This paper presents the result of a survey study where representing members of the disability movement in Sweden have shared their experiences of living and acting during the first year of the Covid-19-pandemic. The aim was to identify crisis communication challenges and where additional communication material and methods are needed for supporting people in going from knowledge to taking action for achieving a higher level of crisis preparedness. The paper also includes a brief summary of a literature review of previous international research on disabilities and the Covid-19 pandemic. Three categories of crisis communication challenges were identified displaying a vulnerability in society and pointing towards several important knowledge gaps that ought to be addressed in order to achieve crisis preparedness among all people. The results indicate that there is a need for additional communication materials and methods that can be appropriated to individual needs, and dialogue methods between authorities and people in order to counteract normative assumptions in crisis communication aimed at different target groups.

This paper presents the result of a survey study where representing members of the disability movement in Sweden have shared their experiences of living and acting during the first year of the Covid-19-pandemic. The aim was to identify crisis communication challenges and where additional communication material and methods are needed for supporting people in going from knowledge to taking action for achieving a higher level of crisis preparedness. The paper also includes a brief summary of a literature review of previous international research on disabilities and the Covid-19 pandemic. Three categories of crisis communication challenges were identified displaying a vulnerability in society and pointing towards several important knowledge gaps that ought to be addressed in order to achieve crisis preparedness among allpeople. The results indicate that there is a need for additional communication materials and methods that can be appropriated to individual needs, and dialogue methods between authorities and people in order to counteract normative assumptions in crisis communication aimed at different target groups.

There have been numerous research studies stating the fact that the pandemic affected people with disabilities’ working lives. Less research has been conducted on how people with disabilities coped with and learned from these challenges. This scoping review maps research conducted in the field of disability research and multidisciplinary research, published from the outbreak of the pandemic until October 31, 2022. The focus is on how people with disabilities adapted their working lives to the conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and what working practices and strategies they applied to manage the situation. From an extensive search in bibliographic databases, eight research articles were identified. The review results reveal both challenges and new openings for the working life of people with disabilities post-pandemic. Implications for future research are identified, addressing intersectionality, hybrid work environments, digital gaps and increased participation of people with disabilities in research. 

The article challenges the notion that crisiscommunication is a matter of outreach of a single messagecommunicated as “one voice” from official channelsspeaking to the public about how to prepare for andmanage crisis situations. The Covid-19 pandemic has madeit evident that the general public is accessing multiplechannels for crisis information while the crisis situation,the rules and knowledge are constantly changing. An arrayof different voices, facts, (fake) news and recommendationsare channeled via public service, social media, nationaland international media. Most of this content is accessedand shared via digital channels, but also via communities,workplaces, and between friends and families living inthe same country or abroad. This article presents insightsgained from a qualitative study addressing disabled peoplewhose everyday lives have always been characterized byextraordinary circumstances, and continuously so alsoduring the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim was to create anunderstanding of disabled people’s crisis-specific mediapractices and their ways of coping with situations causedby the pandemic. Through a national online survey studyand workshops, it explores how disabled people experiencethe pandemic, and how crisis information flows affect trustbetween authorities and the disability movements. Thestudy should be read in the light of the Swedish Covid-19strategy, which put a strong emphasis on the individual’sresponsibility and that every citizen is expected to followthe recommendations and take precautionary measuresto limit the spread of the virus. This approach requiresthat both public agencies and citizens are capable ofnavigating the emerging complex crisis communicationlandscape and requires them to make responsibledecisions and take relevant measures.

In this exploratory workshop, HCI researchers and practitioners and representatives from Disability Rights Organisations meet to learn from each other’s experiences of remote collaboration and communication in hybrid settings. The workshop will be a “crash course” in how live, remote, and disability-inclusive HCI research and practice can be organised for everyone to participate on equal terms, regardless of functional capacity. The focus is not placed on the technologies used but on interpersonal communication, facilitation and management issues, and hands-on design practices. An emphasis will be put on how to foster solidarity among managers and colleagues and how to take collective responsibility for people who often are being marginalised, such as people with disabilities. Based on the outcome of the workshop, a collection of guidelines will be drafted targeting HCI researchers and practitioners who collaborate with stakeholders in remote and hybrid settings.