Reflections of associations and foundations’ applications in new media to increase the quality in disabled people’s lives

Associations and foundations (that support these associations) play a vital role in increasing the life quality of the society in general, and the disabled people in particular. Civil society organizations which place a significant emphasis on the society’s well-being play an active role both in the promotion of disabled people’s rights and the provision of equal opportunities for their active participation in social life. Disabled people represent a disadvantaged group in the society because they experience disadvantages in economic and social life. This study focuses on new media usage of nonprofit oriented associations that are established to support disabled people in Northern Cyprus as a developing country. The content analysis as a quantitative research methodology is used to analyze the Disabled Associations’ and some foundations’ web sites and their official Facebook pages to interpret their identities, their way of communication and their social responsibility projects for increasing the quality of life of disabled people and raising public awareness on disabled people’s rights.

     

The risk factors for the mentally disabled in the use of social media

The aim of this study is to make the teacher candidates aware of the risk factors for the mentally disabled in the use of the social media and specify their views about this issue. The raw data gathered from semi-structured interviews were analysed through a “content analysis technique” and interpreted. The findings showed that the majority of the participants (43.3%) stated that the mentally disabled people faced the risk of becoming social media addicts and were likely to have problems (33.3%). Some of the participants (23.3%) stressed the possible risks of harmful contents. The findings of this research indicated that almost all the mentally disabled people needed to use the social media. It was found out that the mentally disabled people experience more problems. A big majority of the participants emphasized the need for a password to limit the harmful contents and access to them.

     

The place attachment experience regarding the disabled people: the typology of coffee shops

This study inquires the possible creation of a sense of a place in coffee houses for the disabled people as public places. The physical characteristics of a space are the main factors allowing all people including the disabled ones as well to perceive that place properly and within the “person, place and interaction process” framework. The place attachment, which can be defined as the main emotional bond between space and the users, is heavily influenced by the individualistic experiences and reactions whether they are ordinary or differently abled. In order to initiate a place attachment, spaces should be designed in a way that they respect the occupant’s perception, feelings, memories, senses and their physical abilities to enable them to develop a sense of belonging and ownership. Therefore, creating designs which foster people’s construction process of sense of a place that comprises the concept of identity and sense of belonging, is among the essential issues for realizing place attachment in architecture and design of public spaces. In our contemporary world, there are settings that possess these qualities; contrariwise there are more architectural and urban spaces which ignore these qualities and their benefits for people, especially for the disabled ones. Relatedly, a building should offer people enough information for perceiving it and with its physical features should also support the experiences that occur in it. There is a strong link between memorable events and the space where those events occur. An environment which provides outstanding and meaningful ambiance by its architectural characteristics can establish a sense of a place. Disabled people often have less opportunities to experience the spaces properly compared to others because their limitations are not taken into consideration when designing the public spaces. Therefore, the design process of public spaces should involve the basic needs of disabled people. In order to propose a typology for traditional coffee houses, this research aims to define and discuss the place attachment experience of disabled people in public spaces. The study begins with an overview of identifying different types of disabilities and special needs, and an introductory discussion of how space attachment can help to meet those needs. Therefore, the physical, social and typological aspects of traditional coffee houses were evaluated in terms of location, space organization and functions by considering the profiles of disabled users. Methodologically, this is a case study, which has a mixed research design including qualitative and quantitative research instruments.     

Tolerance,equality and access in all levels of education quality management

Forming quality is the most important elements of higher education in the world. Even in countries where systems in higher education are fully succeed in performance, quality is under ongoing observation. Barrier-free campuses are among the most crucial criteria in quality development and evaluation. While such campuses are strictly considered in American and European higher education, it has been observed that awareness of this issue has become a focus point in Turkey and necessary measures are taken. It is a fact that the disabled learners need to get benefit from educational services less than others. All individuals in a community have equal rights. Therefore, higher education has great responsibilities for “raising awareness”, “adapting standards by the community”, “understanding”, and “meeting the needs” of the disabled learners. The disability in our country are facing several problems such as education, employment, transportation and communication. Parallel to developing technology, there are solutions to such problems. Universities are institutions where scientist, educationalists, doctors, lawyers, engineers, politicians etc. are educated to shape the future of a country. Young people learn at universities, broaden their horizon, produce new ideas, and shape their future. At this stage, undoubtedly, universities are not expected to ignore the learners with disabilities. They, too, have the right, as other individuals, to receive education in their interest areas and contribute to production, benefit from all the facilities provided by the university and be active members of the society.

     

The historical background of tolerance education for blind learners in Cyprus

Tolerance, in its broadest sense, can be understood as accepting all the differences in the society. Some people in society have limitations on certain parts of their bodies or their organs, which can lead to impairment on their physical functioning. Some of these people in society who have disabilities are those who have sight impairments. In order for blind people to be able to function in society in the same manner as other individuals it is possible that they can receive a private education in a similar manner to other people with disabilities. In Cyprus, the first school for the sight impaired was established under the British administration. The institution was opened in Nicosia in 1929 under the initiative of the wife of the Governor Ronald Storss as the St. Barnabas School for Blind Children, where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots had the opportunity to be educated together. By the end of 1963, the Turkish Cypriot sight impaired children from various regions of the island were educated at St. Barnabas School for the Blind. At the school, English, Greek and Turkish teachers worked together. The main aim of the school was to educate the blind children and reintegrate them into the society. In the present study, information obtained from Blue Book and Cyprus Gazette has been supported by the information compiled from domestic and foreign publications as well as verbal sources. Consequently, it is understood that children in society who became blind for various reasons were educated at the St Barnabas School for Blind Children.

     

Socialization of people with disabilities in the workplace

Socialization has crucial outcomes for both the employee and the employer. Through an exploratory qualitative study conducted in India, we examined how people with disabilities (PWD) viewed various aspects of their socialization process. Specifically, we looked at the role of coworkers, supervisors, organizational practices, and employee proactive behaviors in influencing organizational integration. We found that integration was most influenced by coworkers and supervisors. Organizational practices and employee proactive behaviors were less important. Respondent gender and tenure also influenced certain findings. Specifically, PWD with less tenure sought and accepted more help from coworkers and supervisors. Further, more men with disabilities than women with disabilities indicated that they were proactive in terms of obtaining training to make themselves employable, and more men with disabilities indicated that having coworkers with a disability helped them during socialization. We discuss both theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions based on our findings. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Legal requirements and employer responses to accommodating employees with disabilities

This article focuses upon the legal requirements for accommodating individuals with disabilities in the workplace and the perceptions of employers regarding barriers to accommodation. After a brief analysis of how federal courts have interpreted the ADA's accommodation requirements, the literature on accommodation is reviewed and a theoretical framework for examining employers' attitudes toward accommodation is proposed. The article then tests the framework using the results of a study of 500 New Jersey employers which elicited their experiences with and attitudes toward the accommodation of disabled workers. Suggestions for further research are provided.     

Engagement with disability: analysis of annual reports of Indian organizations

Anchored in institutional theory, our aim in the present study was to understand how large and economically successful organizations in India engage with the issue of disability within and outside of their organizational boundaries, and communicate such engagements through their annual reports. Based on a qualitative content analysis of the organizations' annual reports for the year 2009–2010, we examined if these organizations spoke about recruitment and other organizational treatment of people with disabilities (internal focus), and if they engaged with issues related to disability in the realm of corporate social responsibility (external focus). We found that, despite no institutional pressures, organizations engaged with disability-specific issues both internally and externally. While we found differences with respect to organizational age and sector (public and private sector), we did not find any differences in the engagement and communication of activities based on organizational industry type and global presence. We discuss implications for research and practice.     

Perceptions of Discrimination and Justice Among Employees with Disabilities

Despite the passage of almost two decades since the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act in the United States, individuals with disabilities are still underrepresented in the workforce, tend to hold lower status jobs, and receive lower wages. This study examines whether disabled workers also continue to encounter more negative workplace experiences in terms of discrimination and injustice. A sample of 1,880 employees of a large university, including 90 self-identified disabled individuals completed a work experience survey. Analyses indicate that disabled employees reported more overt and subtle discrimination and more procedural injustice than their non-disabled counterparts. Examination by the type of disability also revealed that those with non-physical disabilities reported more negative experiences than employees with physical disabilities. Perceived organizational and supervisory support were shown to have promise in reducing the effects of disability status on workplace attitudes and perceptions.     

A novel method as a diagnostic tool for the detection of influential observations in the Cox proportional hazards model

It is important that the process of studying and modelling the prognosis of disability should be conducted using time-to-event data, as the dynamic nature of disability could cause intervention on the modifiable (prognostic) factors, thus changing the course to a more favourable outcome. In disability research, the Cox PH model is frequently used to identify prognostic factors for the life expectancy of people with disabilities and to evaluate the treatment effects on the time to event. Accurate detection of influential observations is an important factor when fitting the Cox PH model, as influential observations in the Cox PH model can cause model misspecification, inaccurately determined factors, missed valuable biological information and/or violation of the proportional hazard assumption. In this paper, a novel multiple case detection method for influential observations is recommended in the Cox model. The aim of the paper is to inform clinicians and researchers who use the Cox PH model for describing the survival time as a function of multiple prognostic factors, regarding the importance of the detection of influential observations that can lead to misleading conclusions if they are present in the data set. The efficiency of the proposed method is presented through the real dataset. Additionally, in the specific case of North Cyprus, the aim is emphasize the importance of survival modelling studies that determine the prognostic factors affecting the lives of people with disabilities, to improve life quality and to develop a plan for healthier and higher quality life styles programmes for people with disabilities. As a first step, it is recommended that a system of database records of disabilities should be established and maintained by the government to raise public awareness.

     

The role of communication in tolerance education

The idea of tolerance, which has a long historical background, has become a necessity rather than a choice for today’s multicultural, pluralistic and democratic society structures. The idea of tolerance in today’s societies is transferred to individuals of the society through family, school as well as the elements of both society and social structure. The way in which the idea of tolerance is transferred to individuals at all three levels is communication. Communication processes are entering the various forms in the family, in the school system and in the social structure and are developing individuals’ understanding of tolerance. This study focuses on the way how communication works at family, school and society levels as a path in the education process and how the communication process can be utilised effectively in order to develop the democratic community. The role and significance of communication in the process of tolerance education was investigated by the literature review method in the case study pattern as one of the qualitative research methods and the findings were evaluated comparatively.

     

How Do Social Networks Influence the Employment Prospects of People with Disabilities?

We explore the role of social networks used by people with disabilities for finding employment. In addition, we outline obstacles to network building for those with a disability. We contend that this group is often constrained and they underutilize their networks during job searches. Both factors are likely to result in negative employment outcomes and contribute to the employment gap between those with and without a disability. We outline how key network characteristics such as homophily, tie strength, and centrality influence job search outcomes for those with a disability differently than for those without a disability. Furthermore, we propose that although individuals with disabilities develop and rely upon networks that are comprised of close bonds with similar individuals that are either unemployed or underemployed in lower status positions, optimal networks for employment purposes should consist of diverse acquaintances that occupy central positions and higher status jobs within organizations. Finally, we outline propositions to guide future research on this neglected topic and also suggest practical implications.     

Employment of disabled people in the private sector. An analysis at the level of Italian Provinces according to article 13 of law 68/1999

Law 68 of March 12, 1999, whose aim is to regulate and promote the employment of disabled people, has contributed significantly to the employment of persons with disabilities, and consequently to their social inclusion. In particular, article 13 of this law offers exemption from national insurance contributions to private institutions that employ disabled people. In this paper we propose a two-step analysis to assess the effectiveness of this law at the level of Italian Provinces for the year 2005. In the first phase, we verify by means of data envelopment analysis which Provinces are ranked among the most efficient ones in the application of article 13 of law 68/99. Then, through the use of cluster analysis, we examine differences among Provinces in terms of the factors that determine their different efficiency in the employment of disabled people. The results show that the employment of disabled persons is significantly affected by three groups of factors, i.e. the input endowment of the factors which affect the employment of disabled people, the Province ability to coordinate actions geared to achieving the employment of persons with disabilities, and the promotion of policy actions aimed at supporting the social inclusion of disabled people.     

Labour inclusion of people with disabilities in Spain: the effect of policies and human resource management systems

Abstract

This research answered the question of which elements, linked to HR management, facilitate the labour inclusion of people with disabilities. We analysed the existence of policies in different organizations, and the interaction between these policies and the adaptation of the human resource management systems in order to archive effective labour inclusion. Spanish Human Resource managers answered a questionnaire theoretically based on the Human System Audit model. Results showed that the existence of a strategic plan for the normalization of disability in the work environment effectively leads to high levels of inclusion. This is especially relevant for those organizations that have not adapted the systems of training, professional development and internal communication to people with disabilities. The added value and newness of this research lies in bringing empirical evidence on the role of a strategic plan to normalize disability in the work environment, a policy with an internal- and external-focus, as a diversity strategy roadmap in the framework of an inclusive culture.     

What's New in New Forms of Organizing? On the Construction of Gender in Project‐Based Work

abstract    In several industries, projects are now the normal form of work for individuals. The consequences of project work have not so far been subject to critical inquiry, however. This implies inquiry not only on how people handle project work at work, it also means inquiring into how they live their lives when working by projects. In this paper, we study this from a constructionist gender perspective, in which project work is seen as an ongoing construction of patterns of femininity and masculinity in society. The aim of the paper is to contribute to an understanding of how project work is related to the ongoing construction of femininity and masculinity in the work and lives of human beings.
From a narrative study of individuals in the same project team in an IT-consultancy company, we discuss masculinization and femininization in project-based work. It appears that current project work practices imply reproduction of masculinities such as rationality, efficiency, control, devotion to work etc, while femininization is instead found in the rhetoric of the organizational context and the expectations on newly recruited women. The organization was in the process of femininization through rhetoric on 'family friendliness', but everyday life for consultants was not spent at the organization but in project teams in the customers' offices. Projects are special in the sense that they are clearly delimited episodes of work in which it is possible to apply entirely different norms than 'outside' the project – which makes the tendency to reproduce traditional masculinities even stronger.     

Representations of Australia in South Korean online news: a qualitative and quantitative approach utilizing Leximancer and Korean keywords in context

This article outlines original empirical research using a quantitative computer-assisted big data approach to survey and evaluate the representation of Australia in popular South Korean online news media sources. This is an exploratory content analysis of news reporting (in Korean and English) on Australia in key Korean digital news media providers and distributors over a six-month-period during which certain key events occurred that drew Korean news media attention to Australia. The research aims to address the fundamental question: what forms and patterns of representation of Australia are present in South Korean online news media? It is designed in large part to understand how Australia is present as a theme in Korean online news, and how this theme is contextualized by associated topics, such as trade, security, or tourism. The quantitative analysis is augmented using a qualitative method: a series of key informant interviews conducted with editors and journalists responsible for the production and prioritization of news. Further, it is interpreted by locating the research in the context of the Australia-South Korea relationship. We summarize the complexities that arise when analyzing large amounts of textual content, especially from two very different languages, discuss the opportunities that arise from mixed methods—by combining big data (breadth) with contextual analysis (depth) and offer suggestions for aspiring researchers.     

移动互联网时代区域性突发事件的演变

在“互联网+”时代,以微博、QQ、微信为代表的社交媒体迅速崛起,我国正处在社会转型当中,社会中各个行业发展不平衡,社会矛盾也渐渐地增多,这是群体突发性事件频发的原因。在当下的互联网时代,人与人之间的联系更紧密了,消息的传递也变得极其迅速,某些过度解读社会、民间舆论的事件混淆公众的视线,使某些事情变得无法控制,无限地扩大,严重影响社会的稳定性。     

‘Surfing on the ironing board’ – the representation of women's entrepreneurship in German newspapers

Despite extensive attempts to enhance women's entrepreneurship in Germany, a gender gap continues to exist. This article sets out to analyse the representation of women's entrepreneurship in German media, by analysing how it is depicted in newspapers and how this changes over time. Images transported in media might regulate the nature of women's entrepreneurship, as they contain information about ‘typical’ and ‘socially desirable’ behaviour of women as well as of entrepreneurs. This article contributes to developing an understanding of the relevance of media representation of the entrepreneurship phenomenon for influencing the propensity towards entrepreneurial activity.     

Addressing the Underemployment of Persons with Disabilities: Recommendations for Expanding Organizational Social Responsibility

The underemployment of persons with disabilities continues to be a societal problem; many persons with disabilities have difficulty securing and maintaining employment. This difficulty contributes to the relatively higher rates of poverty among persons with disabilities as well as their underutilization as productive members of society. This research examines factors that contribute to this underemployment problem. Based on this examination, we develop questions organizations must consider for addressing the problem. These questions are based on creating working relationships for persons with disabilities at an individual level that may be an extension of an organization’s corporate social responsibility program. Individuals with disabilities have a right to obtain and maintain successful employment opportunities; this research outlines the factors at play and provides suggestions for employers to consider in addressing this social problem.