본 연구는 장애인의 정보격차 수준을 살펴보기 위하여 National Information society Agency(NIA)의 “정보격차지수 데이터” 2009년도 자료를 이용하여 일반소비자와 장애인의 인터넷 사용에 대한 소비자능력을 측정하였다.
본 연구의 구체적인 결과는 다음과 같다.
첫째, 소비자능력을 장애유형, 학력, 연령별로 정리한 결과는 다음과 같다. 먼저 사용지식의 경우 청년층에서는 장애인 보다 일반 소비자의 지식 점수가 높은 것으로 나타났지만 고령층의 경우 일반 소비자 보다 장애인의 사용지식의 수준이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 유용성태도의 결과는 일반소비자와 장애인 모두 고령층 보다는 청년층의 태도점수가, 저학력 보다는 고학력 집단의 태도점수가 높은 것으로 나타났다. 사용시간의 경우 일반소비자와 장애인집단 모두고령층보다는 청년층이, 그리고 저학력 보다는 고학력의 인터넷 사용 시간이 더 많은 것으로 나타났다. 또한 일반소비자집단과 장애인집단을 비교해 보면 일반소비자들 보다 장애인의 인터넷 사용 시간이 더 많은 것으로 나타났다.
둘째, 장애유무/유형, 학력, 연령의 주효과와 상호작용효과의 결과를 살펴보면 사용지식과 유용성태도는 장애유무/유형의 주효과는 검증되지 않았지만 학력과 연령의 주효과는 검증되었다. 또한 학력과 연령 각각과 장애유무/유형의 상호작용 효과가 통계적으로 유의미한 것으로 나타났다. 사용시간의 결과에서는 학력과 연령의 주효과만이 검증되었으며 상호작용 효과는 발견되지 않았다.
셋째, 장애인 간의 장애유형, 장애등급, 학력, 연령의 소비자능력의 평균값을 살펴보면, 사용지식은 고령층보다는청년층이 저학력보다는 고학력의 사용지식 점수가 더 높은 것으로 나타났다. 유용성태도의 결과는 저학력집단보다는 고학력집단이 점수가 더 높은 것으로 나타났으며 고령층 보다는 청년층의 태도 점수가 일관되게 높은 것으로 나타났다. 사용시간의 결과에서도 저학력 보다는 고학력 집단이 그리고 고령층 보다는 청년층의 사용시간 이 더 많은것으로 나타났다.
넷째, 장애인간의 장애유형, 장애등급, 학력, 연령의 영향력을 살펴보면 학력과 연령의 주효과는 검증되었지만 장애유형과 장애등급의 주효과는 검증되지 않았다. 또한 장애등급*학력의 상호작용효과가 검증되었다.
This study measured consumer competence of general consumers and disabled consumers about internet access by using “2009 digital divide index data” published by National Information society Agency(NIA) in order to examine digital divide level of persons with disability. The result of this study is as follows.
First, when consumer competence was examined according to disability types, education level and age, it was revealed that in young consumers, knowledge score of general consumes were higher than that of disabled consumers while in old aged group, knowledge score of disabled consumers were higher than that of general consumers. When attitude toward usefulness was examined, it was revealed that attitude score of young people was higher than that of old people and attitude score of the group with high level education was higher than that of group with low level education. It was revealed that hours of use of young people were more than that of old people and hours of use of the group with high level education was more than that of group with low level education. It was revealed that hours of use of disabled consumers were more than that of general consumers.
Second, when the effect of disability/disability types, educational level and age was examined,it was revealed that effect of disability/disability types on used knowledge and attitude toward usefulness was not proved and effect of educational level and age use knowledge and attitude toward usefulness was proved. It was revealed that correlation between educational level, age,disability/disability types was statistically significant effect. When hours of use were examined,effect of educational level and effect of age were proved respectively but correlation between educational level was not proved.
Third, when disability types, disability grade, educational level and age among disabled consumers were examined in terms of consumer competence, it was revealed that score of used knowledge young people had was higher than that of old people and score of used knowledge of the group with high level of education was higher than that of the group with low level of education. It was revealed that the score of attitude toward usefulness of the group with high level of education was higher than that of the group with low level of education and the score of attitude toward usefulness of young people was higher than that of old people. It was revealed that hours of use of the group with high level education was more than that of the group with low level of education and hours of use of young people were more than that of old people.
Fourth, when the effect disability types, disability grade, educational level and age among disabled consumers, effect of educational level and effect of age were proved but effect of disability type and effect of disability grade were not proved. Correlation between disability grade and educational level was proved The implication of this study is as follows.
First, as a result of survey on the effect of factors affecting consumer competency between the disabled and consumer competence between general consumers and disabled consumers, in case of disability type and disability grade, main effect were not verified, but the main effects of age and education level were verified. On top of that, the effects of interaction between disability type*age and disability type*education level were confirmed by results of used knowledge and attitude toward usefulness. In addition, consistent results on time of use showed that the time of use by the disabled consumers were more than that of general consumers.
Second, in case of used knowledge and attitude toward usefulness, interaction effects of disability*age were verified. Generally, the oldy with a disability tend to be considered as minorities in information society, but in this study, scores on the used knowledge and attitude toward usefulness of the old consumers in disabled group turned out to be higher those of the old in general consumer group. This result seems to be due to effect of information education,targeting the disabled. In connection with this, information education for the disabled is likely to be performed effectively by various channels and the disabled seem to participate in information education actively, recognizing the necessity of information technology.
Third, the results on the time of use showed that the time of use internet by the disabled consumers were much more than that of the general consumers. For the disabled consumers,means of communicating information like internet must be effective media helping to interact with outside world. In this regard, much more time is spent on using computer and internet is natural for the disabled consumers, compared with the general consumers.
