“Call if You Can, Text if You Can’t.” Disability Advocate Visits Old Dominion
By Rikki Eskelund
Across the United States, jurisdictions are re-engineering their 911 systems to accept text messages. Text messages are particularly important as a form of emergency media communication for people who are deaf, hearing- or speech-impaired.
Elizabeth Ellcessor, who studies the intersection of disability and technology, will visit ODU Feb. 11.
Ellcessor, assistant professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, will speak about the promotional messages that accompany the commencement of text-to-911 services, examining the technology through conceptions of ability and disability.
Ellcessor's talk "Call if You Can, Text if You Can't" - about disability challenges of U.S. emergency 911 infrastructure - will be held Monday, Feb. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in BAL 9024. The event is free and open to the public.
What started for Ellcessor as a web developer job ultimately evolved into research on access to digital media technologies and cultures, particularly with respect to disability and bodily difference.
"When I went back to graduate school and started reading theoretical research on digital media, I was struck by how many arguments were directly applicable to disability contexts," she said. "The connections were there, but disability was almost totally invisible."
Ellcessor saw this as an opportunity to use her technical skills to bridge the gaps, delving into the histories and technologies used to give people with disabilities better access to digital media, and then studying disability communities to see how people navigate questions of access.
"The most surprising element of my work is how often questions of disability or access are hidden in plain sight," Ellcessor said. "There are few courses in 'media and disability,' but when we look at current TV or film, representations of disability are actually really prevalent."
The topic nearest to her heart is universities' ability to address the needs of faculty and students with physical disabilities through technology and other resources. Many universities have resources available to students with disabilities, but those resources may be harder to identify for graduate students, faculty or staff.
"Making tools, like image text-recognition software, available for the full community is one thing that can help," Ellcessor said. "Additionally, there's often a lack of training in how to make technology, classrooms, or events accessible."
Students and faculty can often be uncomfortable when interacting with other students or faculty with a disability. Ellcessor shared that above all it is most important to treat people like people. "Don't ask intrusive or personal questions, and don't make assumptions about what a student with a disability may or may not be able to do," she said.
"Instead, ask about needs and preferences. It is important to remember that students with disabilities are generally as capable as nondisabled students, with similar ranges of interests or perspectives."
The event is co-sponsored by ODU's College of Arts & Letters, the Department of English, the Department of Women's Studies, the Institute for the Humanities, the Center for Faculty Development, the Center for High Impact Practices, the Office of Educational Accessibility and the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity.