Gathering in a cyber world: Internet use of Chinese disabled people and the emergence of disability constituencies

Abstract

This article examines how Chinese disabled people use the Internet to create active constituencies and the potential for this to afford the opportunity for a new form of activism. Based on a content analysis of China’s two largest disability online forums, the article documents disabled people’s online activities. These include the description of everyday activities, the build-up of social relations, and organisation and mobilisation for changes. The analysis suggests the emergence of new disability constituencies. This, the article argues, is starting to reshape dis-ability politics and develop new disability activism.

Keywords:

• Disability in China
• canji
• disability activism
• Internet use
• online community

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This PhD research was supported by China Scholarship Council (201306770011).