Perceived Usefulness and Satisfaction of Mobile Phone for Users with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force in 2008. The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework produced by UNESCO in 2013 formulated a development agenda for these rights, highlighting the importance of mobile devices in this development effort. For most persons with disabilities, the mobile phone is an innovation. What factors affect their satisfaction of mobile phones? The technology acceptance model (TAM) suggests that the perceived usefulness of the device will affect a person’s attitude towards the technology and the associated satisfaction. This study examines the perceived usefulness of mobile phones for persons with disabilities. A survey was conducted. The structural equation model developed showed the latent variable Perceived Usefulness, manifested as Social Function, Emergency Help, Sense of Security, positively affected user satisfaction. Implications for enhancing mobile phone perceived usefulness for users with disabilities are discussed.