Digital competences and disability: a contribution to a more inclusive digital society

Lazić, Milena and Simović, Vladimir and Domazet, Ivana (2024) Digital competences and disability: a contribution to a more inclusive digital society. Universal Access in the Information Society. ISSN 1615-5297

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Abstract

The paper presents empirical data on the perceived level of general digital competences of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Serbia (n = 250) using an established methodology to ensure international comparability. The paper aims to answer the following research questions: What is the perceived level of digital competences of PWDs? What demographic and socioeconomic factors determine PWDs perceptions of digital competences at different levels?. The study followed a quantitative approach. The survey was designed to collect information on the perception of digital competences of PWDs. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and binary logistic regression. The results reveal that while a significant proportion of PWDs consider themselves sufficiently competent to perform digital tasks, there are still significant differences, particularly in access to key information and e-services. In addition, key variables such as gender, age, education, employment status, regularity of monthly income and health status were identified as influential factors in the perception of digital competences among PWDs. Finally, men with disabilities of younger age and with walking impairments were found to be several times more likely to consider themselves sufficiently competent to complete tasks independently compared to the other categories of PWDs observed. The findings underscore the urgency of addressing digital inequalities holistically and make the case for targeted digital training and inclusive initiatives that consider gender differences, age and market dynamics.

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