Abstract

Research Problem: Virtual worlds like Second Life are shared 3D graphical places where people interact with each other and the environment through customizable embodied self-representations called avatars. Due to the recent nature of this research environment, the literature encompassing avatar identity, disability and learning in virtual worlds is limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore experiences of people with physical disabilities learning about self and other in virtual worlds.
Research Questions: 1) How do people with physical disabilities experience learning about self and other in virtual worlds? 2) What do they learn?
Literature Review: Virtual worlds’ constructs and historical developments contextualize the research environment. Definitions and typologies of selfhood and virtual identity explore the connection between person and avatar. Medical, social theory and capabilities models of disability are described, and accessibility, issues of virtual embodiment and disability in virtual worlds are explored.
Methodology: Conducted in virtual worlds and involving in-depth interviewing of three residents of Second Life who experience physical disabilities, this study follows a qualitative phenomenological approach with descriptive and interpretative analyses within and between participants.
Results and Conclusions: Self-avatar and avatar-avatar interactions lead to participants experiencing learning about themselves, their roles, and coping with disability. Participants expressed that Second Life is freedom and that with the right knowledge and tools disabilities can be overcome. Implications include shifts in perceptions of disability in technological contexts and potential uses of virtual worlds for self-exploration. The findings are limited to this study; future research should explore their generalizability.