WebWatch

Computer and Smartphone Ownership Rates and Internet Use Rates among Persons with Disabilities in Korea

Thanks to the rapid expansion of the World Wide Web and the growing population of Internet users, computer and smartphone ownership rates among persons with disabilities in Korea have been steadily increasing. Today people enjoy a wide array of Internet services, including electronic government, Internet banking, electronic commerce, education on the Internet, and Internet search for news. Thus, computers and smartphones have become essential tools of everyday living, not only for the general population, but also for persons with disabilities.

Source: 2014 Fact-Finding Survey on Information Gap by Ministry of Science,
ICT and Future Planning, National Information Society Agency

For persons with vision disabilities

Persons with vision disabilities need voice and other audio assistance. Alternative text (alt = “00”) programs help them to “see” the same visual images in sound.

For persons with hearing disabilities

Persons with hearing disabilities need visual aids, such as subtitles. Subtitles and sign language on videos and other multimedia materials help insure that they “hear” the same audio information visually.

For persons with physical disabilities

Persons with brain lesions and upper limb disabilities need logical sequencing because they must use a keyboard to access information on the Internet. Suitable markups and language styles must be used to separate the structure from expression. Furthermore, the use of the “Tab” key, or the “Shift + Tab” function must result in a logical sequence of movement.

Types of Disabilities and Internet Access Tools