{"id":{"repo_id":"bifrost","oai_identifier":"oai:skemman.is:1946/52107"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/bifrost/oai:skemman.is:1946/52107","repository":{"repo_id":"bifrost","name":"Bifröst University","base_url":"https://skemman.is/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Digital Language Divide: Accessibility and Usability of Icelandic Public Digital Services for Foreign-Born Residents","abstract":"This thesis examines how foreign-born residents in Iceland experience public digital services and how language, interface design, and access mechanisms influence usability, autonomy, and institutional trust. Although Iceland has developed extensive digital government infrastructure, core platforms such as Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is, and Heilsuvera.is remain predominantly Icelandic in language and administrative style. As a result, services may function technically while remaining practically inaccessible to non-Icelandic speakers. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on survey data from 148 participants and qualitative insights from municipal multicultural officers, Icelandic-as-a-second-language instructors, and healthcare professionals. Quantitative results show recurring challenges related to partial translations, navigation complexity, and administrative terminology. Qualitative responses reveal strong emotional reactions—confusion, stress, and fear of errors—which reduce autonomy, discourage engagement, and weaken trust in public institutions. The findings demonstrate that barriers persist even among advanced Icelandic speakers, indicating that the exclusion is systemic rather than tied to individual competence. The thesis integrates theories of service quality, meaningful digital access, emotional UX, intercultural communication, and high-context administrative culture to propose a conceptual model linking language accessibility to cognitive load, emotional strain, and perceived institutional fairness. The study concludes that improving accessibility requires coordinated efforts across UX design, translation governance, legal drafting, and integration policy.","abstract_html":"This thesis examines how foreign-born residents in Iceland experience public digital services and how language, interface design, and access mechanisms influence usability, autonomy, and institutional trust. Although Iceland has developed extensive digital government infrastructure, core platforms such as Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is, and Heilsuvera.is remain predominantly Icelandic in language and administrative style. As a result, services may function technically while remaining practically inaccessible to non-Icelandic speakers. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on survey data from 148 participants and qualitative insights from municipal multicultural officers, Icelandic-as-a-second-language instructors, and healthcare professionals. Quantitative results show recurring challenges related to partial translations, navigation complexity, and administrative terminology. Qualitative responses reveal strong emotional reactions—confusion, stress, and fear of errors—which reduce autonomy, discourage engagement, and weaken trust in public institutions. The findings demonstrate that barriers persist even among advanced Icelandic speakers, indicating that the exclusion is systemic rather than tied to individual competence. The thesis integrates theories of service quality, meaningful digital access, emotional UX, intercultural communication, and high-context administrative culture to propose a conceptual model linking language accessibility to cognitive load, emotional strain, and perceived institutional fairness. The study concludes that improving accessibility requires coordinated efforts across UX design, translation governance, legal drafting, and integration policy.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Melissa Hortencia Moran Torres 1995-"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Háskólinn á Bifröst"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-02-14T15:38:43Z","date_published":"2026-02-14T15:38:43Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:53:57Z","subjects":["Tungumál","Stjórnsýsla","Innflytjendur"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1946/52107","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Háskólinn á Bifröst"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Melissa Hortencia Moran Torres 1995-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-02-14T15:38:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-02-14T15:38:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-02-14T15:38:43Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Tungumál","Stjórnsýsla","Innflytjendur"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/52107"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis examines how foreign-born residents in Iceland experience public digital services and how language, interface design, and access mechanisms influence usability, autonomy, and institutional trust. Although Iceland has developed extensive digital government infrastructure, core platforms such as Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is, and Heilsuvera.is remain predominantly Icelandic in language and administrative style. As a result, services may function technically while remaining practically inaccessible to non-Icelandic speakers. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on survey data from 148 participants and qualitative insights from municipal multicultural officers, Icelandic-as-a-second-language instructors, and healthcare professionals. Quantitative results show recurring challenges related to partial translations, navigation complexity, and administrative terminology. Qualitative responses reveal strong emotional reactions—confusion, stress, and fear of errors—which reduce autonomy, discourage engagement, and weaken trust in public institutions. The findings demonstrate that barriers persist even among advanced Icelandic speakers, indicating that the exclusion is systemic rather than tied to individual competence. The thesis integrates theories of service quality, meaningful digital access, emotional UX, intercultural communication, and high-context administrative culture to propose a conceptual model linking language accessibility to cognitive load, emotional strain, and perceived institutional fairness. The study concludes that improving accessibility requires coordinated efforts across UX design, translation governance, legal drafting, and integration policy.","Ritgerðin fjallar um upplifun erlendra íbúa á Ísland.is af opinberri stafrænnri þjónustu og hvernig tungumál, hönnun og aðgengi hafa áhrif á notagildi, sjálfstæði og traust til stofnana. Þrátt fyrir umfangsmikla stafrænna innviði byggja helstu þjónustuveitur ríkisins, svo sem Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is og Heilsuvera.is, enn að mestu á íslensku og formlegu stjórnsýslumáli. Þjónustan getur því verið tæknilega virkar en í raun ónothæf fyrir þá sem ekki hafa fulla íslenskukunnáttu. Rannsóknin beitir blandaðri aðferðafræði og byggir annars vegar á könnun með 148 þátttakendum og hins vegar á eigindlegum viðtölum við fjölmenningarfulltrúa sveitarfélaga, kennara í íslensku sem öðru máli og heilbrigðisstarfsfólk. Niðurstöður sýna endurteknar hindranir tengdar ófullnægjandi þýðingum, flókinni leiðakerfisuppbyggingu og lagalegu orðalagi. Eigindleg gögn sýna sterk tilfinningaviðbrögð—streitu, rugling og ótta við mistök—sem draga úr sjálfstæði og veikja traust til opinberra stofnana. Niðurstöður sýna einnig að jafnvel notendur með háa íslenskukunnáttu glíma við sams konar kerfislægar hindranir. Byggt er á kenningum um þjónustugæði, merkingarbært stafrænt aðgengi, tilfinningalega notendaupplifun, fjölmenningarleg samskipti og há-samhengis stjórnsýslu til að setja fram líkön sem tengja saman tungumálaaðgengi, hugræna byrði og upplifaða réttlætingu í þjónustu. Ritgerðin ályktar að bæta þurfi aðgengi með samstilltu átaki í UX-hönnun, þýðingastjórnun, lagagerð og samþættingarstefnu."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Digital Language Divide: Accessibility and Usability of Icelandic Public Digital Services for Foreign-Born Residents","Tungumálaskil í stafrænum opinberum þjónustum: Aðgengi og notagildi íslenskra stafræna þjónustukerfa fyrir íbúa af erlendum uppruna"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Háskólinn á Bifröst"],"dc:creator":["Melissa Hortencia Moran Torres 1995-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-02-14T15:38:39Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-02-14T15:38:39Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-02-14T15:38:43Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis examines how foreign-born residents in Iceland experience public digital services and how language, interface design, and access mechanisms influence usability, autonomy, and institutional trust. Although Iceland has developed extensive digital government infrastructure, core platforms such as Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is, and Heilsuvera.is remain predominantly Icelandic in language and administrative style. As a result, services may function technically while remaining practically inaccessible to non-Icelandic speakers. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on survey data from 148 participants and qualitative insights from municipal multicultural officers, Icelandic-as-a-second-language instructors, and healthcare professionals. Quantitative results show recurring challenges related to partial translations, navigation complexity, and administrative terminology. Qualitative responses reveal strong emotional reactions—confusion, stress, and fear of errors—which reduce autonomy, discourage engagement, and weaken trust in public institutions. The findings demonstrate that barriers persist even among advanced Icelandic speakers, indicating that the exclusion is systemic rather than tied to individual competence. The thesis integrates theories of service quality, meaningful digital access, emotional UX, intercultural communication, and high-context administrative culture to propose a conceptual model linking language accessibility to cognitive load, emotional strain, and perceived institutional fairness. The study concludes that improving accessibility requires coordinated efforts across UX design, translation governance, legal drafting, and integration policy.","Ritgerðin fjallar um upplifun erlendra íbúa á Ísland.is af opinberri stafrænnri þjónustu og hvernig tungumál, hönnun og aðgengi hafa áhrif á notagildi, sjálfstæði og traust til stofnana. Þrátt fyrir umfangsmikla stafrænna innviði byggja helstu þjónustuveitur ríkisins, svo sem Ísland.is, Skatturinn.is og Heilsuvera.is, enn að mestu á íslensku og formlegu stjórnsýslumáli. Þjónustan getur því verið tæknilega virkar en í raun ónothæf fyrir þá sem ekki hafa fulla íslenskukunnáttu. Rannsóknin beitir blandaðri aðferðafræði og byggir annars vegar á könnun með 148 þátttakendum og hins vegar á eigindlegum viðtölum við fjölmenningarfulltrúa sveitarfélaga, kennara í íslensku sem öðru máli og heilbrigðisstarfsfólk. Niðurstöður sýna endurteknar hindranir tengdar ófullnægjandi þýðingum, flókinni leiðakerfisuppbyggingu og lagalegu orðalagi. Eigindleg gögn sýna sterk tilfinningaviðbrögð—streitu, rugling og ótta við mistök—sem draga úr sjálfstæði og veikja traust til opinberra stofnana. Niðurstöður sýna einnig að jafnvel notendur með háa íslenskukunnáttu glíma við sams konar kerfislægar hindranir. Byggt er á kenningum um þjónustugæði, merkingarbært stafrænt aðgengi, tilfinningalega notendaupplifun, fjölmenningarleg samskipti og há-samhengis stjórnsýslu til að setja fram líkön sem tengja saman tungumálaaðgengi, hugræna byrði og upplifaða réttlætingu í þjónustu. Ritgerðin ályktar að bæta þurfi aðgengi með samstilltu átaki í UX-hönnun, þýðingastjórnun, lagagerð og samþættingarstefnu."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/52107"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Tungumál","Stjórnsýsla","Innflytjendur"],"dc:title":["The Digital Language Divide: Accessibility and Usability of Icelandic Public Digital Services for Foreign-Born Residents","Tungumálaskil í stafrænum opinberum þjónustum: Aðgengi og notagildi íslenskra stafræna þjónustukerfa fyrir íbúa af erlendum uppruna"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:53:57Z"}