Research paper
The effects of the smart environment on the information divide experienced by people with disabilities

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.11.001Get rights and content

Highlights

  • An accessibility gap still exists in both PC and smart devices for people with disabilities; moreover, this gap is greater in the smart environment.

  • The information divide of skill and convenience of competence is decreased more in that smart environment than in the PC environment.

  • The skill, information, and social relationships are increased in the smart environment, and convenience is decreased in both groups.

  • A customized training program should be created for people with disabilities to promote their active participation in the information society.

Abstract

Background

Information and Communication Technology (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, yet there is little data supporting increased digital inclusion of people with disabilities in mobile device use.

Objective/Hypothesis

This study investigates the effects of the smart environment on the information divide experienced by people with disabilities.

Methods

Data from the 2013 Information Divide Index Data of the National Information Society Agency was analyzed regarding three aspects: access, skill, and competence. The accessibility difference was investigated by comparing access to a PC or smart device in two groups. The effects of a smart environment on the information divide were analyzed using General Linear Modeling (GLM).

Results

The access rate was higher for the general group than for that of those with disabilities, and this difference appeared to be greater in the smart environment. The results of the GLM showed that disability and device access had statistically significant effects on skill and all aspects of competence.

Conclusions

These results provide evidence that the smart environment further creates the information divide for people with disabilities. Strategies should be formed to reduce this divide, particularly within smart environments.

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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