Investigating modern-day Talaria: : mobile phones and the mobility-impaired in Singapore

• Autores: Arul Chib, Qiaolei Jiang
• Localización: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, ISSN-e 1083-6101, Vol. 19, Nº. 3, 2014, págs. 695-711
• Idioma: inglés
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• Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
• Resumen

  • Revisiting the medical and social models of disability, this study adopted the integrated biopsychosocial approach to examine experiences of 25 mobility-impaired respondents in Singapore with using mobile phones. We found that mobile phones provided respondents a greater degree of mobility, a sense of control, and opportunities to escape the stigma of disability, thus challenging the boundaries between the able-bodied and the disabled. Mobile phone appropriation allowed the management of personal identities and social networks, leading to a sense of empowerment. However, mobile phone usage might act as a double-edged sword for disabled people, creating mobile dependencies and a spatial narrowing of social connections. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.