Midterm Project: Alphabet Collage

I really love how the collage turned out and all the symbolism that went into your idea. Something really poignant you wrote that stood out me was, "Communication isn’t something we do perfectly on our own. Communication is something we build together and across our own differences." When I explain why accessibility matters, I usually make the universal design argument. I tell them that accessibility is just good design and ends up benefiting everyone (like curb cuts). However, I think I am going to start using your idea of accessibility as something we do together. For example, when a Deaf person goes to the doctor and requests an interpreter, both the Deaf person and the doctor are benefiting from that service. I think people would generally frame requesting an interpreter as something extra or a special accomodation for the Deaf person, but for a doctor who does not know sign language, having an interpreter is access need for them too. The doctor's responsibility is to understand the patient's symptoms and to communicate their care options--and they cannot do that without an interpreter. Overall, your project has just generated a lot of ideas and questions for me about disability/communication, and I think that's a sign that you've made some very impactful art!