"I Upload...All Types of Different Things to Say, the World of Blindness Is More Than What They Think It Is": A Study of Blind TikTokers' Identity Work from a Flourishing Perspective
Yao Lyu, Jie Cai, Bryan Dosono, Davis Yadav, John M. Carroll
TL;DR
This study investigates how blind TikTok users (BlindTokers) construct a collective identity on a short-video platform, addressing a gap in HCI literature on disability communities in visual social media. Through 45 semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the authors identify three core identity-work themes: presenting BlindTokers' characteristics, voicing rights and responsibilities, and addressing sighted misconceptions. They introduce flourishing labor as a lens to describe the sustained, collaborative work needed to support BlindTokers' well-being, and propose design implications across accessibility, creative expression, emotional support, and algorithmic visibility. The work bridges positive design and labor perspectives to illuminate how platforms like TikTok can foster flourishing while highlighting the need for inclusive, sustainable infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration across creators, audiences, and platforms.
Abstract
Identity work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has focused on the marginalized group to explore designs to support their asset (what they have). However, little has been explored specifically on the identity work of people with disabilities, specifically, visual impairments. In this study, we interviewed 45 BlindTokers (blind users on TikTok) from various backgrounds to understand their identity work from a positive design perspective. We found that BlindTokers leverage the affordance of the platform to create positive content, share their identities, and build the community with the desire to flourish. We proposed flourishing labor to present the work conducted by BlindTokers for their community's flourishing with implications to support the flourishing labor. This work contributes to understanding blind users' experience in short video platforms and highlights that flourishing is not just an activity for any single Blind user but also a job that needs all stakeholders, including all user groups and the TikTok platform, serious and committed contribution.