Special Issue on Mediated Communication

Co-editors:
Jeremy L. Brunson
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Gallaudet University
Department of Sociology
&
Mitchell E. Loeb
Health Scientist
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Individuals who experience disablement are often left without complete participation in the society in which they live. This disparity can take different forms and have varying consequences depending the specific type of disability and the environmental accommodations that are available. Individuals whose communication modality differs from the rest of society are often dependent on a form of technology to assist them in their communication or an intermediary to communicate on their behalf in order to fully participate in society. As such, the Special Issue of DSQ that we propose will be a complete issue that will focus on mediated communication and, in addition to the presentation of papers that are theoretical, empirical, and commentary in nature will also include cultural commentary, creative work, scholarly work, book/film reviews. To date, there has not been a publication, DSQ or otherwise, that focuses on this broad topic. Disability Studies scholars, students of Disability Studies, people with disabilities, and individuals who affect policies will all be interested in such an issue. Mediated communication is a cross-cutting subject area and there are a variety of arenas in which this topic could be explored, for example, through literal — sign language interpreters for deaf people, the use of communication boards and facilitated communication for autistic individuals — to more figurative interpretations of mediated communications that could include ideas of representations. In addition to scholars in the social sciences, philosophy, and critics of literature, a call for papers will be posted on listservs that are primarily targeted for disability studies scholars. Below is our proposed timeline.