The facilitation of adoption and use of text intensive mobile services by low-literate users

Abstract

The challenge that low-literate users face when using text intensive artefacts is well documented. The barrier to entry and participation by these users to some socio-economic activities is exacerbated by current mobile phones which provide support for text intensive mobile services. Simple messaging, business and public service oriented mobile services may pose the most challenges. It is noted that text intensive mobile services carry significant impact in socio-economic participation involving communication, information seeking and knowledge generation. In order to support the emancipation of low-literate users and their voice in being heard it is of essence to enhance text intensive mobile services and motivate their adoption and use by these users. The aim of this paper is to explore attributes of text intensive mobile services that are inhibiting accessibility by low-literate users with the purpose of informing the enhancement of those mobile services to facilitate adoption and use by low-literate users. Tools facilitating the comprehension of users’ acceptance, adoption and use of new technological systems and artefacts have successfully been applied to business related domains and will be explored for understanding and explaining low-literate user challenges with text intensive mobile services. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement will be used to select an appropriate tool from the available set. The use of such an acceptance tool may explain acceptance thus enabling the emancipation of low-literate users by facilitating their participation in socio-economic activities using text intensive mobile services.