Are online social networks accessible to users with motor disabilities?
Chair: Makayla Miranda Lewis, Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design, City University London

Today, Internet use in the United Kingdom is almost the highest in Europe (65% of households have access to and use the Internet). Some 50% of these users have updated or created an online social network profile, and are now making over 24 million visits to online social networks a month. The most popular online social networks are Facebook, MySpace and Bebo. These networks are often directed at a broad market, i.e. people without disabilities. Unfortunately, people with disabilities, especially those with motor impairments, often have an increased risk of experiencing loneliness than people without a disability, as a result of their mobility, access and or communication impairments.

Conventional communication methods such as face-to-face communication, telephone communication and text message communication are often difficult to use, and can limit the opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in successful socialization with their family and friends. Therefore, people with disabilities can often see online communication, especially online social networks, as an attractive alternative. The purpose of the session is to discuss: a) the advantages of online social networks for people with motor disabilities; b) the roles online social networks currently play in the lives of people with motor impairments (using cerebral palsy as a case study); and c) the common accessibility barriers & challenges faced when they carry out use. The session will end with an open discussion “How can we make online social networks more accessible to people with motor impairments?”