Inclusive Visual Media: Cautions

Increasing diversity and inclusivity in our content is an important endeavor; however, there are a few things that we should be cautious of when including diverse and inclusive graphic media into our content.

Think Critically About Frequency, Timing, and Placement

Chichester et al. (2023)^[1] caution that unbalanced representation can reinforce stereotypes by creating the perception that particular groups are associated with particular ideas.

When using diverse and inclusive images, carefully consider where, when, and how often you are using them. Many of the collections presented in this book have explicitly asked that we be considerate in using their images, particularly as the individuals in these collections typically come from groups that are already marginalized in one or many ways. They often ask that the images not be used in any way that would create a negative perception of or otherwise embarrass the model, or perpetuate any stereotypes. Being aware and intentional about how we use these images is important.

Avoid Tokenism

McAnay (2009)^[2] warns against using diverse and inclusive images as “token” images. They are essentially recommending that the use of these images should be intentional and come from a place of truly caring for inclusion, rather than making only a symbolic attempt at inclusion by sprinkling some inclusive images throughout the content without thinking much about it.

The Bottom Line

Using inclusive and diverse resources is important to supporting our learners, but it is also important that we as educators and designers are doing the work of learning and improving our own knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion so that these changes are coming from a genuine place of compassion.