Representational Transformation

Representational transformation is the process of modifying or re-creating a shared information artifact (such as a document, spreadsheet, diagram, or slideshow) to make it accessible to team members who cannot perceive or operate the original form. In mixed-ability teams, representational transformations are a fundamental mechanism through which accessibility is collectively achieved or broken. Transformations can enhance a representation by adding accessibility layers (alt-text, audio cues, high-contrast themes) while preserving its core capabilities, or they can simplify it by reducing it to a more universally robust but less functional form (for example, converting a dynamic database to a flat Word document). The labour of transformation is often invisible, unevenly distributed, and lacks infrastructural support in most workplace tools.