People with Disabilities and Virtual Worlds
How do People with Disability Use and Experience Virtual Worlds and Information and Communications Technologies?
Karen Stendal, Molde University College / University of Agder, Norway in The Journal of Virtual Worlds Research Volume 5, Number 1 May 2012
There is wide agreement that information and communication technology
(ICT) is a valuable tool for people with disability. Several research
disciplines have focused on how people with disability can take
advantage of the technology available for social, educational and
personal purposes. Virtual worlds represent the latest addition to the
technologies available, yet there is little research on how people with
disability use and experience virtual worlds. A review of research
conducted in different disciplines on the affordances and challenges of
virtual worlds and ICT for people with disability is presented here. The
main objective was to highlight areas that lack sufficient research in
the field of virtual worlds for people with disability. Understanding
how use of ICT influences people with disability is important to
identify the possibilities and challenges virtual worlds offer to this
group. Findings from this study indicate that there is little empirical
research exploring the social aspects, work opportunities and personal
value virtual worlds may offer people with disability. The research
reviewed points to the importance of bringing research disciplines
together to accelerate knowledge about the potential and promises of
virtual worlds for people with disability.
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