Investigating modern-day talaria : mobile phones and the mobility-impaired in Singapore

• Main Authors: Chib, Arul, Jiang, Qiaolei
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Library and information science::Libraries::Information systems
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105142; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/20450; http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12070
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Revisiting the medical and social models of disability, this study adopted the integrated biopsychosocial approach to examine experiences of 25 mobility-impaired respondents in Singapore with using mobile phones. We found that mobile phones provided respondents a greater degree of mobility, a sense of control, and opportunities to escape the stigma of disability, thus challenging the boundaries between the able-bodied and the disabled. Mobile phone appropriation allowed the management of personal identities and social networks, leading to a sense of empowerment. However, mobile phone usage might act as a double-edged sword for disabled people, creating mobile dependencies and a spatial narrowing of social connections. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.