Ashley Shew and Diana Niepce invites us to rethink the intersections between technology, disability, and social justice, addressing the ableism present in technological narratives. Rather than reflecting on technologies simply to ‘correct’ bodies, Shew proposes listening to the experiences of ‘real cyborgs’, those who live with and through these innovations. Starting with his book Against Technoableism, Shew has been challenging the perception that, in this context, technologies are developed under a normative perspective of the efficacy of the body and promotes visions of technological futures led by and for people with disabilities, valuing the knowledge of historically marginalised communities.

Shew is an Associate Professor of Science, Technology, & Society at Virginia Tech and the principal investigator for a higher education project supporting the creation of a regional Disability Community Technology Center (DisCoTec), providing guidance for the development of disability-focused technology futures and stimulating research in the humanities, education, arts, and justice.