Submission 8
Do Accessibility Policies Shape Political Attitudes?
P1-G05-01
Presented by: Pau Vall-Prat
Accessibility policies are increasingly prominent in Western democracies, yet their political consequences remain understudied. This research examines how accessible political communication—specifically, sign language interpretation and subtitles in political speeches—shapes public perceptions and political attitudes. Using a large-scale survey experiment with a diverse sample of the general population, disabled individuals, and the Deaf community in Spain, we test the effects of varying levels of accessibility in political speech videos (no accessibility, subtitlescaptions, or sign language interpretation). We investigate whether these levels influence attitudes toward disabled people and support for accessibility policies among the general public. Furthermore, we assess how such measures affect political interest and inclusion perceptions among disabled individuals. Lastly, we explore whether reactions to accessibility policies differ based on the political parties implementing them.