re: empowerment, I like this piece because it provides you a good conceptual framework for the types of social support people with disabilities receive online. Braithwaite, D. O., Waldron, V. R., & Finn, J. (1999). Communication of Social Support in Computer-Mediated Groups for People With Disabilities. [Article]. Health Communication, 11(2), 123. Nevertheless, you may find the people in New Zeeland use other types of support you did not expect to see... Good luck! Daphna Yeshua-Katz Department of Telecommunications Indiana University www.indiana.edu/~telecom/people/grads/dyeshuak.shtml ________________________________________ From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] on behalf of John McNutt [mcnuttjg@netzero.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2013 10:46 PM To: 'Philippa Smith'; 'Air list' Subject: Re: [Air-L] Internet access and accessibility for people with disabilities Try looking at the literature in assistive technology. There is some very good theoretical material and a lot of practical literature. It is a robust field and almost all of it deals with the problems of the physically and mentally challenged (not all of it, however, deals with ICTs). Good luck with your search. John McNutt Professor University of Delaware -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Philippa Smith Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2013 10:10 PM To: Air list (air-l@listserv.aoir.org) Subject: [Air-L] Internet access and accessibility for people with disabilities Dear AOIR members, I am currently searching the academic literature to help me in my preparation of a research proposal about internet access and accessibility for people with disabilities here in New Zealand. This will consider not only difficulties in being 'connected' but also what the needs are of people in using computers/the Internet whether they have impairments relating to vision or hearing, or who suffer from physical conditions as a result of diseases such as Parkinson's Disease or arthritis. Really anything in the health area that is relevant to this topic and it should extend to include anything about the benefits of the Internet for people with disabilities such as empowerment. I am aware that the Pew Report does cover this to some extent, and have also found Dobransky and Harigattai's 2006 paper titled 'The disability divide in Internet access and use' in Information Communication and Society to be useful. But if anyone can offer or direct me to further material I would be very grateful. Kind regards Philippa Philippa K Smith, PhD Research Manager Institute of Culture, Discourse & Communication AUT University Auckland NEW ZEALAND _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/