Abstract
Crises times have an uncanny way of giving salience to struggles for democracy. The new coronavirus – also known as COVID-19 – became a global public health issue that stirred other democratic concerns from persons living with disabilities who wanted access to health information for their survival. People living with various types of disabilities have special communication and information needs, some of which require specific technologies, formats and language. The pandemic got people concerned about their safety and survival. This article contextualises and critiques US, Britain and Zimbabwean activists representing persons living with disabilities’ reactions to the manner their public authorities availed COVID-19 health messages to disabled constituencies via mainstream television. It compares how suitable was televised content from US, Britain, Zimbabwean and New Zealand stations for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, before exploring complaints and lawsuits from the disability constituency pertaining to access to COVID-19 health information.
Highlights
In times of crises and disasters, a lack of access to communication and information platforms for people living with various types of disabilities makes them more vulnerable and prone to life-threatening situations (Kent and Ellis, 2015)
The article evaluates the correlation of the type and nature of presentation of Sign Language (SL) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) – or the lack of it – and the legal actions taken by activists to demand social justice in the United States, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and New Zealand
We evaluated the timing and nature of complaints and lawsuits submitted to state authorities by Deaf people and people with hearing impairments pertaining to the availing in real time of COVID-19 information
Summary
In times of crises and disasters, a lack of access to communication and information platforms for people living with various types of disabilities makes them more vulnerable and prone to life-threatening situations (Kent and Ellis, 2015). The manner in which people with disabilities, especially those with visual disabilities and impairments, the Deaf and those hard of hearing, received or did not receive public health communication on COVID-19 became a discursive issue in Zimbabwe, Britain and the United States. Since disability manifests in multiple forms and contexts, person(s) living with a specific type of disability require different information and communication technologies and formats for them to access content (Couldry et al, 2018; Ellis, 2017; Ellis and Kent, 2017). Zimbabwean activists package demands for equitable media representation and access to information in virtually identical discourse (Nkomo, 2014; Shava, 2017) They combine the rights and power approaches and use them conveniently, apparently placing more significance on disability rights probably due to the level of development of the country where the disabled’s rights still require better recognition. There are numerous examples of when State leaders distort health information both through ignorance or ulterior motives (Chasi, 2014; Fukuyama, 2020; Tomaselli and Chasi, 2011)
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