Research Topic

The foundation for my project is Walter Benjamin's work with the aura. After studying deaf culture and linguistics over the past year, I decided to explore how the aura is experienced by those who are deaf. Since the cyber is a realm which is dependent on the visual and the aural, I decided to look into both the deaf and blind populations and seek to understand how the aura is interpreted by those lacking hearing and vision. This led me back to where we began our semester, at the "digital divide," which, I learned, is inclusive of those with disabilites. My project will now explore how the deaf and blind, as part of the digital divide, and more specifically, a "disibility divide," experience the aura in the cyber. According to Benjamin, the aura that is present in the original work of art is diminished upon reproduction. If reproduction is inclusive of representation in the cyber realm, then those with vision and hearing are subject to a diminishing aura as is. I seek to understand if there is any aura left after reproduction and re-reproduction for those who require visual and/or hearing assistance while navigating the cyber.