Kontakt X:X | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2026.047

E-accessibility for Czech Sign Language users: digital determinants of healthSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Kateřina Pešková^{1, 2}, Radka Prázdná ORCID...¹, Olga Malinovská ORCID...^{1, *}, Pavel Zikl ORCID...^{1, 3}

¹ University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Education, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

² Deaf Friendly s.r.o., Praha 7, Czech Republic

³ University of Hradec Králové, Faculty of Education, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

The aim of this study is to identify barriers to e-accessibility, clarify their causes, and use such analysis to propose recommendations for removing or minimizing them so that users of Czech Sign Language (CSL) can fully and effectively use information and communication technologies (ICT) in society and everyday life. The research was designed as a mixed-methods study. The quantitative part was carried out using a questionnaire survey among the users of CSL, while the qualitative part was carried out in the form of focus groups with CSL users and e-accessibility experts. The data was analyzed with an emphasis on user experience and the evaluation of the accessibility of digital services by the users of CSL themselves. The findings show that while existing legislative commitments contribute to improving general digital accessibility, the measures do not sufficiently reflect the linguistic and communication specificities of CSL users. Respondents pointed in particular to the limited availability of information and communication in CSL, the predominance of text-based solutions, and the lack of use of existing tools and social services for CSL users in practice. This study identifies the systemic limits of the current legislation in digital accessibility from the perspective of users of CSL and points to the need for more explicit consideration of these limits in the implementation mechanisms. The findings also define a new research topic focused on the discrepancy between the legislative framework and the real needs of CSL users.

Keywords: Czech Sign Language; Czech Sign Language users; Digital accessibility; European Accessibility Act; Social determinant of health

Grants and funding:

The research presented in this article was co-financed from the state budget by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the Sigma Programme (project No. TQ01000362).

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: January 20, 2026; Revised: June 16, 2026; Accepted: August 8, 2026; Prepublished online: August 11, 2026