Sociological Study of Disability and the Digital Divide among Youth with Disability in India

Abstract

The present study investigates how historical sociological theories and modern technological developments with relation to disability. Both disability and digital inequality remain among the most pressing challenges confronting contemporary society. In India—where rapid technological advances coexist with enduring social disparities—the digital divide significantly affects disabled youth. The central research question guiding this study is— How do past perspectives on natural selection and social exclusion, in combination with contemporary technological disparities, shape the socioeconomic challenges faced by disabled youth in India? In addressing this question, the paper first re-examines classical theories—from Darwin’s natural selection and Spencer’s evolutionary framework to Durkheim’s and Marx’s sociological analyses—and then integrates insights from modern disability studies and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) research. The aim is to create a comprehensive theoretical framework that not only clarifies the historical underpinnings of disability exclusion but also critically examines how digital technology—its access, usage, and design—affects disabled youth today.