High-Touch Media

Disabled activists in the United States brought unique expertise to HIV/AIDS 1980s and ’90s, including understanding social stigma health as justice issues approaching information a complex access problem. Disproportionately affected Deaf communities mounted response that carefully blended face-to-face caring practices with mediated by for deaf people grappling HIV. San Francisco’s AIDS Information Center (DAIC) advocated wider Telecommunications Device (TDD) service sector while also marking this text modem-based machine’s inadequacies substitute high-touch, one-to-one interpretive work needed many ASL users. Crossovers among media, AIDS, disability histories are underdocumented risk seeming minor. Through our analysis of DAIC, we argue intersection is key advancing knowledge how HIV left an imprint on emerging communication technologies sexuality factor technological cultures.