ABSTRACT
Which onlinemedia platforms aremore likely to help re-configure the civic arena inways that support the inclusion of disabled Internet users? This is a complex question that connects to a broader debate about what exactly constitutes political participation online. In order to start addressing this issue, this chapter turns to previous work on the impact of new media technologies on the relationship between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ politics, which lies at the centre of the idea of inclusive citizenship. The first part of this chapter reviews cyber-sceptical literature that looked at ‘formal’ online political activities. This is extremely valuablework, but its narrow focus on online initiatives such as election campaigns and public consultations has led it to over-emphasise the fact that online political forums are unlikely to foster participation among people who are disengaged from politics in the first place. In response to this, more recent work has pointed out the need for researchers to examine politically-relevant discussions in ‘non-political’ online spaces. These types of space may be especially relevant for users who are unfamiliar with or feel daunted by explicitly political forums because they help to re-configure the civic arena into a wider and more flexible environment where Internet users can become involved in politically-relevant debates by discussing their ‘private’ everyday interests. In light of this, this chapter then considers what it takes for everyday
political talk on online ‘third spaces’ to turn into collective action. Indeed, these platforms provide disabled Internet users with opportunities tomeet, discuss shared interests and, possibly, organise around these inways that do not presuppose a strong common identity. However, the leap between talk and action seems likely only in conjunction with specific events that catalyse the attention of disabled Internet users and trigger specific reactions. The role of disruptive events and emotions in this process – in particular anger – are discussed, presenting an issue-focused approach to investigate these mechanisms. Thereafter, this chapter considers several possible catalyst events that may have sparked a collective reaction among disabled Internet users in recent years. The radical reform of disability welfare introduced by the U.K. government between 2010-12 and the proposed cuts toMedicaid included in the Republican counter-budget of 2011 in the
U.S. are identified as potential mobilisation catalysts. The chapter then concludes by formulating a series of key questions about the use of online media in conjunction with these two events that drive the analysis in the remainder of this book.
