Background

The following section provides background information about how the Phase I survey identified individuals as being likely or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology and reviews findings presented in the Phase I report, The Wide Range of Abilities and Its Impact on Computer Use.

Identifying Who Is Likely and Very Likely to Benefit from the Use of Accessible Technology

The Phase I study was designed to identify the range of individuals who are likely or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology. It consisted of survey questions that were written to identify individuals with disabilities or impairments as well as a broader group of individuals who experience occasional, intermittent, or mild difficulties performing daily tasks. Individuals with severe difficulties/impairments represent the group generally considered to comprise the market for accessible technology.⁴

This study was able to measure and understand the current and potential use of accessible technology by studying the broader group of individuals. Specifically, the survey included questions to identify:

• Individuals who have difficulty with a variety of daily tasks. These questions had a gradient of answers ("None," "Some," or "Most of the time") that allowed participants to be specific about the severity of difficulty with a daily task.
• Individuals who have a visual, dexterity, hearing, speech, or cognitive difficulty or impairment. These questions also had a gradient of answers that allowed participants to specify the severity of an impairment.
• Individuals who have a difficulty or impairment that impacts their employment.

Based on their responses, participants were placed into one of the following three groups according to the likelihood of benefiting from the use of accessible technology:

• Not likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to no (or very minimal) difficulties or impairments.
• Likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to experiencing mild difficulties or impairments.
• Very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to experiencing severe difficulties or impairments.

Because participants were able to respond to questions using a gradient of answers, they were able to report experiencing mild and intermittent difficulties and impairments in addition to the more severe and long-term difficulties and impairments that are typically defined as "disabilities" in other studies. This approach enabled the study to identify a wider range of individuals with difficulties and impairments and more accurately measure and understand the current and potential accessible technology market than other studies have been able to do.

Majority of Computer Users Likely to Benefit from the Use of Accessible Technology

This study identified a larger potential market for accessible technology than other studies because it measured individuals with mild or severe difficulties/impairments and identified them as being likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology. Figure 1 shows that 57% (74.2 million) of computer users are likely or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to having mild or severe difficulties/impairments. Specifically:

• 40% (51.6 million) of computer users are likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to mild difficulties/impairments.
• 17% (22.6 million) of computer users are very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to severe difficulties/impairments.

The remaining 43% (56.2 million) of computer users are not likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology because they have no difficulties/impairments.

Figure 1: Majority of Computer Users Likely to Benefit from the Use of Accessible Technology

Note about multiple difficulties/impairments: Figure 1 shows the total number of computer users who have one or more type of difficulty/impairment. Many individuals have multiple types of difficulties/impairments. Specifically, 42% of computer users with difficulties/impairments have more than one type.

The following section provides details about the use of computers among individuals with mild or severe difficulties and impairments.

Next page: Findings About the Use of Computers

⁴See Appendix B and Appendix C for details about the methodology and definitions of mild or severe difficulties and impairments.

(A Research Report Commissioned by Microsoft Corporation and Conducted by Forrester Research, Inc., in 2004)