The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that influence the disables’
usage of computer/internet, and their education-need. The survey of disable people in the 2008 Digital Divide was used to explore the factors. The dataset was collected by RDEC (Research, Development and Evaluation Commission,
Executive Yuan) to reduce the gap of digital divide between urban and rural areas, and between different groups in Taiwan.
The study found that groups of male, younger, high education level, employment, high personal income, living in northern section, mild autism and mental
retardation and connecting internet at home were more likely to be associated with ever used computer.
Among those disables who ever operated computer, the groups of younger, high education level, employment, high personal income, connecting internet at home and had no difficulties in operating computer and using software and hardware had higher possibility had ever surfed on the internet; the groups of employment, high personal income, connecting internet at home and difficult to use computer software had shown higher computer education-need.
According the findings of research, here are specific suggestions for policymakers to shorten the digital divide for disables. Government needs to pay more attention to disable population, to provide computer education to them, and to establish a special project focusing on assistive technology for disables.
