POLITICAL COMMUNICATION FOCUSED ON INDIVIDUALS WITH VISUAL DISABILITIES IN GREECE

Alexandros Vris, Panagiota Antonopoulou

Abstract


Political communication is a fundamental factor for the inclusion of citizens in public and political life. However, individuals with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, often face barriers in accessing political information and participating equally in the public sphere. This empirical study, which forms part of a doctoral dissertation, explores the attitudes, experiences, and expectations of people with visual impairments in Greece regarding political communication. The research was conducted in September 2025 using a structured questionnaire, distributed to a sample of 81 individuals with visual impairments, employing the snowball sampling method. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA, MANOVA), and principal component analysis (PCA). The results demonstrate a strong interest among individuals with visual impairments in current political affairs, with education positively associated with both the following of such affairs and trust in institutional bodies. Trust in mass media remains limited, while radio and online media are preferred as the primary channels for political information, with variations observed across different age groups. Family and the immediate social environment emerged as key factors influencing political views. Significant barriers include difficulties in exercising voting rights and the absence of targeted policies to ensure equal participation. Additionally, for the development of effective political communication, participants emphasized the need for training party officials, the institutionalization of accessible practices, and the inclusion of individuals with visual impairments in communication teams. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the specific needs of individuals with visual disabilities and provides useful guidance for developing political communication strategies that strengthen equal participation and social inclusion.

Keywords


political communication, visual disability, accessibility, inclusion, political participation

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v12i5.2298

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