A Community Observation: Insight on the Online Disabled Community

An Online Marginalized Community

Ivanna Dominguez

Department of English, The City College of New York

ENGL 21002: Writing for the Social Sciences

Professor Kay Bell

October 17, 2020

Abstract 

In today’s modern world there are ways for people to gather and communicate with each other without ever having to meet in person. There are many different websites for almost every type of community a person may be interested in and within these websites there are chats, forums, and even video calls. Most websites are specific not just to interest but a disease or disability and provide a safe environment where people can meet and interact but also share their stories and struggles. The disabled community is one of the many communities that can be found online and coincidentally also part of the marginalized community because of the way they are treated and perceived. In this essay, I will offer observations and insights on this community, how they interact online, and ultimately how they are part of a marginalized community. 

Keywords: Online, community, communicate, environment, marginalized

When one thinks of a community many things come to mind like a gathering of people who share things in common or a group of people who live in the same neighborhood. There are many ideas of what a community could be in society. Despite how one may view a community they have always been and will always be a part of our lives. As humans, we have a basic need to meet and connect with others so we can feel like a part of something. This is why being part of a community is important because it allows us to form bonds with other people. There are many different types of communities but the two most common ones are the communities that gather together in person and the online communities. Online communities have become more popular because it is easier and faster to find a group of people with the same interest or struggles as you. Through websites, chats, and forums these online communities can assemble, converse with new people, and possibly make new friends. These communities allow their participants to interact anonymously, but still, feel connected with each other. They share stories, past experiences, or simply discuss something insignificant about everyday life. I chose the online disabled community because this is a community that many people have presumptions about based only on what they have seen or heard. This community also happens to be a part of the marginalized community which only encouraged my interest. I just want to be able to learn about this community in a new way and be able to teach others to reduce stigmatization and promote tolerance.

It is difficult to define what a disability is because there are many types of disabilities, for example, mental and physical ones, life-threatening illnesses, and injuries sustained as a result of an accident. Some people are born with certain disabilities like down syndrome but there other disabilities that develop over time like cancer. The simple definition of a disability is “any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them” (CDC, 1). This definition does not truly describe the struggles of a person living with disabilities but it provides some insight into the circumstances. A person with disabilities is affected in mind, body, and soul because it can cause anger, feelings of hopelessness, and contempt for the situation they have to live with. “It is normal for them to feel sad or angry as they are grieving the loss of their former life” (Gerber, 1). This quote accurately represents how a person who has been recently disabled may feel as a result of their situation. “Those who are disabled at an early age may spend years struggling to find acceptance with their peers and teachers, have difficulty forming new relationships, have trouble transitioning to adulthood, and finally landing a job” (Gerber, 1). This quote represents how a person who is born with a disability may cope through life since they have had more time to accept it. I used these two quotes to show the distinction between the effects of disabilities depending on when it becomes part of your life. Disabilities do not mean the life of the person is over but whether it’s physical, mental, or accidental it is still a struggle to live with. 

The online disability community is called “Disabilities-R-US and it has been around for the past 23 years. Disabilities-R-US was created by people with physical disabilities for people with physical disabilities. The specificity of this website is what makes online communities great because it allows people with the same injuries to have a specific place for themselves. This only furthers and deepens the ability for people to make connections because it’s easier to relate to someone who shares a similar experience. This online community offers a safe space where the participants can come together to make friends, share stories, and even find love with people from all over the world. The website has all kinds of links for resources to help and inform its participants about sexuality, legality, and disability services. Disabilities-R-US offers people much more than just a place to go and chat with others but also offers useful information that may be hard to access otherwise. The two ways people communicate on this website are through chats and forums which can be used at any time of the day. The chats are interactive and allow their participants to communicate with each other almost as if they were texting. The forums are longer posts that stay there for months so people can look back on them. I have observed the chats in the morning and night and usually, there are not a lot of participants, maybe only ten at the most. In the chats, the participants mostly talk about regular everyday things like tv shows or movies, youtube videos, and the news. They often don’t discuss their disability because it’s more of a space to have fun. The forums are more formal and people post their stories and struggles but also post suggestions for products or things that are useful for the participants like a portable shower. In the chats, the participants use slang words and short-handed words like “u”, “yo”, “lit”, and “lmao”. This website allows the participants to have a place where people can forget about their situation and be “normal” without being judged or pitied as they might experience in the outside world. 

To conclude this online community is to some the best thing ever because they don’t have to be afraid to be themselves and can just enjoy those minutes they spend on the website. Although the online community I chose was specifically for physical disabilities there are other types of disabilities like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and HIV/AIDS that many people may not consider. Something that intrigued me from this website was how organized and how much information can be found. I would have never thought an online community would have links and extra resources, I just assumed it was only to chat. Something that disturbed me was the fact there was no option for a video or phone call. I think this website should be more interactive so that people can feel more connected. What surprised me was being able to find love or relationships on the forum because that is unexpected. As a society, we need to do better because everyone in society should feel valued and not be discriminated against or disregarded.

Work Cited 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 16). Impairments,

Activity, Limitations, and Participation Restrictions. Retrieved from:          

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html

Gerber, C. (2020, February 14). Coping with Depression and Disability. Verywealth

Health. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/depression-and-

disability-1094648