Web accessibility and people with visual impairments : Perspectives and experiences

Abstract: This thesis aims to explore the perspectives of people with visual impairments about the internet and web accessibility. How the current status of web accessibility is and how people with visual impairments use the internet are important topics in a society that is more and more digitalized. Nine people with visual impairments were asked through semi-structured interviews. The questions covered what they do on the internet, what devices and assistive technologies they use, how web accessibility affects them and how they become digitally literate. This collected data from the interviews and literature, focused on digital disability divide, digital literacy and web accessibility, guided the analysis which was conducted following a qualitative approach. This thesis shows that, while web accessibility allows for many online actions nowadays, much more is required. More focus on the users and their needs related to technical access is needed and digital literacy should be promoted. The study also concludes that technology, digital literacy and web experience are interconnected, which could provide a framework for future research.