Computers are widely accepted as instrument for people with disabilities supporting their ADL tasks at home and at work. This is very much supported by the institutional support setting and accepted by people with disabilities. However, two areas receive still little consideration or are even neglected from the institutional perspective: the use of modern media for support and the use of social media by people with intellectual restrictions or disability. On the other hand are modern media already successfully used by many people with disabilities and disability groups on their own. Sometimes, special online settings are provided for special groups in order to meet their specific needs and maybe protect them. However, if people want to join in on the basis of their interest in an inclusive manner they need access to the options available in the mainstream media and social networks.
In this STS different aspects and approaches will be considered and discussed how media access can be organized and supported accordingly. The topics will address the situation of public Internet access points, online peer support, social networks etc. Research and practical approaches will be presented and critically discussed.
Chairs
Christian Bühler, Research Institute Technology and Disability, cb@ftb-esv.de
Bastian Pelka, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, pelka@sfs-dortmund.de