Paper short abstract:

This research project deals with handling patterns of disabled people in Virtual Communities. The focus lies on strategies and competences of communication and interaction developed by the users and on the subjective meaning for the coverage of their daily online/offline life.

Paper long abstract:

The focus of this research project lies on the handling patterns of physically disabled people in virtual spaces as Virtual Communities and also on strategies of communication and interactions (e.g. dis/closure of disability) which have been developed by users. The subjective meaning, regarding the space of perception, is going to be analysed, based on qualitative interviews and with the help of (N)etnography.

Besides diverse advantages of the Internet (mobility, flexibility, etc.), the fact can be foreclosed that in the virtual "space of simulation" physically disabled people can develop skills and competences that could lead to a self-assured handling of identity and eventually can be transferred to the real space (Real Life).

However, an escape to Cyberspace can lead to addictive behaviour or to a complete exclusion of reality. Different handling patterns and practices and their positive or rather negative effects point a fortiori to the proximity of the real space (Real Life) and claim to percieve the virtual space (Virtual Life) not just as a further "window" of reality. Even more, the question has to be proven what extent there is to assume a fusion between the real and the virtual dimensions, where especially people with a physical handicap could benefit from.