kth.sePublications KTH
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Disability digital divide: the use of the internet, smartphones, computers and tablets among people with disabilities in Sweden
KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Human Centered Technology, Media Technology and Interaction Design, MID.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7975-6198
KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Human Centered Technology, Media Technology and Interaction Design, MID.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2411-6417
Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, Nissers vag 3, 79182, Falun, Sweden; School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, 79188, Falun, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 564, 751 22, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0167-2557
2021 (English)In: Universal Access in the Information Society, ISSN 1615-5289, E-ISSN 1615-5297, Vol. 20, no 1, p. 105-120Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Although Sweden is one of the most digitalized countries and the Swedish population’s use of the internet is among the most studied in the world, little is known about how Swedes with disabilities use internet. The purpose of this study is to describe use of and perceived difficulties in use of the internet among people with disabilities and to explore digital divides in-between and within disability groups, and in comparison with the general population. This is a cross-sectional survey targeting the same issues as other nationwide surveys but adapted for people with cognitive disabilities. Participants were recruited from May to October 2017 by adaptive snowball sampling. The survey comprised questions on access to and use of devices, and use of and perceived difficulties in use of internet. A total of 771 people responded to the survey, representing 35 diagnoses/impairments. Larger proportions of people with autism, ADHD and bipolar disorder reported using internet than other disability groups. Women with autism used the internet more than any other disability group, and women with aphasia used the internet the least. People with disabilities related to language and understanding reported more difficulties using internet than other disability groups. Larger proportions of participants than the general Swedish population reported not feeling digitally included. In many but not all disability groups, larger proportions of men than women reported not feeling digitally included. Our findings show that there are differences in digital inclusion between sub-groups of diagnoses/impairments. Thus, disability digital divides are preferably investigated by sub-grouping disabilities, rather than studied as one homogeneous group. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature , 2021. Vol. 20, no 1, p. 105-120
Keywords [en]
Accessibility, Assistive technology, Disability digital divide, Exclusion, Inclusion, Internet access, Internet skills, Internet usage, Smartphone, Tablet
National Category
Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-274040DOI: 10.1007/s10209-020-00714-xISI: 000518481100001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85081571207OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-274040DiVA, id: diva2:1449757
Note

Not duplicate with DiVA 1362509

QC 20250314

Available from: 2020-06-30 Created: 2020-06-30 Last updated: 2025-03-14Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Johansson, StefanGulliksen, Jan

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Johansson, StefanGulliksen, JanGustavsson, Catharina
By organisation
Media Technology and Interaction Design, MID
In the same journal
Universal Access in the Information Society
Other Engineering and Technologies

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 696 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf