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Kaye, H.S., Neri, M. & Wong, A. (2009, July). Telecommunication needs of Californians with disabilities: Final Report. San Francisco, CA: UCSF Disability Statistics Center.

Abstract

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and researchers at the Disability Statistics Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) were interested in examining the telecommunications awareness, access, practices, and preferences of Californians with disabilities in both daily and emergency situations. This needs assessment consisted of reviewing pertinent literature, conducting key informant interviews, subsequently developing a telecommunications survey to be used in the participant interviews, and finally interviewing Californian adults with the aforementioned disabilities. Study participants were experienced users of a broad range of technologies, and the findings therefore do not reflect the full range of telecommunications experiences of Californians with disabilities, many of whom are less sophisticated in their usage of newer technologies.

Between December 2008 and April 2009, 120 interviews were conducted with participants from six broad disability categories: Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low-vision, difficulty using hands/mobility impairment, and speech impairment. Participants were asked about Internet usage, cell phone or wireless device usage, use of landline phones, their favorite way to communicate, areas for improvements, communicating in emergency situations, and their knowledge of the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP) and California Telephone Access Program (CTAP). This report presents the findings of those interviews.

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