A Study on the Assignments and Factors Affecting the Qualitative Digital Divide of People with Disabilities in South Korea

Abstract

In South Korea, a variety of social supports and businesses have been created in order to resolve the digital divide of people with disabilities. The quantitative divide has been reduced through such business and support, but the qualitative digital divide still remains. In order to reduce the qualitative digital divide, various contributing factors that affect the situation were investigated and the data of the "Survey and Digital Divide Index of 2011" were analyzed in this study(National Information Society- Agency).As a result, it was found that "Information Utilization Capacity" and "Information Utilization" tend to be higher among the young, more often male, higher education level, higher income people who had some information technology education and experience using telecommunication services. "Information Utilization Capacity" was contingent on congenital disabilities and "Information Utilization" tended to be higher among persons with experience of special needs education. "Information Utilization Capacity" and "Information Utilization" ability were higher among the physically handicapped than those with brain lesion disorders, visual impairments, hearing or language disorders, whereas "Information Utilization" ability was higher among those with hearing or language disorders than those with brain lesion disorders.