Open Futures
Disability experience is indispensable expertise in the field of technology. Through multimedia exhibits provided by community participants, we aim to showcase the diverse voices within the disability community and foster dialogue between the community and technology.
Heating milk coaster (Hover to play video)
HAN Jingying, a person with cerebral palsy, has been dedicated to advocating disability rights for five years and loves exploring more possibilities in life.
Recording location: Guangzhou
The diverse needs of people with hearing disabilities for information acquisition (Hover to play video)
Xiaoyuan, a person with postlingual hearing, is also proficient in using sign language for communication. The hearing aid allows me to retain the feeling of "listening" and understand the life of "deaf". Jumping in and out of two environments gave me a unique perspective on observation and experience.
Recording time: February 8, 2023
Recording location: Beijing
Pointing pen (Hover to play video)
XIAO Jia,
the first blind beauty artist in China for individuals with visual disabilities, six-stage yoga instructor, free diver, founder of non-visual aesthetics, former coordinator of CNWAD (Chinese Network for Women Affected by Disabilities) for women affected by disabilities in China, lecturer of the course “Reading More Beautiful” at the Chinese Braille Library, course development consultant for the “Gold Blind Cane Project – workplace soft power promoting course for professionals with visual disabilities”, Yijiayi Disabled Women Project Trainer. The United Nations Development Programme model female figure in entrepreneurship, continuously promoting the physical liberation, self-acceptance, and economic empowerment of women with disabilities.
Recording location: home in Beijing
Intelligent white cane evaluation (Hover to play video)
ZHOU Tong, a migrant worker with visual disability born in the 1990s, an unrefined girl who occasionally loves beauty, and a pioneer in digital technology.
Recording time: 2020
Recording location: Daxing District, Beijing
Click the link to listen to “Out of the Way” - podcast produced by Diversability Lab
Understanding Barriers to Inclusion of People with Disabilities
Click the link to see A List of Organizations and Media That Support Individuals with Disabilities
All along, the topic of disability and technology has often been dominated by industry experts. On the one hand, many technologies that seem to be invented for people with disabilities or marketed as serving them may not necessarily understand the real needs of people with disabilities. On the other hand, many people with disabilities also participate in technological production, engaging in professions related to high technology, and from different perspectives, they have the right to speak on this topic.
We hope that people with disabilities continue speaking out, sharing their experiences related to technology, and eliminating public misunderstandings about disabilities.
Please share content such as:
1) Digital tools you commonly use in your life
2) Critiques of seemingly high-tech but impractical concepts or designs
3) "Life hacks" that appear low-tech but are actually very useful
4) Smart products you wish existed in your life but haven't been developed yet
5) Your experiences in participating in technology research and development
6) Other related topics — participants are encouraged to be creative!
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