Perspectiveising Experiences of Dementia

This presentation highlights how images of dementia published in the Malaysian public domain communicate experiences of dementia.

The study employed the Visual Discourses of Disability framework (ViDD) - a visual framework that combines perspectives of critical social semiotics and disability studies. Findings from the visual analysis of 432 images were also corroborated in a group interview with representatives of Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia.

Generally, it was found that there is a prevalence of generic representations of people through stock images, somatised images of the hands, and abstract representations of brain degeneration. These stigmatised images construct dementia as a loss and deficit, thus depicting individuals in distanced suffering, evoking social exclusion.

Despite this, the interview data interestingly confirmed that images that perspectivise experiences of dementia may be necessary to educate the public on what dementia entails. While personising images that depict personhood are ideal, images that exude negative emotions are equally important to reflect reality and inculcate empathy.

The study also offers a guideline for organisations to deliberate on the different visual elements that can invoke empowerment, advocacy, handicapping and othering effects when publishing images of dementia.

Date

Friday 26 July 2024

Time

1 to 2 pm

Location

Online via Zoom

Speaker

Ang Pei Soo
The University of Malaya

Suggested pre-reading

Ang, P.S., Yeo, S.L. & Koran, L. (2023). Advocating for a dementia-inclusive visual communication, Dementia - International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 23(3), 628-645.

Ang, P. S., & Knox, J. S. (2023). Visualisation of disability in news photographs: An analytical framework. Visual Communication, 22(4), 600-622.