Black Disabled Lives Matter Poster Print 

1. Maker credits: Jennifer White Johnson (@jtknoxroxz), Date: 2020, Ink on Paper (Fiber), Baltimore, Maryland

Historically, canonical graphic design is regularly defined by writing almost exclusively through rigid, linear alphabetic text (Western typography/print grids). This is a somewhat narrow definition that privileges normative text-based processing and excludes alternative visual communication methods that are used by neurodivergent individuals, such as those with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, or Communication Disorders. Yes, on most occasions, individuals with these disabilities don’t necessarily have issues with vision impairment, but it’s very common for there to be struggles with linguistics and reading.

Jennifer White-Johnson’s Black Disabled Lives Matter poster (2020) expands and de-centers graphic design history from the mainstream by challenging alphabetic hierarchy. This poster was created to address the double marginalization of Black disabled and neurodivergent communities. “The poster merges bold typography with universal non-verbal symbols (the Black Power raised fist unified with the neurodiversity infinity symbol). “I felt compelled to use my art to bring visibility to the facts. More than half of Black/Brown bodies in the US with disabilities will be arrested by the time they reach their late 20s. We don’t see many positive stories or acts of #AutisticJoy among Black/Brown bodies because they be Anti-Racist’: this statement carries a lot of truth, which directly influenced the need to create the graphic.” The poster combines a black fist and the infinity symbol, which is often used to represent the ASD community and the neurodivergent spectrum.

By integrating symbolic language directly into the visual message, the poster helps demonstrate that writing systems extend beyond just traditional phonetic alphabets and dip into visual motifs, showing that pictograms can function as complete visual writing systems. Similarly, contemporary neurodiversity-centered design relies on high-contrast forms, heavy visual weight, and symbolic glyphs to break up rigid text and reduce cognitive friction. The alphabets operate a little differently for minds that process spatial, auditory, or textual information. Good design shifts away from strict, standardized textual structures to embrace accessible, visual languages that can serve diverse cognitive profiles!