3.2 Module Overview

In this module, we will analyze representations of technology and disability in popular culture, including science fiction and advertising, and explore the cultural power dynamics that shape digital algorithms. Through this process we will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of ableism in discourses of new media.
• Interrogate ableist representations of disability and technology in pop culture and advertising.
• Begin to imagine cripped technologies and uses for digital media that emerge from disabled bodyminds, access, and collective care.
• Become familiar with the terms “cripping technology” and “crip technoscience.”
• Become aware of the invisible labour and biases that go into creating algorithms and web filters.
• Begin to think critically about the algorithmic and machinic processes that shape our everyday lives, from Google Search results to Wikipedia articles to Twitter feeds.