As Tom Shakespeare (PEALS, University of Newcastle, UK) mentioned in his talk at Vienna University (9 may 2008), the www offers various opportunities for social integration to bodily or mentlly impaired people. The communication through the internet offers chances of communication free off prejudices and other social barriers, which enables a lot of people to foster autonomy and empowerment.
In our research we lay one focus on the imagery and reprasantation of disability in virtual reality (as well as in the world of mass media and pop culture), to figure out different reasons for and relationships of showing and hiding disability.
we therefore collect and analyse images in advertisment, movie, literature, but also in computer gaming and virtual worlds such as SECOND LIFE….
[picture: second life; found through: net.educause.edu]
DESIGNABILITIES 