Accessibility of public health information on COVID-19 outbreak: Analysis of the first European official TV releases
Tanja Kostanjevac
University North, Koprivnica, CroatiaZeljka Bagaric
University North, Koprivnica, Croatiahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4085-8736
Abstract
Due to co-morbidity, persons with disabilities are among the most endangered groups, and in terms of mortality, they are among the worst affected groups in the crisis caused by global pandemics. This crisis has extremely increased inequality and social exclusion of persons with disabilities regarding access to public health information.
This paper investigates the extent to which European states have made the AV content of the announcements of the COVID-19 pandemic accessible to hearing-impaired persons.
A content analysis was conducted at the beginning of the pandemiological measures (February/March 2020) introduced in the sample states. An analysis unit consists of the first TV broadcasts released with official statements of the EU member states (N=27), European Economic Area states (N=3) and Switzerland, as well as official video releases of the World Health Organization and the European Commission (N=2).
From the total analyzed TV deliberate sample (N=33), a total of eight official sources provided accessibility of health information to hearing-impaired persons using a sign language interpreter; 12 sources provided subtitles, and 11 sources did not provide any form of accessible information regarding the official proclamation of the COVID-19 pandemic (including the WHO’s television release). Only four national official sources ensured full accessibility to the content of the announcement.
The obtained results demonstrate the real situation characterized by insufficient social inclusion and protection of the right to information and communication and the violation of the right to health and healthy living of persons with disabilities at the European level. These results are contrary to globally adopted regulations and proclaimed protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and rights arising under the instrument of international solidarity. It is necessary to increase the level of consciousness of a community’s global social responsibility, especially in the TV media, with the purpose of the total inclusion of hearing-impaired persons in the public space. The mission of higher education institutions should include overcoming poor media social responsibility by adopting digital accessibility mechanisms and improving the intercultural skills of future media professionals.
Keywords:
accessibility to media contenttent, cultural rights of persons with disabilities, public health information, social inclusion, deaf peopleReferences
Althaus, Scott. (2002). American news consumption during times of national crisis. Political Science & Politics, 35(3), 517-521. https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/american-news-consumption-during-times-of-national-crisis (22.09.2021).
Crossref
Google Scholar
Bagaric, Zeljka. (2021). Inclusive Journalist Education in Croatia: Transformative Potential of Media. Proceedings of The 3rd International Conference on Future of Social Sciences. Berlin: Diamond Scientific Publishing, 35-46. https://www.dpublication.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/22-1072.pdf (23.08.2021). Google Scholar
Batarelo Kokić, Ivana, Kisovar-Ivanda, Tamara. (2014). Utjecaj komunikacijsko-informacijske tehnologije na obrazovanje odraslih osoba s invaliditetom, Školski vjesnik: Časopis za pedagoška i školska pitanja, 63(4), 501-514. Google Scholar
https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=200688 (16.07.2021) Google Scholar
Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods. New York: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
Karlsson, Michael Bo. (2010) Participatory Journalism and Crisis Communications: A Swedish Case Study of Swine Flu Coverage. Observatorio Journal, 4(1), 201-220. https://www.academia.edu/3551683/ (09.07.2021). Google Scholar
Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Google Scholar
Perinic, Jadran. (2011). Javno mnijenje kao subjektivna značajka krizne situacije: Utjecaj medija i službi za odnose s javnošću na javno mnijenje. [Public opinion as a subjective trait of a crisis situation – the influence of the media and public relations services on public opinion]. Dissertation. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, https://www.bib.irb.hr/800959 (04.07.2021). Google Scholar
Weber, R. P. (1990). Basic Content Analysis. (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Oaks, CA: SAGE
Crossref
Google Scholar
Wilson, Lowrey. (2004). Media Dependency During a Large-Scale Social Disruption: The Case of September 11. Mass Communication and Society, 7(3), 339-357. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327825mcs0703_5 (11.09.2021).
Crossref
Google Scholar
(European) Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (1950) (1970, 1994, 1998, 2010, 2021). https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/convention_eng.pdf . (14.08.2021). Google Scholar
[Act on Croatian Sign Language and Other Communication Systems of Deaf and Deaf Blind Persons in the Republic of Croatia] (OG 82/15). https://www.zakon.hr/z/815/Zakon-o-hrvatskom-znakovnom-jeziku-i-ostalim-sustavima-komunikacije-gluhih-i-gluhoslijepih-osoba-u-Republici-Hrvatskoj (01.09.2021). Google Scholar
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12012P%2FTXT (11.08.2021). Google Scholar
Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2017-2023. http://posi.hr/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Strategija-Vijeca-Europe-za-osobe-s-invaliditetom-2017-2023.pdf (23.08.2021). Google Scholar
Digital Accessibility Guidelines, CARNET (2019). Hrvatska akademska i istraživačka mreža – CARNET. Smjernice za osiguravanje digitalne pristupačnosti. https://www.carnet.hr/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Smjernice-digitalne-pristupac/ (23. 08. 2021). Google Scholar
(European) Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (1950) (1970, 1994, 1998, 2010, 2021). https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/convention_eng.pdf . (14.08.2021). Google Scholar
Guidelines for Accessible Information (ICT4IAL) (2015). https://www.europeanagency.org/sites/default/files/Guidelines/ (23.08.2021) Google Scholar
Law on confirming the European Social Charter, Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter, Protocol amending the European Social Charter and Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter. Hrvatski sabor (2019). https://www.czss-daruvar.hr/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Zakon-o-potvrdjivanju-Europske-socijalne-povelje.pdf (06.08.2021). Google Scholar
Law on implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Hrvatski Sabor, (2007). https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/medunarodni/2007_06_6_80.html (04.08.2021). Google Scholar
[Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014-2020]. (2016) Operativni program Konkurentnost i kohezija (2014. - 2020.) – Upute za prijavitelje i korisnike operativnog programa „Konkurentnost i kohezija“ o provedbi horizontalnih načela. https://strukturnifondovi.hr/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Upute-za-prijavitelje-horizontalna.pdf (25. 08. 2021). Google Scholar
State of subtitling access in EU: Report 2015. European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), 2015. Retrieved from https://efhoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/EFHOH-State-of-Subtitling-2015-English.pdf . (22.10.2021). Google Scholar
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). (2006). https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html (30.08.2021). Google Scholar
University North, Koprivnica, Croatia
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.