Disability and digital inequality
Understanding the impact of different disabilities and socio-economic factors on internet use in Ghana
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20508302 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Clement Mensah Damoah (0000-0002-5535-3255, Arizona State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 610-633 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Information Communication & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-118X • E-ISSN: 1468-4462 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1369118x.2025.2529344 |
| OpenAlex | W4412366492 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 47 |
This paper examines the underexplored area of internet use among persons with disabilities, with a focus on Ghana, where mobile phone use is expanding access to online services, including government, health, and economic opportunities like mobile banking. Despite this growth, little is known about internet usage of individuals with disabilities in Ghana, who often have lower incomes and may require assistive devices. Using data from the 2021 Ghana population census, involving 908,125 participants, this study explores the relationship between disability status and internet use. Findings indicate that individuals with disabilities are less likely to use the internet, even when controlling for various covariates. Notably, those with intellectual disabilities show the lowest likelihood of internet use. Additionally, disabled men are more likely to use the internet than disabled women. The study highlights the diversity within the disabled population, suggesting that different types of disabilities create unique barriers to internet access. It also underscores significant inequalities in internet use between disabled and non-disabled individuals, suggesting the need for policies that enhance use of internet for people with disabilities in Ghana. These policies and programs may include the provision of assistive technology, the promotion of accessible websites and applications, and the provision of subsidies for internet services
Demographic economics · Digital divide · Economic growth · Economics · Inequality · Public economics · Sociology · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Economic Growth and Development · ICT Impact and Policies · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Media and Politics
The Digital Disconnect
Determinants of mobile broadband use in developing economies
Internet adoption and financial development in sub-Saharan Africa
Internet skill levels increase, but gaps widen
Digital divide and marginalized women during Covid-19
Vulnerable people’s digital inclusion
Internet access for disabled people
Disability digital divide
Race, social media news use, and political participation
Human Rights of Students with Disabilities in Ghana
Social access
Beyond accessibility
Locked up and left out
Digital citizenship and disability in the covid era
The impact of education in shaping lives
Exposing the protected
Succinct Survey Measures of Web-Use Skills
The Mobile Phone in the Diffusion of Knowledge for Institutional Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Disability and Poverty in Developing Countries
Can the Web Be Made Accessible for People with Intellectual Disabilities
A Multidimensional Analysis of the Disability Digital Divide
Internet adoption and usage patterns in Africa
Mobile internet adoption in West Africa
Households' ICT access and bank patronage in West Africa
Virtual Inequality
Digital inequalities and why they matter
Justify your alpha
Unrealized potential
Gender (In)Equality in Ghana
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |