Selfies : crafting one's image and the emancipatory role of photography in representing people with disabilities

The article aims to analyze the importance of selfies as an emancipatory tool used by people with disabilities. As observed by Jose van Dijck, in the era of new technologies the value of individual photographs and images as private memorabilia is decreasing while their potential in the area of social communication is on the rise; photos are turning into a visual language. Major role is here played by selfies, self-portraits intended as a form of self-presentation and self-creation. The person presented is at the same time the presenter who gives meaning to his or her own image, indirectly imposing it on others. A selfie has become a tool of emancipation for people with disabilities. Having regained their own look, they can oppose the looks from others which often express compassion, surprise or rejection. Similarly to selfie-feminism, which is to fight the power of the male gaze, selfies of people with disabilities are to fight the power of the gaze as such, with social media as the main frontline. In the article, a selfie is analyzed with respect to the theory of visual language (van Dijck, Rubinstein), and research on crafting one’s own image online