Digital Inclusion and Media Access

Disability is typically thought of as a medical problem existing within an individual’s damaged body. A social approach to disability recognises the way disability is created by inaccessible attitudes, public places and modes of communication. Approaching disability in this way, wheelchair users are understood as disabled by the absence of ramps, not an inability to walk. Similarly, people who cannot see are disabled when visual information is not communicated in an accessible alternative format such as braille or audio. Digital technologies should provide this flexibility through individualised modes of access, yet these same technologies are frequently designed in ways that are inaccessible to people with disability. This research program explores the role of culture and technology in both creating and alleviating disability. Projects focus on disability and digitisation and the importance of accessibility for people with and without disability.

Projects include: digital television, web capable devices, smartphones, captions, audio description, gaming, AI and the internet of things.