Two New Survey of User Needs Research Briefs: SUNspots on Mobile Phone Use, Satisfaction, Features, and Activities

Submitted by Mz22 on May 23, 2019 - 11:34am
Publication Type: 
Reports
This bar chart presents how long individuals have had their devices. Among 48 basic cell phone owners who responded, 25 individuals have owned their devices longer than four years; 10 have owned their devices for less than four years but more than three years; 5 have owned their devices for less than three years but more than two years; 5 have owned their devices for less than two years but more than one year; 3 have owned their devices for less than one year. Among 319 smartphone owners who responded, 137

We created SUNspots to share easily digestible data points from the Wireless RERC's cornerstone survey, the Survey of User Needs (SUN). The SUN tracks the use and usability of wireless technology by people with disabilities.  Data collection for this version of the SUN started in 2017. And data collection ended in 2018.  We are currently in the process of analyzing the data and will be sharing it periodically with you through these SUNspots, and via a larger report in the future. 

The data collected from the SUN is used by RERC staff to inform R&D directions for our projects and outreach activities, to support our regulatory filings, and by industry to improve the accessibility of their products and services.  We also made a commitment to members of our Consumer Advisory Network to share what we've learned from the SUN data.  Please find links to the two new SUNspots below to see how wireless technology is being used by people with disabilities. 

SUNspot 01: Use of Mobile Phones by Individuals with Disabilities (2017-2018) presents key findings regarding mobile phone use and satisfaction by consumers with disabilities.

SUNspot 02: Use of Wireless Technology Features and Wireless Device Activities by Individuals with Disabilities (2017-2018) presents key findings regarding the use of wireless technology features by SUN respondents, including real-time-text, intelligent assistants, and visual and audio display options. We also discuss the use of wireless devices by individuals with disabilities for a variety of activities. Whereas SUNspot 1 focused on the devices themselves, this report focuses primarily on the capabilities built into those devices and their relationship to users' reported functional limitations and difficulties.

Date of Publication: 
Thursday, May 23, 2019

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The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RE5025-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.