GimpGirl grows up: Women with disabilities rethinking, redefining, and reclaiming community

Abstract

In this article, we undertake a reflective narrative inquiry into the GimpGirl Community (GGC), an online group of women with disabilities. We explore 12 years of GGC activity through community archives and auto-biographic narratives of GGC organizers, to understand how these women actively created a safe and open space for like-minded individuals, how community members used diverse online technologies for community building and social interaction, and how these online tools allow some members to experiment with their notions of self and identity outside dominant discourses. Our analysis of the lived experiences of GGC members reveals how they challenge the boundary between ‘abled’ and ‘disabled,’ and enact agency beyond their marginalization as women and as individuals with disabilities.