“It’s a classic form of ableism—bias against disabled people, bias in favor of nondisabled ways of life. Technoableism is the use of technologies to reassert those biases, often under the guise of empowerment.” Well, damn. Now I’m going to be rethinking all the tech tools that I use and recommend as scaffolding to help ADHD brains like mine exist in the NT world. Oof.
I highly recommend Shew's book, Gray! She's an amputee who uses a prosthetic, so she'd decidedly NOT anti-technology. She's against using technology to erase rather than to empower. (Technology can empower without reasserting the biases of ableism.)
I think her position requires holding a few seemingly contrary positions that actually make up a cohesive and empowering approach to tech and disability.
Wow I love that "potential = conformity" connection... it really puts things into perspective! I love how these essays always make me rethink my assumptions!
I think I want to push back a little. Isn't Data a product of his creation, too?
Oh all his brothers, Data was specifically designed to strive for humanity. And to feel inadequate in the struggle. That's part of why he was gifted with emotion. And why, after incorporating the emotion chip, he later gave himself the ability to opt out of those very emotions. Because his difference WAS an advantage.
Trek has its flaws, but its willingness to engage with disability isn't one of them, especially not in the newer shows.
To be clear, I don't want to throw Data away—he's actually still my favorite, although, after this deep dive into Trek & disability, La Forge is on his tail!
I do wonder about the idea that Data was "designed to strive for humanity." That feels deterministic in a way I'm uncomfortable with—as in he was designed to perceive himself as inadequate in a fundamental way from the jump. I'm less inclined to see that inadequacy as a result of "nature" and more inclined to see it as "nurture." This might be a projection on my part, but it is important for my argument.
I wonder how Data's experience and self-image would be different if he lived in a society of other androids rather than a society where he is quite literally the odd man out. It reminds me of Milton's "double empathy problem."
For me, the answer lay in Data's conversations with Noonien Soong in the episode Brothers. Both in the reason for his creation, and his assertion that he is "not less perfect than Lore." He sees humanity as perfection because he was programmed to. And he aspires to it, because he can only see the ways in which he is lacking. Although you are correct--there's a lot about Data that is due to nurture, and not nature.
“It’s a classic form of ableism—bias against disabled people, bias in favor of nondisabled ways of life. Technoableism is the use of technologies to reassert those biases, often under the guise of empowerment.” Well, damn. Now I’m going to be rethinking all the tech tools that I use and recommend as scaffolding to help ADHD brains like mine exist in the NT world. Oof.
I highly recommend Shew's book, Gray! She's an amputee who uses a prosthetic, so she'd decidedly NOT anti-technology. She's against using technology to erase rather than to empower. (Technology can empower without reasserting the biases of ableism.)
I think her position requires holding a few seemingly contrary positions that actually make up a cohesive and empowering approach to tech and disability.
Wow I love that "potential = conformity" connection... it really puts things into perspective! I love how these essays always make me rethink my assumptions!
I think I want to push back a little. Isn't Data a product of his creation, too?
Oh all his brothers, Data was specifically designed to strive for humanity. And to feel inadequate in the struggle. That's part of why he was gifted with emotion. And why, after incorporating the emotion chip, he later gave himself the ability to opt out of those very emotions. Because his difference WAS an advantage.
Trek has its flaws, but its willingness to engage with disability isn't one of them, especially not in the newer shows.
Always glad for a little pushback!
To be clear, I don't want to throw Data away—he's actually still my favorite, although, after this deep dive into Trek & disability, La Forge is on his tail!
I do wonder about the idea that Data was "designed to strive for humanity." That feels deterministic in a way I'm uncomfortable with—as in he was designed to perceive himself as inadequate in a fundamental way from the jump. I'm less inclined to see that inadequacy as a result of "nature" and more inclined to see it as "nurture." This might be a projection on my part, but it is important for my argument.
I wonder how Data's experience and self-image would be different if he lived in a society of other androids rather than a society where he is quite literally the odd man out. It reminds me of Milton's "double empathy problem."
For me, the answer lay in Data's conversations with Noonien Soong in the episode Brothers. Both in the reason for his creation, and his assertion that he is "not less perfect than Lore." He sees humanity as perfection because he was programmed to. And he aspires to it, because he can only see the ways in which he is lacking. Although you are correct--there's a lot about Data that is due to nurture, and not nature.
As a parting gift, I would like to introduce you to my favorite headcannon about possible autistic Trek characters: Worf. https://www.reddit.com/r/ShittyDaystrom/comments/s94pej/just_finished_ds9_how_is_worf_not_canonically/