New initiatives for the empowerment of people with activity limitations - An analysis of 1,005 cases of (digital) social innovation worldwide

Abstract

The paper exploits an extensive quantitative case mapping to blend three strands of research: First, social innovation will be considered as an approach to improve and/or guarantee social inclusion for people with activity limitations. Secondly, ICT will be understood as a means to empower people with activity limitations; and thirdly, the needs of vulnerable people will be regarded as a lens for scrutinizing those two approaches: How can ICT based social innovation/digital social innovation (DSI) empower people? The analysed cases shed light on the phenomenon of “digital social innovations” and allow first insights into their practice. The paper illustrates a quantitative overview of the actors behind these initiatives, their funding structures and drivers and barriers. In a conclusion, the new phenomenon of “digital social innovation” is described in contours.