Empowerment of People with Disabilities Within Online Cultures

This chapter presents crucial aspects of theoretical background of empowerment of people with disabilities within online cultures. Empowerment plays a crucial role in transformative change in the quality of life of people with disabilities, aiming to recognize people with disabilities as people capable of full participation in various forms of social life, including creating diverse cultures (traditional or online). The situation of people with disabilities largely depends on social conditions. Within the Internet, social media, and digital platforms, these social conditions can notably influence the empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities. The presence of people with disabilities in online cultures and communities has great potential to increase their empowerment. Activity within such cultures can be helpful as a space for enhancing social support, communication, cooperation, and self-advocacy of people from socially marginalized groups. Online communities allow people with disabilities to advocate in areas crucial in the context of their everyday lives. Online cultures are also vital regarding personal and group development.