Kimberle Crenshaw’s (1990) theory of intersectionality provides a vital framework for understanding how disability does not exist in isolation, but intersects with other identity factors such as race, gender, class, and language. Crenshaw argues that systems of oppression do not act independently but interlock to create complex modes of marginalisation—an idea clearly illustrated through Christine Sun Kim’s experiences as a deaf Asian American artist.
In Friends and Strangers (Art21, 2023), Sun Kim describes how her education in the U.S. was shaped by constant denial—being told “no” when requesting interpreters or accessible tools. Her deafness intersects with race and language: not only are her needs sidelined institutionally, but even within her Korean-American family, sign language was absent. This layered exclusion speaks to both structural and intimate failures in accessibility.
Her exhibition at the Wellcome Collection with Thomas Mader (1880 THAT: Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader) further interrogates invisibility in design and language. Their collaborative works deconstruct ableist soundscapes and challenge who gets to participate in public discourse. Their approach resonates with James C. Scott’s (1998) critique of “legibility”: governments and institutions simplify complex realities to render people visible to authority—but in doing so, often erase lived knowledge. Sun Kim’s work reclaims this erasure by making the non-auditory visible and politically resonant.
The label features a multi-language system incorporating written text, sign language demonstration, and a QR code linking to an online audio guide—foregrounding accessibility and inclusive modes of communication.
Design decisions often compound these invisibilities. In The Politics of Design, Ruben Pater (2016) critiques the overreliance on a single icon—the wheelchair—to represent all disabilities. He argues that this reinforces a limited view of disability as permanent and homogenous. Instead, many disabilities are temporary or dynamic. Similarly, the ColorADD® system offers a more inclusive design strategy. By incorporating graphic symbols to indicate colour for colourblind users (ColorADD®, 2024), it counters the legibility bias critiqued by Scott and reflects a more decentralised, adaptive approach to accessibility.
In design education—particularly within graphic design—there is an urgent need to rethink how communication itself is conceptualised. Too often, visual communication privileges normative audiences: sighted, neurotypical, and hearing. This raises a fundamental question—who are we designing for, and who gets excluded in that process? If students are only taught to communicate to the “majority,” they reproduce the very systems that marginalise others. Educators must emphasise the politics of visibility and legibility in design practice. Awareness of typography, colour systems, sound, language, and interface must go beyond aesthetics into the realm of ethics and access. Graphic design is not neutral; it can exclude as easily as it can include.
Disability is not a static label but a fluid experience shaped by systems of visibility and power. As Sun Kim’s work demonstrates, access is not just about ramps or subtitles—it’s about reimagining participation, authorship, and belonging. Crenshaw’s framework reminds us that these systems overlap and compound, and meaningful accessibility must account for the whole person—not just the parts made legible to policy.
Bibliography:
Art21 (2023) Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11. [Online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI [Accessed 23 May 2025].
ColorADD® (2024) Color Identification System. [Online] Available at: https://www.coloradd.net/en/coloradd-code/#:~:text=ColorADD%C2%AE%20is%20a%20unique [Accessed 23 May 2025].
Crenshaw, K. (1990) ‘Intersectionality’, Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp. 1241–1299.
Pater, R. (2016) The Politics of Design: A (Not So) Global Manual for Visual Communication. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers
Scott, J.C. (1998) Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Metal Magazine (2025) ‘Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader: Reimagining Communication’. [Online] Available at: https://metalmagazine.eu/post/christine-sun-kim-and-thomas-mader [Accessed 23 May 2025].
Can, this is an incredible read! You adeptly weave together theoretical, practical and affective knowledges to consider the intersecting and shifting experience of disability. I particularly appreciate your discussion of different spheres of experience, including the domestic.
Focusing on Christine Sun Kim’s work roots your writing in a tangible example, supporting your own considerations as to how design education and design practice must evolve so as not to reproduce harmful hegemonic systems.
A really thorough, thoughtful and well constructed read. Thank you!
A small note – is there any UAL data that you feel compounds your thoughts/argument?
Thank you so much, Emily—that really means a lot. I’ve been thinking a lot about how access (or lack of it) shows up across different spheres of experience—especially in familial and educational contexts where disclosure can feel loaded or even unsafe.
Your suggestion to include UAL data is so useful. Looking into the 2024/25 disability disclosure rates, I was struck by how many students choose not to disclose—possibly because of the rigid or limiting categories offered. As you note in your own writing, this kind of structural invisibility can compound emotional barriers to disclosure, especially for students with chronic, fluctuating or non-visible conditions.
I’m now reflecting on how I might bring this awareness into teaching—perhaps through framing accessibility not as accommodation but as a baseline for all. For example, when introducing a new brief or workshop, I could share multiple modes of engagement (e.g. audio, image-based, written) and make space for students to participate in different ways without needing to justify their needs. These shifts might seem small, but I think they can help avoid reinforcing the binary between visibility and erasure that Christine Sun Kim so powerfully resists.
Thanks again for such a thoughtful and encouraging response—it’s really helped shape my next steps.