On position paper
The position paper Giving Voice Beyond Literacy was discussed with lector Maaike Harbers, who provided feedback on the conceptual positioning and argumentative framing of the research.
Harbers noted that parts of the text could be interpreted as suggesting that inclusive and participatory design inherently exclude people who do not engage through written language. She emphasised that this does not reflect the intent or breadth of the field. Instead, she suggested that the research fits squarely within inclusive and participatory design traditions, while bringing a group into focus that is not always explicitly centred within digital inclusion discourse.
She highlighted as a strong point the argument that participation mediated through literate others is problematic, and encouraged making this more explicit. According to Harbers, reliance on intermediaries can undermine agency, introduce power imbalances, and distort meaning—an issue that aligns well with the ethical concerns already present in the paper.
Harbers further emphasised that the research makes an important contribution to the field of digital inclusion, where illiteracy remains a blind spot despite ongoing attention to accessibility and digital skills. In this sense, she positioned the work as an enriching and necessary addition to existing discourse.
Finally, she explicitly praised the concluding paragraph, describing it as a strong and convincing ending. She endorsed the framing of the research as an advocacy practice that challenges systemic exclusion in public communication, and valued the concept of design as a form of civic translation between literate and non-literate worlds.
This feedback informed a reframing of the position paper to more clearly situate the research within participatory design traditions, strengthen the critique of mediated participation, and emphasise its contribution to digital inclusion as an ethical and civic design concern.
Leave a Reply