Aphasia websites: An examination of their quality and communicative accessibility

Abstract

Background : Studies have examined Internet use as a source of information by various populations, however no study has examined the quality and accessibility of websites for people with aphasia, or their use of such sites. Aims : This study aimed to describe the quality, communicative accessibility, and readability of a sample of aphasia websites and to determine whether sites preferred by people with aphasia were those rated highly on measures of accessibility and quality. The perceptions of people with aphasia regarding the accessibility of the sites were compared with those of speech pathologists. The relationship between the quality and communicative accessibility of websites was analysed. Factors that may influence use of the Internet by people with aphasia and speech pathologists were explored. Methods & Procedures : Tools for measuring quality and communicative accessibility were developed and a sample of five websites was selected. Two participant groups (18 speech pathologists and 6 people with aphasia) assessed aphasia websites in terms of communicative accessibility. Speech pathologists also rated website quality. Spearman's rho was used to determine levels of agreement between variables. Outcomes & Results : People with aphasia and speech pathologists showed minimal agreement on their perceptions of communicative accessibility. However, when the preferences of people with aphasia and overall ratings were considered, both groups agreed that two specific websites (Aphasia Help and Speakability) were of a very high standard. There was a weak relationship between quality and communicative accessibility, however it was not statistically significant. Conclusions : Accessible websites are not necessarily of high quality, and quality websites are not guaranteed to be easily accessible. People with aphasia did not agree with speech pathologists as to what makes a good aphasia website. Therefore, people with aphasia should be involved in the design of aphasia websites since they are often the intended users. If Internet use by people with aphasia increases in line with other health populations, speech pathologists need to have the skills and confidence to recommend appropriate sites to their clients.