Study Shows Disabled Less Likely to Be Online

Americans with disabilities and other chronic conditions are less
likely to use the Internet, but those who are online are among the
most avid consumers of health-related information, a new study
finds.

Half of those with chronic conditions use the Internet, compared
with three-quarters of those without, the Pew Internet and
American Life Project said Monday.

That's partly because those with chronic conditions tend to be
older and less educated, two factors linked with lower Internet
usage overall, said Susannah Fox, an associate director at Pew and
the study's main author. Other barriers include difficulties
navigating the Web for those with, say, poor vision or motion
control.

But when they are online, those with chronic conditions are more
apt to seek health information online at least for some tasks.

"It's an indication of what could happen in the future if there
were more universal access to the Internet," Fox said. "This
population is just as likely as anyone else to take advantage of
the technology's promises."

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SOURCE: USA Today