Blind TikTokers Leverage the Platform to Cultivate a Flourishing Community and Challenge Misconceptions

Core Concepts

Blind TikTokers leverage TikTok's affordances to create positive content, share their identities, and build a flourishing community, while also addressing misconceptions about blindness held by sighted individuals.

Abstract

The study examines the collective identity work of blind TikTokers, also known as "BlindTokers". The researchers interviewed 45 BlindTokers from diverse backgrounds and identified three key themes:

Demonstrating BlindTokers' Characteristics:

BlindTokers use TikTok to present their daily lives and lifestyles as blind individuals, showcasing their capabilities and challenging stereotypes.
They collaborate with other BlindTokers to create content that illustrates their experiences and inspires the community.

Voicing Out for BlindTokers' Rights and Responsibilities:

BlindTokers use TikTok to raise awareness about accessibility issues and violations of blind people's rights, both on the platform and in the physical world.
They also take on the responsibility of ensuring accessible content creation and maintaining a positive outlook within the BlindTok community.

Addressing Sighted People's Misconceptions:

BlindTokers document and share evidence of ableism to combat negative attitudes and judgments from sighted individuals.
They also engage in friendly interactions to clarify sighted people's genuine confusions and educate them about the blind community.

The researchers analyze these findings through the lens of "flourishing", a positive design framework that encompasses pleasure, personal significance, and virtue. They argue that BlindTokers' identity work is driven by a desire to cultivate a flourishing community on TikTok, where blind individuals can present their lives positively, support each other, and challenge misconceptions. The study also highlights the significant "flourishing labor" invested by BlindTokers to achieve this state of flourishing.

Stats

"I upload...all types of different things to say, the world of blindness is more than what they think it is."
"There is the belief that a person has to be declared legally blind by their state before they can use a white cane. But the truth is every state has a white cane law."
"Most of the [my] videos don't have a ton of movement or change in scene. A lot of them are me just kind of sitting and talking to the camera. So there isn't too much of a visual aspect unless you want to see my face. Other than that it's all auditory. And I include captions for the people who have difficulty hearing or can't hear."

Quotes

"I like a lot of videos where people just come up on someone's homeless and surprise them with money to just make their day better... I was like, 'man, I gotta try to be like those people.' And that's another message of the [show name]... getting visually impaired, it's not like a death sentence. You can still do these things, and we're gonna show you that you can."
"If there's another person who is accusing us faking our disability. I will stitch that video and call people out...I will be showing support by liking and replying to them. And if there is a comment that I have issues with, you can reply to that comment with the video, so that people can see the comment."
"So being able to tell people on the Internet the real ins and outs of it (lives with service dogs)...being able to educate somebody on something so small can really make such a difference... How many sighted people [did I answer]? I had no idea."

Key Insights Distilled From

"I Upload...All Types of Different Things to Say, the World of Blindness Is More Than What They Think It Is": A Study of Blind TikTokers' Identity Work from a Flourishing Perspective

by Yao Lyu,Jie ... at arxiv.org 04-23-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.14305.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How can TikTok and other social media platforms better support the flourishing of marginalized communities like the blind community?

TikTok and other social media platforms can better support the flourishing of marginalized communities like the blind community by implementing the following strategies:

Accessibility Features: Enhance accessibility features such as audio descriptions, alt text for images, and screen reader compatibility to ensure that content is accessible to users with visual impairments.
Diverse Representation: Encourage diverse representation on the platform by promoting content from marginalized communities, including blind individuals. This can help in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity.
Community Building Tools: Provide tools and features that facilitate community building, such as group chats, forums, and events, to allow marginalized communities to connect, share experiences, and support each other.
Education and Awareness: Offer resources and educational content to raise awareness about the challenges faced by marginalized communities, including the blind community, and promote understanding and empathy among users.
Collaboration with Advocacy Groups: Collaborate with advocacy groups and organizations that represent marginalized communities to gather insights, feedback, and recommendations for improving the platform's support for these communities.

What are the potential challenges and drawbacks of the "flourishing labor" undertaken by BlindTokers, and how can these be addressed?

Some potential challenges and drawbacks of the "flourishing labor" undertaken by BlindTokers include:

Emotional Labor: Engaging in advocacy and education efforts can be emotionally taxing for BlindTokers, especially when facing ableism, discrimination, or negative reactions from others.
Time and Effort: The labor involved in creating accessible content, educating others, and advocating for rights can be time-consuming and require significant effort.
Burnout: Continuous advocacy and education work can lead to burnout, impacting the mental and emotional well-being of BlindTokers.
Misinterpretation: There is a risk of misinterpretation or backlash from individuals who may not understand the intentions behind the advocacy work.

These challenges can be addressed by:

Self-Care: Encouraging BlindTokers to prioritize self-care, set boundaries, and seek support when needed to prevent burnout.
Community Support: Building a supportive community where BlindTokers can share experiences, seek advice, and collaborate on advocacy efforts.
Education and Awareness: Increasing awareness among the broader community about the challenges faced by blind individuals to foster understanding and reduce misconceptions.
Platform Support: Providing resources, tools, and guidelines to assist BlindTokers in their advocacy work and ensuring that the platform is inclusive and accessible.

What insights can the experiences of BlindTokers provide for designing more inclusive and accessible social media platforms for people with diverse abilities?

The experiences of BlindTokers offer valuable insights for designing more inclusive and accessible social media platforms:

Accessibility Features: Prioritize accessibility features such as screen reader compatibility, alt text for images, and customizable interfaces to accommodate users with diverse abilities.
User-Centered Design: Involve users with diverse abilities, including blind individuals, in the design process to ensure that their needs and preferences are considered.
Education and Awareness: Provide educational resources and guidelines for content creators to promote inclusive and accessible content creation practices.
Community Building: Foster a sense of community and belonging for users with diverse abilities through features that facilitate connections, support networks, and shared experiences.
Continuous Improvement: Regularly gather feedback from users with diverse abilities to identify areas for improvement and implement changes to enhance accessibility and inclusivity on the platform.