Digital Humanities and disability: A systematic literature review of cultural accessibility for people with disability

Abstract

Abstract In recent times, Digital Humanities (DH), together with the discoveries of Information and Communications Technology, have enabled the rediscovery and usability of cultural content with the support of various technologies. However, it was found that not everyone is able to access web platforms or visit cultural sites easily. In particular, the epidemiological Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the retrograde state of culture in terms of accessibility and usability, conditioned by the physical and web browsing limitations that for years weighed on people with disabilities. Therefore, it was decided to investigate how DH might support the cultural accessibility of people with disabilities. In particular, it was decided to carry out a systematic review of the cultural innovations of DH together with a survey on disability and supporting technologies in order to present how to improve the quality of the cultural experience of such a target. This study proceeded with the research and selection of literature on the subject of DH and disability, with the selection, analysis, and correlation of the scientific works included. The reference time frame includes the works produced between 2018 and 2022 consulted on main databases such as Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), screened using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement.