portfolio selections ii
Artifact 2: Inclusive Design & Communication Primer
Project Context: This primer translates academic theories on disability rights into an actionable framework. Synthesizing the works of scholars like Jay Timothy Dolmage, Michael Rembis, and Simi Linton, this guide promotes Universal Design for Learning and anti-ableist communication standards.
1. Recognizing Structural Ableism: The "Steep Steps"
Institutional frameworks, such as higher education "wellness programs," often unintentionally enforce a hierarchical structure.
The Pressure of "Wellness": These programs apply constant pressure for individuals to remain physically competent and continuously improving.
The Burden of Normalcy: A burden is placed on students to be well at all times, with little to no discussion of disability to relieve that pressure.
The Institutional Hierarchy: In this system, disability is pushed to the bottom of the "steep steps" of the Ivory Tower, while white, well-educated, able-bodied individuals stand at the top looking down.
2. The Historical Weight of Terminology
To write inclusively, we must understand how language has historically been weaponized. Past diagnostic hierarchies relied on physical and cognitive correlations to class citizens, linking human value directly to labor output. The terminology placed individuals on specific steps:
"Idiot": Mentally three years old or younger; paired with self-preservation.
"Imbecile" (Low to High Grade): Mentally four to ten years old; ranging from simple to complex manual work.
"Moron": Mentally ten to twelve years old; paired with work requiring reason and judgment.
This system placed disabled individuals into a space of deficit, implying their development was permanently arrested.
3. Actionable Guidelines for Anti-Ableist Content
Creating inclusive content requires actively dismantling the social models that stigmatize and segregate people with disabilities.
Audit Technical Language: Actively analyze and correct the ways in which we discuss disability, specifically removing words that are derogatory or incorrect. As Linton highlights, speech is essential to literacy and conversations among communities.
Reassign Meaning: Encourage a liberal stance of identity politics where disabled people are empowered by their differences, rather than marginalized by them.
Design for Universal Access: Shift the focus toward creating environments of access and building an inclusive framework that provides equity.
References for Artifact 2: Inclusive Design Primer
Dolmage, Jay Timothy (2017). Academic Ableism (specifically Chapter 1: "Steep Steps"). Referenced for the critical analysis of higher education "wellness programs" and the historical hierarchy of diagnostic terms.
Rembis, Michael (2015). Referenced for foundational concepts on building anti-ableist education, promoting environments of access, and implementing Universal Design for Learning.
Linton, Simi. Referenced for the critical framework on disability language, specifically the need to reassign meaning, audit derogatory terminology, and use proper technical terms to empower the disabled community. Linton, S. (1998). Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity.