0000000000177526
AUTHOR
Judith Molka-danielsen
Capabilities and Affordances of Virtual Worlds for People with Lifelong Disability
Using technology is of great value for people with lifelong disability (PWLD). The Internet can help PWLD to be more independent, to be socially active, and to participate in a range of activities. Virtual worlds (VWs) offer an environment with technology capabilities for interaction, rendering, and communication. The ability to take advantage of these capabilities may depend on the technology and the ability of the person utilizing it. Using a qualitative study we aimed to explore the differences of ability required to use these capabilities and make capabilities into affordances for PWLD. We found there were differences in PWLD’s ability to utilize the capabilities offered and conclude th…
eParticipation:Designing and Managing Political Discussion Forums
Author's version of an article published in Social Science Computer Review, 2010, 28 (4), 403-426. Also available from the publisher: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894439309341626 eParticipation is the extension and transformation of participation in political deliberation and decision-making processes through information and communication technologies (ICTs). The most commonly found examples of eParticipation systems are political discussion forums. Although much of the discussion of these technologies is conducted in the eGovernment and eDemocracy literature, political discussion forums present a distinct set of design and management challenges, which relate directly to information systems c…
Social Affordances for People with Lifelong Disability through Using Virtual Worlds
In the information age, information and communication technology (ICT) is an asset for supporting people with disability to participate and be included in society. Research indicates that virtual worlds may help this group to gain independence and improve social participation. The aim of the present research was to explore the role that virtual worlds play in facilitating people with disability to experience a self-perceived improvement of social participation, independence and well-being. Using qualitative methods our results indicate that people with lifelong disability perceive that they reach a larger and more diverse network through the use of virtual worlds. Based on identified Qualit…