportation, fear of criminal elements, lack of encouragement at home, fear of new technologies, and lack of new technologies at home. Strategies to overcome these barriers and increase educational participation by older adults include recruiting "educational buddies" to support new students, having instructors touch base with students to provide encouragement, creating programs that emphasize fun in learning new technologies, and promoting available facilities, such as free computer laboratories. (Contains 10 references.) (KC)