Is the internet the game changer? Disabled people and digital work in China

Abstract

Is the internet the game changer? Disabled people and digital work in ChinaABSTRACT：The marginalisation of disabled people in paid employment has been a longstanding issue. This article examines whether the recent proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can change the employment challenges for disabled people. It focuses on China, where digitalisation has happened almost simultaneously with industrialisation, and where a special disability employment trajectory is developing. Based on an exploratory study of the economic activities of Chinese disabled people, the article presents three types of digital work, in which physical labour, social relations and ICTs-related knowledge are commodified. These types of work are in general loosely organised, self-managed and unprotected. They have both empowering and debilitating effects. The article thus argues that the personal use of the Internet is just an entry point to disability employment, and it will be more effective if combined with policy interventions and broader structural changes.

How Disability Income Benefits Affect Employment for Persons with Disabilities in China: An Impairment-Based Work Disability Assessment Perspective

“…Among our participants, 23 people with disabilities had work experience in the informal section. While three main forms of digital work performed by Chinese persons with disabilities have been identified—physical labor, social relations, and knowledge [ 20 ]—14 out of our 40 participants mainly engaged in two categories of digital work—physical labor and social relations.…”

“…Physical-labor digital work is characterized as requiring low entry-level skills and flexibility, but it is time-consuming and physically demanding [ 20 ]. In our study, nine participants had experienced one or more of these jobs.…”

“…In respect to social-relation digital work, Qu (2020) mainly focuses on how persons with disabilities sell products on internet platforms with the help of their families, relatives, friends, and acquaintances [ 20 ]. Among our participants, five of them had such work experience.…”

“…Some Chinese scholars have identified factors contributing to the poor situation of employment for persons with disabilities, mainly focusing on the mismatch between the supply and demand of jobs [ 18 ], the ineffectiveness of quota systems and anti-discrimination legislation [ 19 ], and the marketization ideologies [ 20 ]. However, while the medical definition of disability and the impairment approach to disability assessment are still prevalently used in disability policy in the context of a rapid expansion of redistributive benefits for persons with disabilities, little is known about how income compensation policy affects employment for persons with disabilities in China.…”

"It Feels Like Being Locked in A Cage": Understanding Blind or Low Vision Streamers' Perceptions of Content Curation Algorithms

“…In addition, work by Johnson [37] presented the enjoyable experiences and challenges of video game streamers with physical disabilities, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and dyslexia on Twitch. Moreover, some prior work focused on economic and employment opportunities of live-streaming for disabled people [37,38,58]. Recently, Jun et al [39] explored the motivations, practices, and challenges of streamers with visual impairments on Youtube and Twitch.…”