Link to presentation on disability, technology, and inclusive design

[kestrell]

Continuing yesterday's topic on improving assistive technology, here's a link toa presentation by Dreamwidth user alexwlchan posted a presentation titled
The Curb Cut Effect
https://alexwlchan.net/2019/01/monki-gras-the-curb-cut-effect/

It explains how inclusive design is good design for everyone, and how technologies designed for people with disabilities become technologies used by everyone.

Those who read my posts for any amount of time know I love talking about how PWD are early adopters and adapters of technology, and how many PWD have actually invented a lot of the technology that gets used everyday by non-disabled people (touchscreen, anyone?), so I particularly enjoyed the article
Fueling the Creation of New Electronic Curb Cuts by Steve Jacobs
http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/technology/eleccurbcut.htm

The book recommended in this post, MisMatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes, is available from MIT Press
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/mismatch
and is also available from Bookshare.org. A brief excerpt from the description sums it up:
"Holmes tells stories of pioneers of inclusive design, many of whom were drawn to work on inclusion because of their own experiences of exclusion."

Comments

[kestrell]

Yes, we live in a one-size-fits-all world, and I often feel when ppl ask me about accessibility and assistive tech, that they are looking for a one answer will sove all your problems response, so I always try to emphasize that there are going to need to be more than one option.

This is driving me crazy though: this book reminded me of one I read last year, and I think ou read it also, but I can't remember the title. It traced the development of assistive tech from WW2 era veterans wanting cars they could use, then got into the history of the development of ramps on campuses and in cities, esp. Berkley, and went on from there. I really enjoyed this book, but I can't remember the title.

Any thoughts?

[jesse_the_k]

There are actually two, Kes. One is Accessible America by Bess Williamson; the other is Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability, by Aimi Hamrai

It's intriguing to read them together. Williamson explores the foundations of disability policies which supported accessible designs. Hamrai points out how black people were systematically excluding from benefit by these programs.

Jesse Kaysen jesse_the_k@pobox.com

[kestrell]

*The Hallelujah Chorus bursts into song*
*Confetti rains down*
THANK YOU!
That was driving me *crazy*.
Accessible America was the one I read, but I will try to read the second one you mention.
I'm glad recent articles and public discussions of technology and access are getting into how entire groups of people, such as blacks, Latinos, and queer people, get excluded because they don't fit the picture image of a disabled white child or veteran.

I'm also glad that it seems that, sometimes, we seem to share a brain *lol*.
Btw, when Alexx woke up, he popped the USB cable that I swear didn't fit my new Book Port right in.
Now I'm off to decide what should be the first thing to put on my new Book Port Plus...

[jesse_the_k]

....follow up -- Aimi Hamrai has a website and a podcast and colleagues and discussion

https://www.mapping-access.com/blog-1/2020/3/10/accessible-teaching-in-the-time-of-covid-19