Dostęp do sieci Internet oraz korzystanie z komputerów osobistych przez osoby z niepełnosprawnością zamieszkałe na obszarach wiejskich
Internet access and the usability of personal computers by people with disabilities residing in rural areas

Summary/Abstract: The subject and aim of the article: Determining the accessibility and usability of personal computers and the Internet by people with disabilities residing in rural areas of Poland. Materials and methods: Survey conducted among 5000 people with disabilities residing in rural and urban-rural communes of Poland in the period from June 2010 to June 2011. Results: More than half of the respondents residing in rural areas do not use computers nor do they know how to use them. Over half of the respondents’ households do not have access to the Internet. Only 19.58% of people with disabilities who are unable to use computers would like to acquire such a skill. Conclusion: Due to the dynamic development of ICT technologies, including the Internet and social media, it is necessary to implement measures which will counteract digital exclusion of the disabled. These measures should be aimed at: improving the accessibility of people with disabilities to computer equipment and the Internet, increasing awareness of the benefits that the use of modern communication solutions may bring, and the need of this social group to learn how to use computer equipment.

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