Abstract:
Majoritarian thinking has affected various facets of our lives, and this often goes unnoticed if one belongs to the majority group that has access to systems that are designed for them. In reality, it is difficult to achieve equity in education, health and information because of cultural, social and political diversities that exist unless conscious efforts are taken. In the context of this study, I examine how communication messaging about COVID-19 shaped risk perceptions among the D/deaf. It was found out that the D/deaf being a minority group were excluded from information because the information sources and formats were not accessible to them which made them source for information within their social networks. As a result of this exclusion, they formed perceptions of the risk level of the disease based on their previous interactions with structures such as the government and media that they often treat with suspicion and based on the relationships that they had with their social networks that kept them updated about the pandemic. The data was collected using focus group discussions and the evidence shows that the D/deaf heavily rely on their friends and family for information as opposed to official government sources. They also had difficulties realising COVID-19 preventive measures because of cultural and structural barriers the government seems to ignore. In the highly connected world we live in today, the likelihood of pandemics recurring is high and the importance of reaching all populations to curb spread of diseases through information and empowerment can never be overemphasised.
Extensive work needs to be done to understand the communication needs of the D/deaf, their culture and how they perceive news and sources of news that shape their risk perceptions so that there is targeted communication for this minority group.
