MEDIATED

PUBLICS
FOR
INCLUSION

CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR EDWARDS

CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR EDWARDS

MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
THESIS 2015

MEDIATED
PUBLICS
FOR
INCLUSION

o1 INTRODUCTION

AN OPPORTUNITY
Isolation is the obvious
enemy of cooperation.
RICHARD SENNETT IN TOGETHER
(SENNETT 166)

o2 CONTEXT

MEDIATED publics for inclusion are public spaces that are open up participation

o3 ANALYSIS

10

to all. A traditional design approach to mediation might be through material

o4 CONVERGE

16

objects; however, there is opportunity for mediation through the social structures

o5 IMPACT

24

within the spaces design creates. To understand this opportunity, I will explore

o6 CONCLUSION

30

my research and present a case study on empowering communications access for

o7 APPENDICES

32

deaf and hard of hearing students1 in the workplace, the impact of that work, and

o8 BIBLIOGRAPHY

36

what this might mean for design.

o9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

40

This research is embedded within my personal biography: I was born

hearing but slowly became deaf over time, resulting in a communications
impairment. Partially because of the slow transition, I have experience in mixed
communications settings in the office place. Im also deeply familiar with the
personal change management strategies for addiction and recovery, where I
draw inspiration. All of this is in dialogue with my background in performance,
experience design, and ethnomethodologies. Transdisciplinary design as a
method of synthesis is well situated to respond to the social needs of the
workplace by exploring the context, identifying key issues, seeing possibility,
and offering solutions (Kolko 169). Through my inherently transdisciplinary
background, my research makes use of the opportunity provided by design

Hereafter abbreviated as DHH which is a

common abbreviation in deaf studies.

methods to examine communication in the office in a deeper way, uncovering and

amplifying solutions, and amplify those.

o2 CONTEXT

COMMUNICATION
IN COLLABORATION

Our biggest creative breakthroughs come

define accessibility. In an earlier attempt, I settled on what

when people learn from, compete with, and

I called the right to spontaneity (Edwards): the prerogative

collaborate with other people.

to just show up.

This reframing of accessibility is also informed by

RICHARD FLORIDA
(FLORIDA)

the view that there is a separation between impairment

and disability. Impairment is the personal trait (deafness
or blindness for example) while disability is external: it

IN ORDER to understand the implications of

is the way the social and physical environment impedes

communications access, my work begins with the question

participation (Abrams 75). When people with disabilities

of communications in collaboration. As Richard Florida

notes here, the breakthroughs in innovative environments
are the result of the larger social interactions within
communities of collaborators. To see the implications for
communications barriers in these settings, I need to (re)

AT RIGHT To see what forms of communication emerged,

teams of hearing people worked together for 15 minutes,
communicating as they typically would, and then for the
remaining 45 minutes, I asked them not to speak.

o2 CONTEXT

DEFINITIONS

are faced with restrictions on access, their ability to make spontaneous

IMPAIRMENT VS
DISABILITY

choices is restricted. Returning to the question of collaborative

CULTURAL SHIFTS

environments, the spontaneous ability to mix and mingle at will is

for study was obvious. As a space

for communication, the office place
is home to both formal (task) and

the spark for innovation. When Melissa Mayer ended Yahoos remote

WHILE these interventions offered

clinician, part therapist. Dr. Gottermeier

informal (social) communication.

WHAT A BODY IS ABLE TO DO is,

working policies, she noted that people are more collaborative and

a window into emergent forms of

agreed to act as an outside advisor

Taskbased communication (I

first of all, various ... But what a body

innovative when theyre together (qtd in Lindsay). Yahoo is not the

communications access, I wanted

and helped to frame the context

need this done) is not only formal

can do also depends critically on

first place to acknowledge the power of mixed environments and the

to understand similar processes in

for the remaining parts of my work.

but formally accessible. Social

factors beyond the boundaries of the

collaboration that happens at the edge of the main project work. This

daytoday interactions between DHH

She emphasized that the experience

communication, however, (often called

physical body itself. Certain features

is also understood to be the essential driver of the innovation in design

and the hearing world. I looked at DHH

of DHH is an extended range: from

grapevine) falls outside of traditional

of that bodys built environment play

laboratory environments from Bletchley Park to XEROX Parc.

in the workforce for obvious reasons,

prelingual deaf to late deafened adult,

accessibility frameworks. Its this social

but also because the career and

those with hearing appliances and

communication that is especially tied

UNCOVERING COMMUNICATIONS IN COLLABORATION

educational paths of mainstreamed

without, and from native signers to

to economic and social mobility within

the distinction between impairment

With the focus on communications in collaboration, I recruited teams of

DHH represent larger social cultural

native English speakers who sign as a

the workplace context.

(a unique form of embodiment) and

hearing people who were already collaborating to give me an hour of

shifts, and as such, are an excellent

second language, if at all. This range

disability (the way impairment is or is

their work together to try an intervention. I asked them to work together

case study to understand the future of

of possibilities made it important for

workplace is its own site for economic

not addressed by society)....

for 15 minutes, communicating as they typically would, and then for

work for all.

me to define both the context of my

and social mobility, mirroring the social

intervention and from where on the

communications at play. For DHH, the

DHH spectrum I was working.

workplace is fraught with difficulty:

a role, as does its discursive setting. This

is a key move in disability advocacy:

the remaining 45 minutes, I asked them not to speak to see what forms
(Abrams 75)

Through the LinkedIn groups for

Secondly and relatedly, the

of communication emerged and to gauge participant behavior. These

DHH in the workforce, I met Dr. Linda

interventions, while unscientific, did show that functional collaborative

Gottermeier, a professor of audiology

teams could still function with one of their metaphorical wheels off. I had

at the National Technical Institute for

SHIFTS IN THE WORKPLACE

underemployed (at least in relationship

restricted communications, but communications still continued and the

the Deaf in Rochester. Audiologists

As communications in collaborative

to their peers) although statistics and

work got done.

are trained to be both technicians of

working groups was my initial interest,

research about DHH working adults is

hearing loss and social guideposts: part

choosing the workplace as a site

not systemically available (Appelbam

DHH are too frequently un or

o2 CONTEXT

THE CASE STUDY

MAINSTREAMED DEAF & HARD OF HEARING

et al. 265). The gap between DHH and

peers. Like the rest of the public sector,

THE CONTEXT IN CONTEXT

education communities the site of the

their peers is often a product of the

separate educational institutions for

The point of my work isnt to argue

same kinds of global flows that were

low high school graduation rates of

DHH have seen funding cuts, causing

whether these cultural changes are

once only part of large international

DHH, so the context of my research is

many deaf schools to close and

positive or negative, but to identify

cities. These emerging mixed

a rarified subset of highly motivated

parents to decide that an underfunded

them as social trends. Compared to

communications communities are not

DHH students who, against staggering

school far from home is suboptimal.

previous generations, mainstreamed

unlike globalized education settings

odds, have managed to make it

As well, 90 percent of all DHH children

DHH have an increased expectation

such as at the New School, where

into a career path requiring college

are born to hearing parents (Peter).

that the rest of their lives will be

nearly a third of the student population

education. Nonetheless, these current

Between the loss of funding and

accessible as well: that their choices

is international (International

outliers represent a social shift in

hearing parents unfamiliarity with deaf

of colleges, careers, and public lives

Student and Scholarship Services),

DHH and with proper guidance, could

education, the impression is that deaf

will be on par or better than their early

showing the potential efficacy of

become the norm.

school provide an inferior education.

educational experiences. Coupled

mixed communications systems in the

Its estimated that 75 percent of DHH

with the regulatory power of the

modern workplace.

SHIFTS IN EDUCATION

students are currently educated

American with Disabilities Act, DHH

Education of DHH continues to evolve

in mainstream settings (Antia).

might expect mainstreamed lives as

beyond earlier views that assumed

Importantly, this shift to mainstreaming

an extension of their mainstreamed

this population was uneducable to

is further enabled by an increase in

educations, but encounter myriad

the creation of separate state and

the technological support of improved

systemic impediments to this goal of

cityrun schools for the deaf, a bold

hearing aids and cochlear implants.

mainstreamed interaction.

and progressive idea at the time.

One goal of my work is to bridge

We are seeing now an increase

the gap between the reality and the

in mainstreaming where DHH are

ideal. Internetenabled connectivity

educated alongside their hearing

is making workplace and higher

The specific target segment for my research is small and in flux. It

is a privileged group: the population of deaf and hard of hearing
that make it to post secondary education is small. It is still valid,
however, for what it represents for the cultural shifts around
language and communications barriers.

MAINSTREAMED DHH

4.3%

75%
16.5%

At right, sources: Holt, Judith, Sue Hotto, and Kevin Cole.

DEMOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Third Edition, 1994.
Research Support & International Affa. Gallaudet

POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION

NOT IN LABOR
FORCE

University, 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <https://

research.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/factsheet.php>.
Allen, Thomas E. Who Are the Deaf and Hardofhearing
Students Leaving High School and Entering
Postsecondary Education? Research Support &
International AffairsG. Gallaudet University, 05 Dec. 2011.
Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <https://research.gallaudet.edu/
AnnualSurvey/whodeaf.php>.

26%
DECLINE IN DHH YOUTH

o3 ANALYSIS

11

UNCOVERING THE WORKPLACE

COWORKER

FIG. 1: UNEASY
COLLABORATION

To Sennett, the workplace social triangle is made weaker by modern capitalism (Fig 1 & 2) which makes cooperation less
open (Sennett 129). In adapting the social triangle to DHH in the workplace, I note that modern accessibility frameworks have
the same effect How might they be strengthened through interdependence? (Fig 3 & 4)

CAREER
NAVIGATORS

BOSS

BOSS

WORKER

THE SOCIAL TRIANGLE

WORKER

COWORKER

FIG. 2: WEAKENED BY
MODERN CAPITALISM

DEAF/HH

ALLIES

FIG. 3: WEAKENED BY
TRADITIONAL ACCESSIBILITY

CAREER
NAVIGATORS

DEAF/HH

ALLIES

FIG. 4: STRENGTHENED
THROUGH INTERDEPENDENCE

TO UNCOVER the dynamics of the office place, I looked at the work of the

ADAPTING THE SOCIAL TRIANGLE

Within this context of my project, the

success for DHH comes from the

sociologist Richard Sennett. Sennetts work is on the social dynamics of work

In adopting Sennetts theory to

career navigators would be college

audiology community. At various

through the properties of craft and worker cooperation. Sennetts analysis makes

communications access in the

career services. Ive specifically

times throughout a persons career

use of what he calls the social triangle, a descriptor for the bonds that connect

workplace, I have identified the

researched the tools that the Center

path, others might serve in the career

the actors in the workplace in collaboration (148178). The bonds of the social

actors within the career context of

for Student Success at the New

navigator position (human resources,

triangle are uneasy and fraught with trust issues, and it is inherently unbalanced

DHH, specifically those emerging

School uses when advising students

placement firms, recruitment

as it includes both workers and supervisors. Furthermore, its highly competitive

from college. At the top of the

oneonone about their future. Much

organizations, etc.) and I will address

as it includes peers who are seeking similar advancement (Sennett 129).

triangle are the career navigators.

of the academic research on career

these actors as future points for

13

o3 ANALYSIS

JOURNEY MAP

intervention later. The other points

money, especially if it goes unused

media. Her work includes exploring

of the social triangle include allies,

(although no one complains about the

the relationship between DHH and the

whether helpful hearing coworkers

cost of a wheelchair ramp if its not

development of information theory

coworker sentiments. As I stated earlier, its the social

and friends or other DHH, and of

used every day). The intention of my

(Mills). Within disabilities studies,

conversation (and therefore social needs) that fall

course the DHH worker herself.

work is to approach the bonds within

theres a complex narrative around

TO UNDERSTAND where to intervene within the career

outside of traditional accessibility even in the most

the social triangle as something that

embodiment that Mills explores

system, I mapped the career pathway from hiring

accesscompliant hiring processes, such as government or

that connect the parts of his social

can be strengthened, rebalanced, and

through Donna Haraways Cyborg

to promotion. For each stage, I identified the social

large corporation jobs.

triangle are weakened by capitalism

repaired. By viewing the strengthening

Manifesto. The narratives of in disability

unbalancing cooperation (129). For

of the social triangle through the frame

studies of embodiment lead me to law

DHH in the workplace, we might say

of the office, workforce development,

scholar Kathryn Abrams exploration

the parts of the social triangle are

and career mobility, Im taking

of interdependence in disability

weakened by traditional accessibility

accessibility technology into the

studies and how the legal framework

frameworks that arent structured

narrative workforce development and

might support it (Abrams). The logical

to support cooperation between

empowering DHH to navigate their

application for Sennetts theories was

DHH and allies. As it functions now,

own careers.

to explore systems that supported

In Sennetts view, the bonds

standard practices in the accessibility

communications needed, from finding job leads to

workplace gossip, and understanding employee and

CAREER STAGES
HIRING
APPLY

WORKING
INTERVIEW

TRAIN

ADVANCING
WORK

PROMOTION

SUPERVISE

interdependence in the workplace.

ecosystem (translators, deaf, and

INTO INTERDEPENDENCE

hearing) dont allow for unplanned

In addition to conversations around

communication and in fact tend to

Sennetts work and themes,

ignore it. The current model also

my research draws from the work

forces deaf and providers into an

of NYU communications professor

antagonistic relationship where

Mara Mills, whose research is at the

each request for access means extra

intersection of disability studies and

SELF
DEFINITION

JOB LEADS

DISCLOSURE

INSIDE
CONTACTS

SOCIAL NEEDS

RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT

MEETING
COLLEAGUES

NOTES
& TIMELINE

COLLAB
ORATION

IDENTIFYING
ALLIES

WORK
RELATED
GOSSIP

CONVERSATION
FRAMEWORK

EMPLOYEE
SENTIMENT

CAREER BOOKS

WORKBOOKS

CAREER SERVICES

o3 ANALYSIS

PRECEDENT REVIEW

model of open distribution of material

To match the social need with the

support through the web. Results of

career stage, I looked to precedents

this analysis are in the sidebar.

within personal changement and

I also performed a visual survey

career support, as well as adjacent

of the workbook and guide landscape

examples in consideration of a suite of

for both careers and personal change

support tools and frameworks. I began

management from the classic career

with examples within career nonprofits,

book What Color Is Your Parachute,

communities of recovery, and even

to dieting guides, and career services.

bottomup urbanism, looking for

What I found was a lack of tools

examples on both packaging of tools

seemingly aimed at students about

as well as language choices and toolkit

to engage with their careers on

distribution models. I did a deep dive

how to address communications

on the programming and organization

barriers. While considering what tools

of SCORE Association as a nonprofit

would be useful, I was inspired by

and volunteerled model for supporting

the open distribution and aesthetics

career development, then looked at

of zines. The small, portable, and

communities of recovery and personal

handcrafted aesthetic seemed

change like AA and Weightwatchers

appropriate for an early stage career

for their programmatic decisions

target audience as well as a model for

(including workshop designs,

income generation.

mentoring, and frameworks). Finally,

I reviewed Walking [Your City] as a

15

KEYWORDS

ASSESSMENT

toolkits, urbanism,
open platform,
distributed, website

Open source tools distributed online. Distribution intersects with career

planning tools but more userfriendly. Opening the tools to be shared
and built upon reflects a proposition to counter fetish of assertion
through up cooperative dialogics (Sennett 18).

change management,
storytelling,
mentoring, meetings,
framework, toolkits,
structure

Communitysupported personal change management, from AA to

Weight Watchers, include similar features: chapter and small group
organization, an overarching structural framework, a strong sense of
purpose, use of mentoring, and storytelling as a way to model behavior.
Within the organizational development community this is akin to
the positive deviance model where you identify successful outliers
in a system and amplify their behavior through sharing amongst
community members.

SCORE
ASSOCIATION
(NONPROFIT)

community,
nonprofit, mentoring,
support, workshops,
framework,
intergenerational

National nonprofit providing mentoring, workshops, and tools to

support entrepreneurship. Extensive website, online video collection,
meetings and forums as well as local chapters that make use of libraries
and schools as points of contact. Functionally as an example of both
mentorship as well as supporting nonprofit framework

ZINES
(HANDMADE, OPEN DISTRIBUTION)

target appeal,
distributed, craft
aesthetic, small,
portable, handmade,
low cost, open
distribution

Handcrafted, personalized story with strong element of community

culture of building and sharing. Confessional format and social critique
bridges formal group storytelling of SCORE and recovery models with
a more personal relationship with the audience. Distribution is lowcost
and more open. The form is recognizable to college students entering
early stage of their careers.

WALK [YOUR CITY]

(TACTICAL URBANISM)

COMMUNITIES
OF RECOVERY
(positive deviance)

o4 CONVERGE

17

CASE STUDY

TOOLS AND STRATEGIES FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING IN THE WORKPLACE
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING are often situated as their
own primary advocates at the career level as in life. Typically

to support selfdirected communications access.

In response, I developed a program, workshop, and

supported accessibility paradigms require preplanning for

workbook called Crafting Access. Crafting Access

both the interpreter and the interpreted to be maximally

supports access to spoken communications in the office

and fully utilized. This planned access is inflexible and often

place through an engaged framework of tools and new

puts the onus on the DHH to provide or make provisions for

models for career and conversational planning. Below, I

their own metaphorical ramps. There is opportunity in this

will explain how I came to this new model of workplace

place of personal inventiveness, thus the key question facing

interaction, the tools I developed to support it, and how

career navigators and DHH alike is how to build a framework

those were tested and explored.

o4 CONVERGE

CRAFT

FROM HACKING ACCESS

communications hacks that DHH are

In daytoday interactions, deaf

already making use of help with the

is a different kind framework for

and hard of hearing find ways to

social communication in the office,

conversation. While hacking access,

communicate with nondeaf and

as it is unplanned and outside the

the feedback loops are immediate and

nonsigners using what we might

traditional accessibility framework.

often anxiety producing. Anyone that

call access hacks. The definition

19

HACK

At the core of Crafting Access

has spoken in a new language can

of a hack is a strategy or technique

INTO CRAFTING ACCESS

relate to that isolating fear of making

adopted in order to manage ones

If I might borrow from Sennett

a mistake. With Crafting Access, I

daily activities (Lifehack). These

again, craft is skilled and socially

extend the feedback loop into a longer,

types of lifehacks are developed in the

engaged. Sennett notes the reflective

reflective practice that specifically

moment, individually, so it is important

quality of craft and skill building.

engages others in that skill building.

that my work be technology agnostic

Indeed, the definition of craft is an

and not bound to specific platforms

activity involving skill (Craft); It is

of access, the question isnt one

that may not be consistently available

considered and thought through. For

of technology but the social skills

and change over time. DHH are the

Sennett, its the difference between

needed to deploy access hacks and

well as the identification of hearing

advise students on strategies for their

best advocates for the technological

remediation and reconfiguration

turn individual hacks into the craft

collaborators. In that way, Crafting

work lives. Making use of precedents in

tools they employ to communicate,

(Sennett 220). In application within

of access. To take individual hacks

Access is also tools agnostic,

sociology, organization development,

and the many and natural ways that

Crafting Access, this is the difference

into a socially engaged craft, Crafting

emphasizing social tools and not

and psychology, Crafting Access

differently abled people adopt and

between the communication hacks

Access builds on the strategies and

technology.

is both workshop framework and

modify technology for their daily use

mentioned above and communication

tools that DHH already employ in

is well documented within disability

craft. In my view: its this reflection and

mixed communication workplaces:

mainstreamed DHH students, those

within the social triangle of the office

history. DHH are no different, we are

practice that separates communication

from group chat and speechtotext

responsible for assisting with career

place and career navigation.

natural life hackers. It follows that the

access hacks from access craft.

technologies, to pen and paper as

development lack methods to properly

PRESENT

In order to arrive at the craft

With the increased number of

selfguided workbook to be deployed

ABOVE While hacking access, the

feedback loops are immediate and
produce conversational anxiety. With
Crafting Access, the feedback loops
extend backward into a longer, reflective
practice that specifically engages others
in that skill building.

21

o4 CONVERGE

THE FRAMEWORK
THE FRAMING of the Crafting

A suite of support materials

understanding of the precedents,

a window into emergent forms of

the evolution of the process and

exercises that make up the workbook.

the question of agency in personal

communications access, I wanted

supporting exercises, the workshop

Over the course of the workshop,

change is of paramount importance.

to understand similar processes in

was not codesign, rather an

participants developed personal

You need to see yourself as making a

daytoday interactions between DHH

experiencebased testing with surveys

action plans and strategies for new

before and afterwards.

office workers by exploring these

Access process is to move DHH

grew out of the career journey

choice and being empowered to make

and the hearing world. I started with

from independent action through

map in connection with precedent

that choice, and each activity is framed

interviews of DHH college students and

selfdefinition to interdependence.

research. Following the story arc from

with this in mind.

working adults and found that it was

(see Appendix B), I crafted this

communications through playfulness

This a deliberate arc that moves

independence to interdependence,

hard to elicit embedded behaviors.

experiencebased workshop process

into strategy session for the DHH

from individual assessment and self

the exercises that make up the

THE TESTING WORKSHOP

The testing of Crafting Access

to explore the tools of the workbook

participants around communications

determination to situating access as

Crafting Access process focus on self

The evolution of Crafting Access,

grew out of not just a need to

and the conversational framework. As

hacks in the office. The workshop

socially connected. This move toward

definition, disclosure, identifying allies,

from the early provocations on

understand the efficacy of the tools,

I explained, these tools explored self

was a place for building (or at least

interdependence also reflects the

and writing rules for engagement.

communications in collaboration

but to see whether the frameworks

definition, disclosure, identification

discussing) the kinds of skills that lead

overarching theme of converting

Embedded in each of these exercises

through precedent research into tools

of Crafting Access might elicit

of allies, and laying down ground for

to the craft of access.

unskilled hacks into crafting access.

is development of personal tools to

and strategies, evolved along with an

selfawareness of the communications

communications. The sharing and

Each need that I identified in the

support communications access is the

exploration of ethnographic tools (see

hacks that DHH employ in daily

roleplay of office interaction strategies

about identity. We opened with a TedX

journey map is applied in order to

view of accessibility as empowerment

Appendix A) to reveal interactions.

interactions. Although the workshop

was the central pivot moment between

Stanford video by Rachel Kolb, a deaf

support this framework.

and selfdirected. Based on my

While the early interventions offered

participants were instrumental in

the selffocused and socially focused

student, discussing her experience in

RESEARCH & PROTOTYPING TIMELINE

INTERVIEWS
PROVOCATIONS

11.2014

1 hour communications tests

with hearing collaborators

DHH students and alumni

DIARIES V2

WKSHOP SOFT LAUNCH

Fillin blank, lower reading age

Mulitiple rapidfire tests with

hearing of script and tools

INTERACTION DIARIES V1

Using experience blueprinting

01.2015

02.2015

I opened the workshop by talking

WORKSHOP

EXPANDING AUDIENCE

Experiencebased test with DHH

Testing with ESL, career services,

mixed hearing/DHH

Ethnographic selfreporting (chart)

12.2014

exercises. The workshop also explored

03.2015

04.2015

o4 CONVERGE

23

mainstream environments. Her speech

the communications hack employed.

helped open the narrative of the

We ran through this exercise two

expected, though I should have

selfdirected access as empowerment.

times with two different kinds of

anticipated it as reflective storytelling

Each participant took a name badge

conversations.

is also at the heart of both Positive

at the beginning where I asked them

GUIDED DISCUSSION
DEFINE & DISCLOSE
FINDING ALLIES

INDVIDUAL ASSESSMENT

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

INTERDEPENDENCE

This result was not entirely

Deviance and recovery models of

what they have and what they are.

LESSONS FROM TESTING

personal change management. These

The first exercise was a discussion

Before and after the workshop, I

are rooted in using frameworks for

around how to define ourselves and

administered surveys (see Appendix C)

storytelling to identify the positive

our disability. The second part was a

to gauge the efficacy of the workshop.

actions you are already taking to

guided discussion. Using a storyboard

While there were modest changes in

motivate and sustain personal change.

and prompts, each participant chose

the way people perceived their self

In the words of the founders of the

a workplace scene, a person in the

agency, the most valuable part was

Positive Deviance change model, the

office, a tool such as a chat program

guided discussion. The importance

key is to engage the members of the

or pen and paper, and then they

of the workshop as a place for

community you want to change in the

added what I called the wild card or

conversation about the access hacks

process of discovery, making them the

that the participants had developed

evangelists of their own conversion

individually was the born out in testing,

experience. (Pascale and Sternin)

LEFT ABOVE Each tool was tested

against the underlying story arc
that emphasized the transition from
independence to interdependence.
LEFT BELOW To prepare for workplace
interaction, a storyboard framework
included specific people and tools.

however. One participant specifically

noted that Its very interesting and
useful when we discussed and share
experiences together. I learned
something new from others like how
to deal with an interview.

25

o5 IMPACT

A TOOLKIT FOR
COMMUNICATIONS
ACCESS
CURRENT OUTCOMES

IN ORDER to amplify and extend Crafting Access, Ive

audience: going through Crafting Access with a mixed

developed a theory of change document detailing potential

hearing and deaf married couple, for instance, was the

current and future intervention points in addition to ways to

first time either of them had a thoughtful and reflective

fund Crafting Access going forward.

conversation about how they communicate.

The theory of change diagram identifies several

different types of activities, some that have already been

CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION

implemented as well as future potential. The activities are

Within career services, Ive distributed my workbook and

listed on the theory of change diagram from lowcost to

conversational discussion framework at career fairs. As

highcost, left to right, from free to lowcost distribution

I go forward placing the Crafting Access into the career

through workshops, to identified income streams like

navigation landscape, there needs to be the strong social

one on one coaching. The implications of this coaching

component. While I understood that sharing around

reach beyond the workplace. Ive introduced the Crafting

strategies was effective in other settings, I wasnt prepared

Access workbook and conversation framework to those

for the participants to intuitively understand the value of

with communications barriers beyond the original target

the guided storytelling, in particular, the idea that Crafting

IMPACT CAREER SERVICES

26

LONGTERM OUTCOMES

WORKSHOP DISTRIBUTION

27

CURRENT OUTCOMES

FACILITATING ONEONONE

28

o5 IMPACT

Social systems turn impairments into disabilities.

Access to social communications requires social tools.

ASSUMPTION

Develop freetopaid framework that supports interdependent accessibility.

ACTIVITIES

Web &
social media

Online
communities

Free & paid

workbooks

Individual empowerment

OBJECTIVES

Lowcost
workshops

Paid 1on1
coaching

System interdependence

Relieve anxiety over access challenges through preplanning

29

Access participants wanted to do

AlterConference, the home of critical

term fixes. For crafting access to

the discussion framework with their

discourse on the tech and gaming

communications, conversation hacks

hearing collaborators.

communities, to the Interdependence

need to be understood in a time frame

Project, a secular Buddhist movement

longer than a momentary hack.

While the workbook is framed

outward (asking participants to

that, among other things, offers

schedule meetings and interactions

mindfulness to career planning and

with their allies) for Crafting Access

workplace development. Without this

sustained learning, especially for

to take hold, there will need to be

public facing platform, Crafting Access

hearing allies, which is partially

additional opportunities for guided

wouldnt have had the opportunity to

answered in the workbook. Both the

discussion between all parts of the

find these adjacent conversations.

workbook and the toolkit testing

social triangle: between deaf and

Support conversations allies and impaired

INTENDED
SHORT TERM
OUTCOMES

Facilitating 1on1 and group

interactions

Distributing workbook
and framework online

Impacting career
services tools

ASSUMPTION

Develop workshop
distribution channel

Job coaching and

intersecting with
career consultants

Make use of emerging

behavior change tech

Increasing agency and job satisfaction for DHH in their careers.

asked that DHH identify allies and

allies as well as career navigators

FUTURE POTENTIAL

make a plan to meet with those allies

and hearing workers. I see the

Implementing the Crafting Access

regularly in order to tap into the social

potential value amongst human

process in larger settings will need

conversation. These meetings might

resources training and development to

to include that core interaction: the

possibly reinforce any earlier learning

implement the workshop format.

workbook alone is not enough. In

as well. There is also emerging research

order to repair the social bonds of the

into techsupported behavioral change:

an online presence, starting with social

workplace, DHH must also engage

whether delivered via text message or

media. This has helped to locate others

in the craft of access within a social

Bluetooth beacon, notificationbased

in adjacent conversations such as

context. Craft is outwardly facing and

reminders should not be ignored as an

connected but it also operates on a

opportunity to strengthen the social

longer time frame. To go back to my

triangle and support the crossing of

original comparison, hacks are short

communications barriers..

Additionally , Crafting Access has

INTENDED
LONG TERM
OUTCOMES

There is also the question of

o6 CONCLUSION

31

MEDIATED PUBLICS

NOBODY GOES FOR A WALK WITHOUT HAVING

SOMETHING THAT SUPPORTS THAT WALK,

influences from embodiment to queer theory to architecture

SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES.

and technology. All of them are working in communications

and media history. In other words, those who are most

JUDITH BUTLER
(QTD IN ABRAMS 76)

engaged with the design for different bodies are working

active, open, and iterative, while simultaneously being

design. As a case study in design, Crafting Access might

methodological, structuring, and synthesizing.

suggest a new course for understanding the frameworks of

Toward the end of Together, Sennett talks about the

sort of improvisational methods that true craftspeople
ORIGINALLY, I was resistant to the notion that Crafting

At the personal level, Crafting Access forms both in

without the background of the histories and narratives of

accessibility from within design itself.

Access often sits outside of design in both physical

feel confident in deploying: improvisation is the key to

places and social and cultural places. These publics have

Access is, at its heart, a communication program. I think

content and practice a way of working as a deaf designer.

radical repairs of this sort, they most often occur through

access stuck on to them in such a way that accessibility

that has the potential to erase deafness. Ive come, however,

Central to Crafting Access is collaboration with others as

small, surprising changes which turn out to have larger

works for no one. Users and uses are separated, and those

to see deafness in the workplace as a case study to reveal

the key to communications access and mindfulness and

implications. It is my belief that Crafting Access is the

who arent ablebodied are left to deal with physical and

something larger about communications access. As such,

intention in crossing communications barriers. Through

kind of small repair at the personal and social level that

metaphorical access ramps that only end up distancing

I can see the value in contributing to the discussions

this new process a different interaction template emerges:

can lead to larger changes both in the development of

them from full participation.

around other communities that are navigating mixed

from the solitary and anxiety producing feedback of

inclusive innovative office places and even the way design is

communications, from different spoken languages to autism

hacking access to the connected and reflective skills of

practiced itself.

or introverts. I also see value to the career development

crafting access. Thus, establishing a way to navigate my

community in offering new tools in design thinking for

future practice. More broadly as transdisciplinary design,

FOR DESIGN ITSELF

the sidewalk and not the social system that enables it.

navigating multilingual communities. As a design program,

it merges experience design, ethnomethodologies as well

The transition here is to understand what Crafting Access,

Crafting Access is one case study to consider these larger

Ive built a workshopbased experience and toolkit that used

as my personal story related to being a late deafened adult

as a case study, might mean for design in general. Through

questions of the social structure. Perhaps through those

the sorts of interactive teaching methods that are the heart

and strongly familiar with the addiction recovery narrative.

my work on this project Ive found a community of disability

considerations there might be an opportunity for design

of the inclusive classroom (Heslinga 2).

As such, this transdisciplinary method is design that is

and technology historians. Their work brings in a variety of

consider accessibility without isolating uses.

If we consider what Judith Butler is saying above,

its more than just the sidewalks that support our walk.
Traditional design frameworks might only consider

33

o7 APPENDIX A

o7 APPENDIX B

ETHNOGRAPHIC DIARIES

WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE BLUEPRINT

LEFT First version of an interaction diary for ethnographic

self-reporting. Early trials of this behavior was met with
confusion.

BELOW Ive adopted the service blueprint as a key method

to scripting shorter experiences, like the workshop. Through
blueprinting, I considered the relationship between the story

INTERACTION DIARY

NAME

DATE

RIGHT An audilogist with significant experience with prelingual

deaf advised that I lower the reading age to fourth grade. I
experimented with a more causual format via Mad-Libs-style
diary. While this revision was met with less resistance, it still
wasnt a successful intervention.

DEAF/HH/OTHER

TIME

WHAT THEY DID

I RESPONDED BY

HOW I FELT

WHAT I WANTED

WORKSHOP

PRIOR TO WORKSHOP

Everyday you encounter people. Take note of your interactions. Record your what they did, how you
responded, felt, and wanted. Please also note your energy level after each exchange.

DEAF/HH
ALUMNI

ENERGY

EACH DAY, WE MEET PEOPLE AND TALK WITH THEM. How do you feel? Follow the example below. Write what you wanted.
Then write what you did. Then write how you responded. How did that make you feel? What did you wish were different? Then
draw a picture of the conversation. Use as many pages as needed.
AT (where? home? school? the store?), I TALKED TO (who? a shopkeeper? a friend? a stranger?)

INDIVIDUAL DEFINITION

AFTER WORKSHOP

INTERDEPENDENCE

CONTACT FROM
JASON AT SDS

AGREES
TO ATTEND

SURVEYED
ABOUT EXISTING
SENSE SELF &
WORK/CAREER

NAMETAG SELF
IDENTIFICATION

INTRODUCED TO
TOPIC OF SELF
AGENCY W/ RA
CHEL KOLB VID

START TOOLKIT:
DEFINE SELF,
DISCLOSURE

ROLE PLAY
TYPES OF
CONVO, IDENTIFY
ALLIES, WRITE 10
RULES

COMPLETE
FOLLOW-UP
SURVEY

CONTACT FROM
CTE

AGREES
TO ATTEND

SURVEYED
ABOUT EXISTING
SENSE SELF &
WORK/CAREER

NAMETAG SELF
IDENTIFICATION

INTRODUCED TO
TOPIC OF SELF
AGENCY W/ RA
CHEL KOLB VID

START TOOLKIT:
DEFINE SELF,
DISCLOSURE

ROLE PLAY
TYPES OF
CONVO, IDENTIFY
ALLIES, WRITE 10
RULES

COMPLETE
FOLLOW-UP
SURVEY

DEAF/HH STUDENTS

DRAW A PICTURE.

BECAUSE I WANTED (to buy something? go some place?) SO I (wrote or typed notes? signed?)
TIME?

arc and experience of the workshops stakeholders, focusing

on key touchpoints and needed support materials.

AND THAT PERSON (what did that person do to respond?). I WISH THAT I (had help? had a

SCHEDULE
MEETING WITH
ALLY TO DISCUSS
RULES, REPORT
BACK

magic device?). I FELT (how did this conversation make you feel?).
AT

TIME?

DRAW A PICTURE.

, I TALKED TO

BECAUSE I WANTED

SO I

AND THAT PERSON

. I WISH THAT I

. I FELT
AT

.
DRAW A PICTURE.

, I TALKED TO

BECAUSE I WANTED

TOOLKIT
- DEFINITION
- ALLIES
- 10 RULES

SLIDE SHOW / ROLE

PLAY PROMPTS

SURVEY OF POSTWORKSHOP STATE

TOOLS FOR CAREER

DEV
- WRKBK
- POSTER
- ROLE PLAY

CONTACT FROM
CTE

DISABILITY
SERVICES

CONTACT FROM
CTE

PRELIMINARY
DISCUSSION
ABOUT TOOLS /
PROCESS

POST WORK
SHOP REVIEW

TOOL TESTING /
DEPLOYMENT

DRAW A PICTURE.
SO I

AND THAT PERSON

. I WISH THAT I

. I FELT

NAME

NAMETAG

.
, I TALKED TO

BECAUSE I WANTED

THANK YOU! Please return your completed form (scan it or take a picture) to
christophertayloredwards (at) newschool (dot) edu

WORKSHOP SPACE

. I WISH THAT I

. I FELT

TIME?

CAREER
SERVICES

SO I

AND THAT PERSON

AT

SURVEY OF PREWORKSHOP STATE

. I WISH THAT I

. I FELT

TIME?

SCHEDULING
EMAILS (2)

SO I

AND THAT PERSON

AT

DOODLE OF
POTENTIAL DATES

DRAW A PICTURE.

, I TALKED TO

BECAUSE I WANTED
TIME?

TOUCHPOINTS

DATE

CIRCLE ONE: DEAF OR HH

PAGE

OF

PRELIMINARY
DISCUSSION
ABOUT TOOLS /
PROCESS

OUTREACH TO
CAREER SER
VICES / ALUMNI

POSTWORK
SHOP TOOL
ANALYSIS

FOLLOW-UP
ANALYSIS

o7 APPENDIX C

TESTING SURVEYS
BELOW AND RIGHT Text of the pre- and post-workshopsurveys
created to gauge the efficacy of the experience and the tools.
While there were modest changes in the way people perceived
their self agency, the most valuable part was the comments in
regard to storytelling and sharing strategies..
.

CRAFTING ACCESS: PRE-WORKSHOP SURVEY

1. How do you self identify? How you describe your
hearing.
Deaf (part of cultural Deaf community)
hard of hearing
deaf (hearing loss but not a cultural statement)
I dont / other
2. Have you worked in an office where both hearing and
deaf communicate together? Y / N
3. How comfortable are you comfortable are you working
with hearing people?
Hate it 0 10 Very comfortable
4. Do you believe your career path will require you to
work in hearing environments? Y / N
5. How concerned are you about being to communicate in
future hearing environments?
Very concerned 0 10 Looking forward to it

o7 APPENDIX D
CRAFTING ACCESS: AFTER WORKSHOP SURVEY
1. What was your favorite activity?
Define Yourself worksheet
Guided discussion with the cards
Find your Ally worksheet
Communicate with Me / 10 Rules worksheet
2. How do you self identify? How you describe your
hearing.
(same options as pre-workshop)
3. What did you think about the Define Yourself
worksheet?
4. How comfortable are you comfortable are you working
with hearing people?
Hate it 0 10 Very comfortable
5. Is this a change from how you felt before the
workshop? Y / N
6. What did you think about the Guided Discussion with
the cards and the story writing?
7. How concerned are you about being to communicate in
future hearing environments?
Very concerned 0 10 Looking forward to it
8. Is this a change from how you felt before the
workshop? Y / N
9. For the Communicate with Me (10 rules) worksheet
would you share it with your friends and allies? Y / N
10. What did you think about the Find Your Ally worksheet?
11. What did you think about the Communicate With Me
worksheet?
12. Will you use any part of the toolkit of worksheets
again? *
Define Yourself
Find Your Ally
Communicate with Me / 10 Rules
none

35

TOOLKIT TESTING EXERCISES

BELOW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT The testing workshop
explored self-definition in two exercises, the name tag and
then the Define Yourself activity. The workshop ended with

I AM
I HAVE

DEFINE YOURSELF

FIND
YOUR ALLY
DEFINE
YOURSELF

FINDCOMMUNICATE
YOUR ALLY WITH ME

DEAF? HARD OF HEARING? OR COMMUNICATIONS

ALLIES AND
MAKE A PLAN TO TALK
DEAF?FIND
HARDYOUR
OF HEARING?
OR COMMUNICATIONS

FIND YOUR ALLIES AND MAKE A PLAN TO TALK

ISSUES? HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?

WITH
THEM
ISSUES?
HOW
DO REGULARLY.
YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?

WITH THEM REGULARLY.

I AM
I HAVE

1.

I AM

2.

2.

I HAVE

3.

3.

4.

4.

5.

5.

6.

6.

7.

7.

8.

8.

I AM

COMMUNICAT

1.

I AM
I HAVE
.

I AM

ally mapping in Find Your Ally and excerise in developing

your own rules for engagement. In the back is the storyboard
framework for the Guided Discussion.

NAME

NAME

9.

9.

CHECKIN

10.
CHECKIN

10.

o8 BIBLIOGRAPHY

37

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o9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

THANK YOU
WHEN I STARTED this work, I had intended it to be just a case study for a specific method of work: open, participatory, and
experience based. Instead I have found this project situated within a vast community both at the academic level and the
much more personal level. With my deepest gratitude, thank you all that helped, guided, prodded, and otherwise kept me
on track but always digging deeper. Especially Lara, Linda, and, of course, Alex.
CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR EDWARDS is a design and digital strategist with a background
ADVISOR
OUTSIDE ADVISOR

Lara Penin, Ph.D.

Dr. Linda Gottermeier, Au.D.

DISABILITY SERVICES

Jason Luchs
Ariel Merkel

ethnographic urbanism, experience design, and performance art. Through his participatory
research, diagramming, modelling, and storytelling, Christopher engages with community

EDITOR
DHH STUDENTS

DHH GRADUATES

Alex Thornton
Carol Cao
Angela Chen
Maxime Coleon
Nikheel Iyeer
Linnuo Zheng
David Cook
Robyn Girard
Virginia Shou

CAREER SERVICES
TRANSCRIBERS

Lisa Ann OConner

Everyone at Hands in Motion
but especially Andrew,
Carolyn, Wendy, and Dani

stakeholders to build environments, organizations, and experiences for social inclusion. His
emerging practice engages the psychology of time and space, the pedagogy of empathy,
and human development.

MFA TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN

THESIS 2015