If we can see, everyone can : A study of how blind people relate to the Internet in Sweden today and what impact it has on their independence and participation.

The purpose of this media scientific study is to contribute to a better understanding about how blind people’s empowerment and participation may affect their role in the digital society. Earlier international studies in this area have shown that blind people not only need more knowledge then the seeing population about the computer, but also about the technology behind their tools for using Internet. The results from these studies have also shown that Internet increases the blind people’s independents and that those who use Internet feel more involved in the society. A qualitative method was chosen to study the three most common categories from the earlier studies: knowledge of technology, empowerment and participation. Are there differences in the results compared to our study in Sweden 2014? Interviews with eight blind, experienced computer users have shown that knowledge of technology is essential for their use of Internet and that the Internet increases their empowerment and their participation. But good knowledge of technology is not a guarantee for a flawless use of Internet. The most common problem is not lack of knowledge, but the web sites are not customised for the blind person’s needs and tools. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the theories of the digital divided and Jürgen Habermas theory about the public sphere