Ageing, disability, and the adoption of technology among Italian older adults

Assuming the Senior Technology Acceptance Model as a framework, the objective of this study is to investigate the level of adoption of gerontechnology among the Italian elderly with disabilities, as well as the influence of disability-related factors on the use and attitudes towards technologies. We carried out qualitative research including older people who acquired the disability early in life and people who acquired the disability as they aged and sought to highlight possible differences in their technology adoption strategies. Through narrative analysis, the results indicate that the age of onset of disability seems to mediate both perceptions of usefulness and general attitudes towards gerontechnology, increasing the sense of self-efficacy and decreasing the anxiety resulting from its use. Assuming the Senior Technology Acceptance Model as a framework, the objective of this study is to investigate the level of adoption of gerontechnology among the Italian elderly with disabilities, as well as the influence of disability-related factors on the use and attitudes towards technologies. We carried out qualitative research including older people who acquired the disability early in life and people who acquired the disability as they aged and sought to highlight possible differences in their technology adoption strategies. Through narrative analysis, the results indicate that the age of onset of disability seems to mediate both perceptions of usefulness and general attitudes towards gerontechnology, increasing the sense of self-efficacy and decreasing the anxiety resulting from its use.