FACE Disabled People, Technology and Internet

Abstract: This thesis is based on the Internet experiences of people with

significant mobility/physical impairments who are proficient and

experienced computer users in their computer world but have

limitations in mobility that severely restrict their functioning in

the physical world. The Internet functioning of this group is

analysed by means of the factors attitude, control and enabling,

with the main focus on what is achievable when all access

problems such as unadapted interfaces, beginners? difficulties and

the digital divide are overcome. If the virtual world is fully

available but the real world is not ? what are the effects on

learning, self image, communities of practice, sense of coherence,

power and control? What are the effects on peer-to-peer learning

and co-operation? Independent living concepts and theories

manifest themselves throughout the thesis, most obviously,

perhaps, in the selection of issues that are studied and in the

perspectives.

The theoretical background and concepts are those of disability

studies, with a social model and independent living perspective,

and with strong influences from rehabilitation engineering and

design.

Throughout the thesis elaborations and clarifications of the

possibilities of interplay and co-existence between rehabilitation

engineering and design and disability studies are made. Different

aspects of function design and technology are examined from an

expanded view on functioning, where technology is put in an

individual and social context with the FACE (Function ? Attitude,

Control, Enabling) tool.