This two-part series discuss the relationships between people with disabilities and the media, focusing on two themes: the coronavirus pandemic and the Paralympic Games. Both are topics of substantial interest to people with disabilities as relatable ones, which are also aligned with society at large and how it should be.
This first part explores how people with disabilities lived in the face of COVID-19 crisis and what information they needed and acquired, based on the results of the “Internet Survey on Access to Information by People with Disabilities under the Coronavirus Pandemic” which was conducted in March 2021. Along with this, the authors also examine their opinions on information accessibility services and broadcast programs. The findings include the following. In terms of “daily life,” working from home became more prevalent while there were not a few people who lost jobs and/or suffered financial hardship. In addition, some were troubled by wearing masks and avoiding touching things because made obtaining information on their surroundings difficult. Regarding “access to information,” while some increased TV viewing hours due to longer home time, others stopped watching television because they were not satisfied with the content. People with hearing difficulties put special emphasis on securing accessibility through subtitles and other services. Acquiring information such as “how to prevent infection” and “overwhelmed hospitals” became all the more imperative for people with disabilities. The authors discuss their true feelings one by one, which will lead to the second part of this series, “Opinion Survey on Paralympic Broadcasting.”