[Air-L] ANU Sociology Seminar Series: "Building information resilience through accessible communication practice: The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia", Dr Ashleigh Haw (UC)

[Thao Phan]

Hi all, please join us for the next event in the ANU School of Sociology
Seminar Series:



*Building information resilience through accessible communication practice:
The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia*

*https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/events/building-information-resilience-through-accessible-communication-practice-case-migrants
<https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/events/building-information-resilience-through-accessible-communication-practice-case-migrants>*



Speaker: Dr Ashleigh Haw, University of Canberra



Date: Monday 12 May, 2025

Time: 12-1pm AEST

Location: Room 4.69 RSSS Building



Join Zoom Meeting
https://anu.zoom.us/j/85293466550?pwd=aHRXMVFZMUM4T1o2U0pNYWhkWjFJZz09

Meeting ID: 852 9346 6550
Password: 0000



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*Building information resilience through accessible communication practice:
The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia*



During any crisis event, trustworthy communication is crucial for fostering
safe and informed societies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however,
considerable disparities in access to reliable information (including vital
health advice and resources) were observed; especially for migrants and
people with disability. These communities are, consequently, more
vulnerable to the negative impacts of ‘information disorders’, which
encompass both unintentional misinformation and intentional
disinformation (mis/disinformation), however, their experiences and needs
remain underexamined in research and policy efforts to address the
pervasive problem of information disorders.

In this presentation, Ashleigh will discuss the findings and implications
arising from interview and focus group discussions with 16 Melbourne-based
service providers, advocates, and community leaders; many of whom have
lived experience with migration and/or disability. A reflexive approach to
Interpretive Thematic Analysis – drawing on Structural Racism theory and a
Crip Studies approach to disability justice – revealed that a lack of
access to reliable and trustworthy information about the crisis – including
local and national policies, health advice/guidelines, and avenues for
support – routinely led migrant communities and people with disability to
engage with harmful mis/disinformation about the threat of the virus, the
efficacy of vaccines, and potential medical interventions.

In presenting these findings, she will draw on existing literature and
theory surrounding evident connections between accessible communication
practice and information resilience in diverse societies. She will also
present recommendations for research, policy, and practice seeking to
mitigate the social, economic, political, and health inequities that arise
from (and help to facilitate) information disorders in times of crisis.



*Ashleigh Haw* is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Communication and
Media at the University of Canberra. Her work focuses on understanding and
advancing social inclusion in mediated communication, with a special
interest in illuminating how marginalised communities engage with (and are
impacted by) news and digital media representation of their needs and
experiences. Ashleigh’s most recent research used Covid-19 as a case study
to examine the social and health implications of mediated exclusion and
mis/disinformation for migrants and people with disability during global
crisis events, emphasising notable implications for research and practice
at the intersections of intercultural communication, social policy, and
critical disability studies.