Disability and Communication: A Consideration of Cross-disability Communication and Technology

Abstract

The authors analyze the impact of marginalizing discourses surrounding disability on the design of communication options in online and virtual worlds. The primary focus is on conflict between participants in an ongoing study in Second Life, based on audio versus textual communication needs. Although the participants in the study are diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the difficulties faced in facilitating communication between the two groups reveal serious problems with current modes of live chatting which privilege one sense over the other, which would be relevant to other disabled populations. The inability to blend audio and textual communication creates an additional barrier for participants in the ongoing study in Second Life, and for visually and hearing impaired individuals who wish to use technology as a means of communicating with one another.

Keywords: Disability Studies; Communication; Hearing Impairment; Vision Impairment; Discourse model of disability; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis; Accessibility