Using the Internet to Mobilize Marginalized Groups: People With Disabilities and Digital Campaign Strategies in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

Authors

  • Filippo Trevisan School of Communication American University

Keywords:

disability, Internet, inclusion, elections, campaigning

Abstract

It is important to understand the implications of online election campaigning for groups that have been marginalized in politics. To this end, this article discusses a focus group study on digital campaigning in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with voters with a wide range of physical, mental, and communication disabilities. Digital campaigns can deepen or curtail opportunities for people with disabilities to be active citizens. Participants in this study had high expectations to learn about the candidates through new media platforms, particularly Google and YouTube. However, the 2016 campaigns seemed to struggle to understand Americans with disabilities as an emerging online constituency. This mismatch between demand and supply in online election communication is discussed with a view to illuminating the sociotechnical foundations of digital campaigning and its effect on political participation among citizens with disabilities. There are important opportunities for digital mobilization and inclusion here, but their realization is dependent on a cultural shift that values people with disabilities as full citizens.

Author Biography

Filippo Trevisan, School of Communication American University

Filippo Trevisan is Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Deputy Director of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy at American University in Washington, D.C.

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Published

2019-03-28

Issue

Vol. 13 (2019)

Section

Articles

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