People with disability use the internet more

Transcript

27 October 2013

Roberta: A report from the UK has shown that more people with a disability are using the internet more frequently for social networking and job seeking than people without a disability. The report was done as part of the British Population Survey, which is the largest study of the British population, and here to tell us about the report is Media Access Australia’s Clarizza Fernandez. Welcome, Clarizza.

Clarizza: Thanks, Roberta.

Roberta: Now, what is the report about?

Clarizza: So it’s done by the Communications Regulator, Ofcom, and they’re in the UK. They commissioned a few disability-specific questions to be included as part of the British population survey and the information and data they received from this was released as a report titled “Disabled Consumers Ownership of Communication Services”. So the idea was to use this information to help inform Ofcom in relation to how people with hearing, vision, mobility and multiple impairments use communication services and the internet. When they refer to communication services they’re talking specifically about fixed line and mobile phones, the internet, radio, pay TV and free-to-air TV.

Roberta: What were the key findings of this report?

Clarizza: There’s some interesting data that came out of this. Firstly, we can see that employment has an impact on access and ownership of communication services. So there’s 55 percent of people with disabilities that own communication services compared to 83 percent of people without disabilities but then this changes when you compare how many employed disabled people own a communication device or service and how many employed non-disabled people own a communicate device or service. So when people with disabilities are employed they are just as likely as employed non-disabled people to have these services. The report also found that along disabilities groups it is the deaf or hearing impaired that are least likely to have internet access than other disability groups. The most likely group of people who own devices and have internet connections, this group are people who are vision impaired. Thirty three percent of vision impaired people own a smart phone compared to 27 percent of other disabled people. Lastly, there are consistent numbers for internet access in the 15 to 34 age group. Ninety percent of people with a disability within this age group have internet access and 93 percent of people without a disability have internet access and that’s only a difference of three percent.

Roberta: So, Clarizza, what does all this information say about the use of communication services and the internet for people with a disability?

Clarizza: There are two really clear things that come out of this report. So firstly it shows there is a direct relationship between employment and access to these services and it shows that access to the internet is just as important for people with disabilities, if not more important. So, really, it shows the importance of making sure, wherever possible, that these services are accessible to this group because when they do have access they use it even more than non-disabled consumers.

Roberta: Why is it that people who are hearing impaired are less likely to have internet access, Clarizza?

Clarizza: Well, this is often linked to age. So hearing loss is often related to age and that generation is currently less likely to access the internet. Having said that hearing and vision loss can occur at any age.

Roberta: So there’s a huge population of people who do need accessible websites.

Clarizza: Yes, that’s right. It’s a lot about what we often talk about on the show. It’s not just about access to the internet. It’s about what comes after that. So we know that a lot of people with disabilities and older people use the internet. So how can you make devices used to access the internet and websites accessible? Also, for people who have lost their hearing or have experienced vision loss they are probably still going to want to use the internet for certain things like banking and checking transport, timetables, so why exclude them?

Roberta: Thank you for all of that, Clarizza.

Clarizza: Okay, that’s no problem.

Roberta: We’ve been speaking to Clarizza Fernandez, Content Coordinator at Media Access. For information about using the internet you can call them on 02 9212 6242 or visit their accessible website, www.mediaaccess.org.au. That number again, 02 9212 6242, or visit the website, which I can tell you is very accessible, www.mediaaccess.org.au. Media Access Australia is a supporter of this program.

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