CHI 2021 "It's Complicated": Negotiating Accessibility and (Mis)Representation in Image Descriptions

Published: 07 April 2021
on channel: Anhong Guo

378

Talk by Cynthia L. Bennett.

"It's Complicated": Negotiating Accessibility and (Mis)Representation in Image Descriptions of Race, Gender, and Disability
CHI 2021 Best Paper Honorable Mention

Authors:
Cynthia L. Bennett, Cole Gleason, Morgan Klaus Scheuerman, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Anhong Guo, Alexandra To

Abstract:
Content creators are instructed to write textual descriptions of visual content to make it accessible; yet existing guidelines lack specifics on how to write about people’s appearance, particularly while remaining mindful of consequences of (mis)representation. In this paper, we report on interviews with screen reader users who were also Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Non-binary, and/or Transgender on their current image description practices and preferences, and experiences negotiating theirs and others’ appearances non-visually. We discuss these perspectives, and the ethics of humans and AI describing appearance characteristics that may convey the race, gender, and disabilities of those photographed. In turn, we share considerations for more carefully describing appearance, and contexts in which such information is perceived salient. Finally, we offer tensions and questions for accessibility research to equitably consider politics and ecosystems in which technologies will embed, such as potential risks of human and AI biases amplifying through image descriptions.

Paper available at: https://tinyurl.com/chi2021imagedescr...

Watch video CHI 2021 "It's Complicated": Negotiating Accessibility and (Mis)Representation in Image Descriptions online, duration hours minute second in high quality that is uploaded to the channel Anhong Guo 07 April 2021. Share the link to the video on social media so that your subscribers and friends will also watch this video. This video clip has been viewed 378 times and liked it 5 visitors.

2,311