The Digital Divide Affects the Social Exclusion of People with Disabilities during the COVID-19

Overview: The author of this paper explores an existing theory to explain the digital divide, and proposes an extension of the theory to more adequately explain the impact of the digital divide experienced by the elderly with disabilities in the era of COVID-19 on social exclusion.Proposal text: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the digital divide that the elderly with disabilities experience. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to reconsider whether the elderly with disabilities are inevitably vulnerable to the double risk of the digital divide. Following the outbreak of the pandemic as the Internet has evolved into a space for social interaction and communication, as well as information, health care, social services, and education, the elderly with disabilities who lack Internet access and digital literacy have experienced social isolation. This may eventually result in their social exclusion. This paper aims to explore an existing theory for conceptualizing the digital divide, discuss its limitations, and propose an expansion of the model to more adequately account for the concerns of this population group. In addition, the author of this paper asserts that interventions and policies promoting social participation and social inclusion of the elderly with disabilities can be implemented through accurate evaluation and research based on an extended framework.