Join us on Tuesday, March 23rd at 12:30-1:45pm for the next Department of Communication Speaker Series event. Dr. Meryl Alper, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University, will present Critical Media Access Studies: Examining the Benefits and Limits of Accessibility in Mediated Spaces. Below, please find a synopsis of the talk provided by Dr. Alper:
The benefits of “accessible” media and technology for people with disabilities are rarely questioned, nor considered within broader critical/cultural frameworks. In this talk, based on an article recently published in the International Journal of Communication, I make a contribution to the field of communication by proposing critical media access studies to further define a growing area of inquiry into contested notions of mediated access, drawing on work from disability media studies and critical access studies in architectural design. My proposal for critical media access studies is furthered through a case study of physical spaces designed for media engagement for young people (e.g., gaming arcades, movie theaters) that provide “autism-friendly” programming. Qualitative analysis of interviews and observations with autistic children and their families, as well as participant observation in such sites, reveals ideological assumptions, frictions, and contradictions underpinning cultural accessibility. Critical media access studies can offer communication scholars valuable theoretical and conceptual tools for deconstructing power, visibility, and marginality in mediated space.
For the WebEx link and Dr. Powers’s bio, please visit the Speaker Series page of our website: https://comm.uconn.edu/speaker-series/#
If you need accommodations in order to attend the event, please contact Cindy Stewart at cynthia.stewart@uconn.edu by Friday, March 19th.
For more information, contact: Sara Stifano at sara.stifano@uconn.edu