Alumni Highlight

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Sarah Tucker completed her Master’s Degree in Human Rights Studies, concentrating in disability and digital rights. As a disabled woman working in tech, Sarah has a unique perspective on how modern digital tools are used to harm disabled people by silencing their voices and further excluding them from society. An article based on her research titled "Silencing and Stigmatizing the Disabled Through Social Media Monitoring" was recently published in the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice's website. Click here to read it. 

Her research at Columbia specifically centered on social media monitoring tools used to surveil disability benefit recipients in the United States. Through her research, Sarah explored how social media monitoring perpetuates stigma against disabled people and leads to social inequities. Professor Tracey Holland supervised the research. Sarah hopes to pursue a future career where she can continue to explore how automated tools are used to harm and silence marginalized communities.