FodnessMemo16

Methodological

> This study will be based on an analysis of existing federal and state laws, corporate policies, ethnographies of individuals with disabilities interacting with information technology devices and software, and interviews with disability advocacy groups.

Empirical

> Focusing on the ways in which individuals with disabilities use information technology devices and software in the United States, this study will contribute to the empirical record of ways in which cyberspace and information technology is constructed for the disabled through the use of code and artefacts, as well as the ways in which policies and procedures regarding accesibility do and do not meet the needs of the disabled population.

Conceptual/Theoretical

> This study will advance the conceptualization of disability as it is defined in the context of information technology devices and software, and how this conceptualization is different from more traditional definitions of disability. The study will draw on and contribute to scholarly literatures that examine issues of access, user centered design, human-computer interaction, law and public policy, and corporate ethics.

Practical

> Results of this study will help disability advocacy groups make a stronger case for modifications to laws, corporate practices, educational curricula, and software design to better accommodate access to, and use of, information technology devices and software for individuals with disabilities.