Internet (non)use by people with disabilities: extent and barriers to internet access

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. Ensuring basic access to the Internet for socially vulnerable groups of the population is an important task in the context of reducing digital inequality. The study focuses on the digital divide and its factors. The aim is to examine the impact of disability and other individual characteristics, including place of residence, on 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.