Technical Communication, Social Justice, and Collective Access
Taking a rhetorical approach to technical communication means that each writing situation is unique; there is no “one size fits all” way to communicate effectively. A rhetorical approach also centers the audience, or user, their experience of and their engagement with a text. Because technical communication is audience and user centered, and because technical communication often advocates some type of action or works to solve a problem, it is crucial that technical communicators are always aware of the ways in which they engage and center social justice in their work. A rhetorical approach to communication reminds us that language is always not only reacting to the world, but also working to shape the world. Language reflects AND constructs world views, which means that the way we communicate impacts things like power structures, accessibility, and equity.
In this section, we focus specifically on the intersections between technical communication and social justice. The section defines diversity, equity, and inclusion, and provides a various exercises and resources to introduce the notion that technical communicators must always be aware of how their work impacts their audience. Further, technical communicators need to recognize the ways that their field has historically marginalized certain voices and take steps to undo such marginalization by centering diversity, equity, and inclusion as they approach each new rhetorical situation. Finally, this section again emphasizes the importance of audience, the work of listening, and the need for flexibility.
Voices From the Field: How do you consider your audience?
“I do my best to write clearly and simply so that what I write scales as best it can to a wide audience. I work with the product team to make sure we’re following accessibility best practices, and shipping experiences that are accessible and localized around the world.”
Bill Siemers
Content Strategist, Facebook
Voices From the Field: How does your work intersect with social justice?
“Medical information is often technical with a diverse intended audience. Patients and families frequently have heightened emotions while trying to receive and process medical information. Health outcomes are dependent on communicating complex ideas in an effective manner. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in a time of instant information access and social media, it has become obvious how language can create a sense of fear instead of importance. Fear will displace the brain’s ability to reason and block uptake of new information. Information should be delivered with clear points of action to guide patients in next steps as well as explanations to provide education.”
Erin Blackwell
DPN, APRN, C-PNP, Children’s Minnesota Hospital–Twin Cities
