Accessibility for deaf persons to information on COVID-19 in the government´s official channels: A descriptive-exploratory study

ABSTRACT

Objective: To identify possibilities/conditions for deaf persons to access information related to the coronavirus pandemic available at the YouTube platform. Method: Descriptiveexploratory study analyzed vídeos available in the government´s oficial sites from March 2020 to March 2021. The research was centered on indicative aspects of accessibility in the communication (text captions and/or LIBRAS interpreter) in audio-visual contents. Results: Out of the 2.577 videos analyzed, some 60% presented partial accessibility (LIBRAS or text captions);about 30% offered no accessibility at all;and 9.8% offered text captions + LIBRAS. Therefore, the result proved low percentage of records of the expected condition for accessibility in communication (the presence of text captions and LIBRAS), as opposed to the high number of videos with no accessibility. Conclusions: Audio-visual resources are critical for the communication of deaf persons, and adequate conditions favor the access to information provided in video platforms. The theme is relevant, yet not sufficiently discussed, thus demanding further studies. Beyond the pandemic, widening this discussion in order to reduce and/or eliminate communication barriers is also required. © 2022