ABSTRACT
This paper presents an examination of the construction of disability identity among women with disabilities through social media within China. The first author started writing blog posts on disability studies’ theories on a Chinese online knowledge-sharing platform called Zhihu (知乎direct translation as “Do you know?”) where she also disclosed her invisible disability. Readers were invited to join her disability activism by introducing concepts such as the social model of disability, crip time, and cyborg theory. A few readers with disabilities following her blog then developed an online group discussing issues surrounding disability and accessibility in China. This group has since been a vibrant online community for more than 500 youth and young adults with disabilities throughout China. Their blogs on disability identity and culture now have more than 12,000 subscribers. Through analyzing the process of identity development, this paper presents an effective approach to engage women with disabilities through social media and collective disability activism.
