AMANDA HYNAN FINAL THESIS PDF

income, social deprivation or disability have been identified to be at a seven-fold
increased risk of digital exclusion (Helsper, 2008; Watling, 2011). Clayton and
Macdonald (2013) suggest that being online does not necessarily increase social
inclusion; much depends on the context of engagement as without knowledge,
connections and reasons to engage, individuals may struggle to maximise potential
benefits and they suggest being wary of the role technology can play in
“tackling entrenched disadvantage” (2013:18).
Self-determination is a recognised component within measures of social inclusion for
people with disabilities. Milner and Kelly (2009) identified five fundamental
antecedents for community participation and inclusion by people with disabilities one
of which was self-determination. Smith and Murray (2011) used these concepts and
built upon them by incorporating the outcome literature of authors such as Granlund
and Blackstone (1999) and Lefebvre, Cloutier and Levert (2008). Smith and Murray
(2011) were interested in building a framework to measure the goals and outcomes of
AAC intervention. They describe building a sense of
“self determination [sic] and self-efficacy” (p. 294)
through the perception of individual skills is an important outcome measurement for
the success of AAC intervention. Mahar, Cobigo & Stuart (2013) conducted a
narrative literature review to establish social belonging outcome measurements that
could be useful when considering community-based programmes for people with
disabilities. They also identified five themes, one of which was self-determination.
These studies show that self-determination was an important antecedent for feeling a
sense of social inclusion. The internet has been reported to offer people with physical
disabilities an increased sense of belonging within online communities (Obst &
Stafurik, 2010). Finn (1999) reviewed information on an online self-help forum on
issues of disability and found the online group provided
“many of the processes used in face-to-face self-help and mutual aid groups,
with an emphasis on mutual problem solving, information sharing, expression
of feelings, catharsis, and mutual support and empathy” (abstract, p.220)
If being online is going to be valuable for building perceptions of social inclusion and
a sense of belonging for people with disabilities then offering increased opportunities
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