SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
TITLE
Internet (Non)use by People with Disabilities: Extent and Barriers to
Internet Access
Sofia V. Korzhuk, Aleksandra Ya. Burdyak
INDEX
RAR (Research Article Report)
JEL D63
https://doi.org/10.52180/1999-9836_2024_20_4_12_645_656
AUTHORS
Sofia V. Korzhuk
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Institute of Applied Economic Research, Moscow,
Russia
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8914-0138
SPIN-code: 9604-0340
RSCI Author ID: 896620
Scopus Author ID: 5719449371
Aleksandra Ya. Burdyak
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Institute of Applied Economic Research, Moscow,
Russia
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1134-8550
SPIN-code: 8576-6888
RSCI Author ID: 694422
Scopus Author ID: 57194382944
For citation
Korzhuk S.V., Burdyak A.Ya. Internet (Non)use by People with Disabilities: Extent and Barriers to Internet Access. Uroven' zhizni naseleniya regionov Rossii=Living Standards of the Population in the Regions of Russia. 2024;20(4):645–656. https://doi.org/10.52180/1999-9836_2024_20_4_12_645_656
(In Russ.)
Abstract
This article examines the involvement of the population in Internet use and the barriers they face in access to the net with a particular focus on people with disabilities, one of the most vulnerable groups. Providing basic access to the Internet for socially vulnerable groups of the population is a pressing task in the context of reducing digital inequality. The object of the study is digital inequality, the subject is the factors of digital inequality. The purpose is to study the contribution of disability, other characteristics of the individual, including place of residence, to digital inequality. The analysis is based on two Rosstat surveys data for 2022 with the sample of 153 thousand respondents. The proportion of Internet users within the general population and among people with disabilities is described, highlighting age-related differences. The study assesses barriers to Internet use controlling for age, education level, family size, type of settlement, employment status, and regional standard of living using logistic regression models. Age appears to be the most powerful predictor of Internet (non)use, older individuals are less likely to use the Internet. Education and employment status are significant factors too, affecting not only the likelihood of Internet use but also the motivation to use it and the availability of relevant skills. The digital integration of people with disabilities is significantly less than that of their peers without disabilities. All else being equal, disability reduces the likelihood of Internet use by 1.7 times. Regions with high standard of living are associated with greater digital inclusion of the population, which means that support for digitalization processes should be targeted on regions with medium or low standard of living. Lack of motivation and lack of skills are the two main barriers to overcome; both are higher for people with disabilities all else being equal.
Keywords
disability, people with disabilities, digitalization, digital inequality, barriers to Internet access, assistive technologies, internet accessibility, factors of digital inequality
Acknowledgments
the article was written on the basis of the RANEPA state assignment research programme
AUTHOR'S BIOGRAFY
Sofia V. Korzhuk – Candidate of Sociological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Center «Institute of Social Analysis and Prediction» IAER RANEPA
Aleksandra Ya. Burdyak – Senior Researcher, Center «Institute of Social Analysis and Prediction» IAER RANEPA
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