How Did People with Impairments Perceive Public Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic and What Are Their Suggestions for Accessible Crisis Information?
The aim of this study was toexplore how people with impairments perceived the
accessibility of informationregarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden and what
improvements they suggest toensure accessibility of information in future societal
crises.
The study had a descriptivedesign, involving interviews and focus group discussions
with people with impairmentsand their representative organisations, alongside
analysis of public crisisinformation websites.
The results showed that whilemany people with impairments could use their usual
information channels, otherfound that the adapted information they needed was
missing and that the governmentagencies, regional healthcare organisations and
local municipalities wereunprepared to produce accessible information.
In conclusion, societyexhibited shortcomings in providing accessible information to
people with impairments duringthe COVID-19 pandemic. The responsible authorities
seemed unprepared to provideaccessible information. Proactive planning and training
are imperative to ensure the provision of accessible information infuture crises.
