Access to Technology: Unique Challenges for People with Disabilities

A significant personal concern as well as a major political agenda item for the organized disability community. When thinking about technology and its usefulness for people who are elderly, it is important to recognize that a significant proportion of the elderly population also has disabilities. Even though many elderly people hesitate to think of themselves as "disabled," they do experience many functional limitations that are associated with aging. These physical or mental limitations, if ignored, can make it difficult for an individual to make good use of technology. This point is validated by data collected for the National Health Interview Survey, a household survey of the non-institutionalized U.S. population conducted by the Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics. The survey collects information about limitations in self-care activities. It shows that the elderly experience disability at roughly twice the rate of those in the older working ages (45-64) and four times the rate of the younger working-age group (18-44). The current population trend toward larger numbers of people who fall into the elderly age category also means that there will be more people who have disabilities, or limitations in self-care, in the overall population. In 1970, 11.7 percent of the entire population experienced activity limitation, increasing gradually over the next decade to 14.4 percent in 1981. During the 1980s, because of a language change in the survey, the rate remained roughly constant, at about 14 percent, and then rose rapidly from 13.7 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 1994. As the proportion of elderly people continues to rise, so will the overall incidence of disability. Technology can provide access to information and enable people to communicate with others in new ways. It is not an end to itself, but a new way to do things that people have done for centuries. For someone with a limitation in mobility, hearing, sight, or cognition, technology can add additional dimensions to life. For one, technology can provide new ways to get around limitations. For example, e-mail can be used to sign up for a social service program instead of the person having to travel to the agency. People can check with the library online to see if a book they want to borrow is there. Or, they can have their computers "remind" them when it is time to take a pill. As a whole new way of publishing information, the World Wide Web can be a very useful source of information about medical problems or chronic conditions. With search tools such as Yahoo or Excite, the person simply lists a few key words to find Web sites that suit particular interests. From a relevant Web site, the most useful information can be printed out, and links to other related Web sites are listed. Online support groups and practical information from people with common experiences instantly become available. The Web is also a very accessible source of information about consumer goods and an easy means of making purchases, provided the person is not squeamish about sending personal credit card information out into the Net. There are promises of security of such information, but many consumer advocates are leery. Nevertheless, for a person with limited mobility or someone who lives in a remote area, the Web can make all sorts of consumer goods available when there are few satisfying alternatives. As an example of electronic commerce, a visit to the Web site of any of a number of electronic "bookstores" makes available far more book titles than a "real" bookstore. The computer user can browse the best-sellers in several different categories, read book reviews and notes from book authors, and then purchase books, which are delivered through the mail in a few days. While technology can open many doors for people with limitations, extra steps are often necessary to ensure that the technology will work for them. …