Experiences of Participating in Digital Society in Later Life: Insights from a Comparative Study on Older Adults with and Without Impairments

Arlind Reuter; Stefan Johansson; Junia Joffer; Catharina Gustavsson

doi:10.16993/sjdr.1364

Experiences of Participating in Digital Society in Later Life: Insights from a Comparative Study on Older Adults with and Without Impairments

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1

By: Arlind Reuter , Stefan Johansson , Junia Joffer and Catharina Gustavsson

Open Access

|Jul 2026

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore to what extent older adults with and without impairments feel included in and participate in digital society. Drawing on data from a nationwide survey conducted in 2023, ‘Swedes with impairment and the Internet’, and from matched participants without impairments, responses from older adults (aged ≥65 years) were analysed using a mixed-methods convergent approach: quantitative analyses using the chi-square test and uni- and multivariable binary logistic regression for questions with fixed response options, and reflexive thematic analysis for free-text responses. Our findings highlight three themes: autonomy as a pillar of digital participation; compounding vulnerability at the intersection of age, impairment, and structural exclusion; and exclusion by design. Structural limitations in society’s digital infrastructures shape the digital participation of older adults with and without impairments. This underscores the need for universally accessible digital environments as a key policy response.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1364 | Journal eISSN: 1745-3011

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Language: English

Page range: 309 - 324

Submitted on: Sep 7, 2025

Accepted on: May 18, 2026

Published on: Jul 7, 2026

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

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© 2026 Arlind Reuter, Stefan Johansson, Junia Joffer, Catharina Gustavsson, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1