Could Algorithms Censor Voices of the Neurodiverse?

When we look at the wording of automated messages we get from our computers: “disabled” as in ‘taken out of action’, “invalid” as in ‘wrong’ or other words used to describe a disability such as ‘impaired’ as in damaged, it is easy to imagine the use of these words comes from people without first hand experience with any disability in today’s world.

On the other hand, someone in a wheelchair explained how the word “handicapped” had negative connotations for their community, hanging back from before social security, when people who didn’t find employment had to beg to survive, ie “cap in hand”. Associations and pictures that we attach to words do matter.

Since March 2020, the narrative about the pandemic has been controlled. This has allowed secretive algorithms to shadow-ban posts on X, using a list of words and names, which suppresses content in which these words appear.

Meanwhile, on Reddit, contributors have to navigate a minefield of purposes, rules, formats and timings to post new threads on subs policed by volunteer moderators, who have high expectations of everyone’s opening words. People who try to participate and post a new thread on a topic that interests them quickly get an automated reply welcoming them to the subreddit then telling them their post has been removed for not meeting their guidelines.

This has the chilling effect on some people. I wanted to find out if the neurodiverse community, which thinks more visually than those who conformed to their education, is hard hit by this.

Living in a world, which pours information onto all of us, prompts a growing library of different passwords, has a moving social protocol about how to speak to strangers and dominant political ideologies, which seem immune to acceptable codes of interaction is bad enough.

if coding and programming is biased to an ableist point of view, it excludes people who do not conform and muffles their messages. A lively debate with someone who disagrees with you in invigorating, but if someone shuts you down because they don’t like your opinions, it becomes difficult to speak.

Is it any wonder there are many non-verbal people with autism? When people expect us to find the right words to open a conversation and not allow responses to gather mutual understanding, people stop interacting. The thought of being chopped down by a stranger after outpouring on a topic you engage with because you hadn’t yet navigated the allowed access route is enough to silence most people.

Awareness is needed. We need to look at what is happening to human communication. If I say something offensive, tell me to my face and why. A subjective point of view doesn’t help anyone navigate the world harmoniously but some people seem to revel in it. They can stampede their way through all fingers pointing and completely satisfied they are completely right about everything.

Being offended can come from a singularly subjective point of view. How we see things might stem from our experiences, circumstances and personality, parts of which are from nature or nurture. If how we remember an event is particularly inaccurate, it will change the whole scene. if no one remembers the hidden extra person turning off the light, it all looks like the visible person carried out the action.

I conclude that we are each responsible for looking at the whole or bigger picture before forming opinions on other people, things or ideas. Do we know enough? Did we see the whole sequence or just a photo? If we aim to remember things objectively not subjectively, only how they impact oneself not everyone involved, it is easier to see how our perspective fits in with other people’s.

We can easily distinguish communication from dictation. I think communication is multi-directional, expecting a response and then responding to it. Safe and inclusive spaces for communication provide feedback or reply directly so the original speaker can update or adjust their message. Communication brings people together and unites them behind the same information. This creates community.

Meanwhile dictation puts a stamp on things. It lays down the law and doesn’t welcome any responses. It shuts down replies and suspends or bans people who want to continue the discussion.

For those of us who think visually, we are always translating words into pictures and vice versa to listen and speak. Sometimes words don’t make sense until after the experience. It is like an assault course, traversing everyone’s different obstacles. Learning by doing and trial and error make barriers more unwelcoming. If I use the wrong words, tell me and we’ll get it right. Patience is a virtue.