The right of people with disabilities to information in times of the Covid-19 pandemic: a question of accessibility and inclusion

Abstract

The internalization of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with a constitutional rule hierarchy and the promulgation of the Statute of Persons with Disabilities (Law No. 13,146 / 2015) constitute the Brazilian legal framework for the protection of persons with disabilities, whose central objective it lies in promoting the exercise of fundamental freedoms and rights on equal terms with others in order to allow social inclusion and citizenship. The adoption of the social model of disability imposes a departure from the purely biomedical view and requires an understanding based on the interaction between physical, sensory, mental and intellectual impairments, of long duration and the barriers that are socially imposed and prevent full social participation. In this context, information is a fundamental right of the person with disabilities that makes it possible to reach other rights, assuming a peculiar profile linked to accessibility that depends on clear, objective information and in an accessible format. Access to information is essential for the search for overcoming barriers and effective inclusion. In times of Covid-19 pandemic, accessible information and recommendations on personal hygiene, ways of mitigating infections, public restraint plans become even more relevant for the preservation of the health and life of people with disabilities. Through the hypothetical-deductive method and bibliographic and documentary research, this article aims to analyze the effectiveness of the right to accessible information for people with disabilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic