Interdependence as a Political Technology

This talk examines the disability justice concept of “interdependence” as inherently technological—a tool for facilitating connection and building new material arrangements. Design for disability often emphasizes independence as the ultimate goal, but more recently, disabled designers and artists have turned to “interdependence” as a framework for understanding better political relations. Using the example of remote, digital forms of accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, this talk will show how disabled user-makers have used interdependence to form social relationships and provide mutual aid.

Aimi Hamraie (they/them) is a disabled, nonbinary Iranian/SWANA designer and researcher. They are the author of Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability (2017), Director of the Critical Design Lab, and host of the Contra* podcast. Their work focuses on the intersections of disability, race, gender, and design.

This lecture is part of the Coding Resistance lecture series:

September 24, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Outing and Outsmarting Discriminating Algorithms
with Nakeema Stefflbauer

October 01, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Back to the Future of the African Village
with Minna Salami

October 08, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Gender and Technology Beyond W.E.I.R.D.
with Maryam Mustafa

October 15, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Glimmering Opacities: From Queering The Map to QT.bot
with Lucas LaRochelle

October 22, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Emancipation Through the Virtual
with Iyo Bisseck

October 30, 2021 | 4 pm CEST
Make Time to Take Time
with Morehshin Allahyari

November 05, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Interdependence as a Political Technology
with Aimi Hamraie

November 12, 2021 | 3 pm CEST
Digital Colonialism and Palestinian Resistance
with Marwa Fatafta

November 19, 2021 | 6 pm CEST
Towards Justice, Equity and Accountability in AI
with Timnit Gebru