"Only the Old and Sick will Die": reproducing 'eugenic visuality' in covid 19 data visualization
COVID-19 illness and death has disproportionately impacted marginalized groups the world over. In the United States, Black and Indigenous people have endured the largest risk of death. Disabled and chronically ill people have continued to isolate as their peers “return to normal”, bearing sole liability for their own safety in a society that deems their lives not worth the “sacrifice” of public health measures. While public and institutional policy makers bare personal responsibility for “survival of the fittest” approaches to public health, data science and visualization has contributed to and legitimized many of these eugenic policy decisions through design tropes I characterize as ‘eugenic visuality’. In this paper, I explore how inadequacies and obscurities in COVID-19 data visualization have contributed to and sustained public narratives that devalue marginalized lives for the comfort of white-supremacist and capitalist social norms. While I focus on visualizations and statements provided by the CDC, the implications extend beyond any individual or institution to our collective preconceptions and values. Namely, unexamined biases and unquestioned norms are embedded in data science and visualization, constraining how data is represented and interpreted. These assumptions limit how data can be leveraged in the pursuit of just social policy. Therefore, I propose guiding principles for a Just Visuality in data science and representation, supported by the work of disabled activists and scholars of color.
@FractalEcho I appreciate your comment. I disagree that you give it a label of “eugenics”.
When a human pathogen, such as the novel Covid-19 virus, is found to be a threat to mortality, like other viruses and bacterial infections before it, it is likely that those with weaker health including the elderly, disabled and immunocompromised are more likely to die.
This is not news but verifiable, scientific evidence.
If Canadian women don’t vote in record numbers in the next federal election, #Poilievre will become PM.
He's going to work with #Conservative premiers to further privatize our healthcare system, limit women’s reproductive rights, and cut social programs like $10 a day daycare.
He's already vowed to reduce the Canada Pension Plan.
My mother is dealing with memory issues which are almost certainly dementia-related. She also has mobility issues and is a falls risk. She’s 97 and lives independently a few miles away. This thread is about the technology that is helping keep her safe and is reducing our angst.
Hospices in Four States to Receive Extra Scrutiny Over Concerns of #Fraud, Waste and Abuse
Federal regulators have announced enhanced oversight of new #hospices in #Arizona, #California, #Nevada and #Texas, targeting providers highlighted by a ProPublica investigation.
We Updated Our “Nursing Home Inspect” Database. Here’s What Changed.
The new and improved nursing home database includes more data, new views that summarize problems, and advanced search features to help you navigate the new information.