Research paperThe effects of the smart environment on the information divide experienced by people with disabilities
Section snippets
Data
This research used the “Information Divide Index Data” of the NIA in 2013. The NIA data has been gathered for the purpose of determining the yearly information divide status of vulnerable social groups. This data comprises several items, including general characteristics of the overall populace and of those with disabilities and the ability to use the internet and smart devices, which is appropriate data to use in performing this research. Specifically, the NIA has sampled 5500 general
Effects of disability and device on access
The influence of disability and device on access is shown in Fig. 1. Regarding PC access for those with disabilities, 74.1% of respondents (2,002) had access, while 85.5% of the general group did (4,704). Regarding smart device access, 41.0% of those with disabilities had access (1,079), while 74.4% of general respondents did (4,107). Finally, the access rate for both PC and smart devices was higher for the general group, and this difference was greater in the smart environment.
Effects of disability and device on skill
The effects of
Discussion
ICT is connected with every aspect of social, cultural, economic, educational, and commercial activity. Smart devices in particular have changed society and are necessary goods for modern people. Smart device usage is rapidly growing in everyday life, so the ability to use a smart device is increasingly important. New communication technology makes both positive and negative contributions to the digital divide. Despite the possibility of mobile devices having positive aspects, there is little
Conclusion
The results of the present study show that the smart environment further creates the information divide experienced by people with disabilities. Smart society has the potential to create a further such divide in the future. Accessibility is the first problem to resolve in mitigating this information divide in both the PC-based and smart environments. The factors affecting accessibility may be varied; therefore, individualized policies should be developed according to the reasons each person
Conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Acknowledgments
We thank National Information Society Agency for assistance in data acquisition.
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