Presentation on how context drives people's understanding and experiences of disability. Data collected through the OneStory application.

1. Crowdsourcing
Ourselves
Disability Identity Social Media

2. MediaIdentity
Disability

3. Disability is contextual

4. Country of the Blind

5. Island of the Color Blind

6. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language

7. See Sound Feel Sight Hear Color

8. 89% Adults 18-29 use social mediaPew Report

9. 54% Adults with disabilities on internetPew Report

10. Research: social media & identity

11. Facebook: Like me if you like my donuts
Twitter: I’m eating @KrispyKreme #donut
Yik Yak: The café donuts taste like %$#&!
Foursquare: I eat Donuts at Mama’s Bakery
Instagram: Check out this donut shaped like Me
YouTube: Watch me eating a donut
Pintrest: A collection of my favorite donut recipes
Spotify: Listening to: “Donut Disco”
Google +: People in my circle like donuts
LinkedIn: My skills include choosing the right donut for your business
Digital Identities Adapted from Paul Brown

12. Is there a “Twitter you”?

13. An Online you vs. an Offline you?

14. Identities others build…

15. “The characters with disabilities we do see on TV are typically
white males. In addition to the lack of racial and gender
diversity, many disabled characters are fueled by stereotypes
of "overcoming" their disability or being inspirational to
others. While there is nothing wrong with a character being
an inspiration to others, it should not be the only purpose that
they serve in the narrative. Here's a test to see if a disabled
character actually has a purpose beyond their disability;
replace the disabled character with an able-bodied one. Does
this character have a story, goals, relationships, and interests?
If they don't, we have a problem.” Do-It University of
Washington

16. Mixed messages?

17. “Now just for fun let’s imagine what would have happened if this
scene had portrayed a famous gay person or black person in an
over the top, clownish, just plain mocking way. So in the latter
case Gwyneth Paltrow would be wearing black face. In the former
case… well it’d never happen because the creator of Glee is gay.”
Andrew Gleason

18. “Now just for fun let’s imagine what would have happened
if this scene had portrayed a famous gay person or black
person in an over the top, clownish, just plain mocking
way. So in the latter case Gwyneth Paltrow would be
wearing black face. In the former case… well it’d never
happen because the creator of Glee is gay.” Andrew
Gleason
Sorry, Asperger’s?

19. Identities people with disabilities build

20. 58%
9%
6%
9%
10%
6%
Communicate with friends
Connect with others with disabilities
Entertainment-Disability culture is a part
Entertainment-Disability culture not a part
Networking
Read disability articles and blogs

21. “It’s kind of an ongoing story for people. It shows people,
here’s how someone’s life is day in and day out. I constantly
have people say, ‘Wow, you live better than most people’
because I’m kind of decadent and I like to do fun things, and
people are always surprised. I find it a little bit offensive
sometimes because people automatically assume my life must
really suck because I can’t walk. So all the pictures and stuff I
post on Facebook, it’s kind of a way for me to change people’s
stereotypes.” Jean Dobbs

22. Why should Facebook matter?

23. “On Twitter, there were no barriers”

24. What does “disability” look like?Stella Young

25. Disability looks like advocacy

26. Makies go viral

27. Disability Identity Social Media

28. LOCAL: 60% of population ItsOurStory.com

29. Twitter Trends

30. GLOBAL: Twitter Map

35. “Overcoming”
Awareness
Compensation
No influence
Thoughts on Social Media and Disability?

36. Dr. Sara Stetson
Jill Hartmann
Dr. Ann Gaffney
@GoodCognitions
@HartmannLearn
@annmgaffney
Thank You
sstetson@rivier.edu
jhartmann@rivier.edu
agaffney@rivier.edu