A qualitative study about digital inequality experiences of individuals who have different disability

This research focuses on digital inequalities, which brings the discussions of social inequalities to a new field, within the framework of the relationship between disability and digital inequality concepts to understanding how digital inequalities are experienced by individuals with disabilities. Digital inequalities arise as a result of problems related to ICT access and use. In order to understand how these digital inequalities are experienced by people with disabilities, this research focused on the information and communication technology usage experiences of individuals with visual and physical disabilities. In this study, a qualitative research method was employed and in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of eight participants, four of whom were visually impaired and the other four were physically disabled. The theoretical framework of our study is shaped around the functional-environmental model, which is one of the models that explain disability in the sociology of disability. As a result of our research, it was found that economic difficulties, access barriers to public spaces, and negative cultural definitions, which are indicators of the unequal position of individuals with disabilities in society, both constitute the source of digital inequalities and can be reproduced due to digital inequalities. Findings on this subject were conveyed within the remarkable themes reached within the research. It was concluded that this situation creates a barrier to an accessible environment regarding technology and might make digital inclusion difficult for individuals with disabilities, therefore creating handicaps.