Disability, Locative Media, and Complex Ubiquity

The current phase of network societies has generated an intensification of pervasive, ubiquitous digital technologies and cultures of uses, with emergent, complex social functions, and politics. In this chapter, we explore a fascinating, instructive example of the actualization of such ubiquity-effects — the case of locative media technologies designed for and by people with disabilities. In the meeting of disability and locative media technology, we find an apposite, challenging example of ubiquity — its associated, emergent social practices, what their cultural implications are, and how design makes sense of this. We discuss these dynamics of complex ubiquity and disability through two case studies: way-finding locative technology, smartphones and apps; and Google Glass.Australian Research Counci

Disability, Global Popular Media, and Injustice in the Notorious Trial of Oscar Pistorius

The South African sporting celebrity Oscar Pistorius has long been a subject of fascination for what his rise to fame tells us about disability and society. His trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2012-2014 saw the global sporting icon’s reputation shattered, and a furious, wide-ranging debate rage about his guilt or innocence. Central to how this international debate unfolded were the meanings of disability. This chapter discusses the role of disability and global popular media in the case of Pistorius, exploring the representations of disability, and the way that social media and participatory cultures played a key role in their interpretation — and how publics viewed him.Australian Research Counci

Privacy and digital data of children with disabilities: scenes from social media sharenting

Children with disabilities have been an overlooked group in the debates on privacy and data management, and the emergence of discourses on responsibilization. In this article, we offer a preliminary overview, conceptualization, and reflection on children with disabilities, their experiences and perspectives in relation to privacy and data when it comes to existing and emergent digital technology. To give a sense of the issues at play, we provide a brief case study of “sharenting” on social media platform (that is, sharing by parents of images and information about their children with disabilities). We conclude with suggestions for the research and policy agenda in this important yet neglected area

Conservative Christian Beliefs and Transgender Identities

Our research explores the intersection between Christianity and conservatism, focusing on how these two belief systems can influence perceptions about transgender people. Sociological research often addresses Christian (particularly fundamentalist and evangelical) influence on homophobia and lesbian, gay, and bisexual discrimination: how religion can negatively influence perceptions of same-sex couples, same-sex marriage, LGB (not including transgender) communities, people, and political efforts (Whitehead, 2013; Melliniger, 2014); however, we will focus on the under-studied relationship between conservative Christian beliefs and perceptions of transgender people or identities. To do that, we examined the construction of gender and religion in the Western world, looking into how the two can work together to uphold trans-exclusionary beliefs (Cragun, 2015; Darwin, 2018; Engler, 2011; Franzen, 2013; Moon, 2019; Sumerau, 2016; Westbrook, 2014; Wilkins, 2022). We explore how this relates to recent events in Nashville—including TN SB-3 and the recent Covenant School shooting—and their political, social, and religious perceptions (Restrepo, 2023). Previous studies have shown political or social conflict between conservative Christians and transgender or generally LGBT groups/individuals through methods such as survey research and interviews (Cragun, 2015; Rouse, 2021; Whitehead, 2010; Wilkins, 2022; Lisnek, 2022). The methods we have used in our own research included content analysis, survey research, interviews, secondary data analysis, and literature review. Our research has found that conservatism is a key compounding factor that can negatively influence Christians’ perceptions of transgender issues, although there are discrepancies between individual beliefs

Disability's Digital Frictions: Activism, Technology and Politics

This paper argues that disability activism and politics can be seen as paradigmatic for the wider debates on the philosophies, forms, and formats embedded in technologies. Firstly, the paper discusses disability activism movements that use digital technology to intervene into digital technology, especially in the social media area. In both cases, activists seek to use the platforms themselves to argue for, and obtain, greater accessibility, customisability, and configurability, of the platform for users with disabilities. Yet there is a clear clash between philosophies embedded within these social media platforms, and the aspirations and values of many of the activist strands of disability. Secondly, the paper explores the use of digital technologies by disability activism movements in relation to welfare and work reforms—notably the UK struggles in the 2010–2014 periods. Here disability activists have made extensive use of digital media technologies, and we discuss their innovations, and the lessons they offer

The Preferred User: How Audio Description could Change Understandings of Australian Television Audiences and Media Technology

Audio description continues to be unavailable on broadcast television in Australia, despite the technological capabilities to provide it and the existence of a federally funded back catalogue or ‘secret library’ of audio described television content. This paper reveals findings into both the amount of audio described content that has been created but not made available to television audiences, while also reviewing existing innovative platforms for audio description, such as the app BAM-Describe. It contextualises these findings in an overview of the history of audio description in and outside of Australia, highlighting key technological and policy changes. Evoking theories of the preferred user and how this understanding of television audiences addresses disability, we argue that different interpretations of how audio description can be delivered, determined through a process of interpretive flexibility (and continued industry creativity and innovation) may finally shift the stagnating discussions around audio description provision, and thus ultimately change the accessibility of television for the blind and vision impaired

The Pandemic Preferred User

As COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, universities acted quickly to move their core business of teaching and research online. Classes shifted to platforms such as Zoom, Webex, Collaborate and Microsoft Teams and teachers and students alike were expected to adapt. And they did. While there has been much discussion of the unpaid labour involved in making this shift and the difficulties inherent in merging work, study and domestic life, there has been little acknowledgement or analysis of inherent notions of the preferred user in this rapid shift to technology. This paper draws on critical disability studies to offer a conceptual and theoretical analysis of a deeply problematic aspect of the rapid move to online education in response to COVID-19: the reliance of notions of the preferred user. The preferred user is simply the type of person technology creators or institutions envision using their product or service. Within critical disability studies the preferred user is often recognised as white, male and able bodied (see Ellcessor, 2017). In other words, the preferred user often excludes people with disability and other forms of disadvantage. Accordingly, in this paper we offer a preliminary overview, conceptualisation, and reflection on students with disability (and by extension other non-preferred users), their experiences and perspectives in relation to what might be described as disabling approaches to online learning, for example synchronous learning, video conferencing. Firstly, we introduce the concept of disability, as it has been redefined in the past two decades, as social, political, cultural, and rights-based – rather than some kind of biomedical condition or charity topic. We also give an overview of universal design for learning to reflect on the importance of adapting learning environments for all students. Secondly, we discuss the disconnect between students, teachers and support staff. From these cases, there are some significant challenges to key questions, such as how we understand students with disability, whose responsibility is it to provide access and support, and is mainstreaming accessible technology always the most appropriate answer? Thirdly, we chart the ways these already existing issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunities that have also arisen. For example, accessibility features such as captioning for people with disabilities, or non-preferred users, are actually beneficial to everyone. Finally, while the forced shift to online learning during this pandemic has the ideal potential to accommodate “non-preferred” users, the actual roll out and delivery of online learning is still defaulting to modes that are both difficult and challenging, and in many cases exacerbates existing issues and inequalities. We conclude with suggestions about how a consideration of the non-preferred user might actually be the preferred approach for all

Gay Shopping and Dinner Social 2008 flyer

This post contains the Gay Shopping and Dinner Social 2008 flyer and the Ms Publisher file for it

Reimagining the Good Life with Disability: Communication, New Technology, and Humane Connections

Many deeply cherished notions of “the good life” are based on limiting notions of humans, things, and their environment. In particular, “the good life” is often imagined as a realm beyond illness, impairment, and especially, disability. This view is informed by deficit models of disability, which individualize disability rather than explore the “socio-cultural conditions of disablism” (Goodley, 2011, p. 29). With contemporary communication and new media, disability is even more seen as an impediment, barrier, or tragedy, to be overcome with digital technology. Regrettably, the widely shared experience of disability and its complex relationships with communication are only rarely seen as a resource for how we achieve “the good life,” in our own lives and societies, now and in the future. Accordingly in this chapter, we take up pressing yet sorely neglected questions of disability and communication in order to illuminate how we might see “the good life” in much more enabling, humane, and democratic ways.Australian Research Counci

Expanding Access and Acceptability for HIV Testing

https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/gps-posters/1535/thumbnail.jp