1. Investigación

La relación entre la discapacidad y la comunicación supone uno de esos nudos conceptuales en los que coinciden dimensiones ineludibles a cualquier conocimiento sobre lo que somos como individuos y como sociedad: la identidad, la desigualdad, la tecnología o la interacción. Y afrontar una reflexión sistemática sobre esta relación es uno de los retos más acuciantes y emocionantes de nuestro futuro inmediato. Porque ambos fenómenos, y su indisoluble relación, nos sitúan inevitablemente frente a lo que hemos sido, lo que somos ahora y lo que queremos y podemos ser en ese porvenir. En este volumen se aborda ese reto mediante una actualización del estado de la investigación sobre la relación entre discapacidad y comunicación en España y Latinoamérica, dando a conocer los últimos estudios académicos acerca del discurso que los medios realizan entorno a la discapacidad, y mostrando investigaciones y reflexiones novedosas sobre las herramientas (en el ámbito de la educación, los videojuegos, el cine, la radio, la televisión o el turismo) que se están utilizando ?o que pueden utilizarse en el futuro inmediato? para lograr que las personas con discapacidad disfruten real y plenamente de la comunicación y el conocimiento.

Las enfermedades minoritarias (EM) afectan a menos de 5 casos por cada 10 000 habitantes. De forma generalizada su diagnóstico definitivo tarda años en obtenerse y muestran un pronóstico desfavorable. La información publicada sobre estas enfermedades es fundamental para su visibilidad social y para lograr que las personas afectadas obtengan más recursos para la investigación básica y clínica, en especial durante la crisis de la COVID-19. En este artículo se ha examinado la información audiovisual de la televisión pública española TVE desde el 1 de enero de 2019 al 9 de mayo de 2021 sobre estas enfermedades. Bajo el paradigma del framing se han analizado 51 unidades de análisis. Los resultados evidencian que durante la crisis de la COVID-19 la información sobre las enfermedades minoritarias ha tenido un menor eco en la televisión pública española y han prevalecido los temas científicos frente a los de denuncia social e historias de vida.

The ability to communicate scientific information effectively is crucial for veterinary professionals. Consequently, veterinary students require consistent and proactive training in communication. In parallel, digital transformation has undoubtedly impacted educational institutions. To address these priorities, the TranspaVET project aimed to design an immersive educational experience through advanced and innovative technology. This article aims to share our experience involving first-year veterinary students in producing scientific posters and how augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) impact their scientific outreach. The project, developed in the academic year 2022-23, involved 35 students and eight mentor professors and resulted in nine scientific posters. The posters were digitized allowing their access through links or Quick Response (QR) codes. Firstly, they could be visualised in 3D Web preview and in AR, as images overlayed into reality through mobile devices. Secondly, they could be viewed in an immersive VR educational metaverse. Visitors could access the metaverse via their personal electronic devices and via VR headsets. Users can view, download, and share the posters and talk together inside the virtual environment. By January 7th, 2024, the posters were digitally viewed 1,795 times, and 207 unique users entered the TranspaVET metaverse from different Spanish regions (Valencian Community, Castile and Leon, Andalusia, Madrid, Catalonia, Asturias, and Galicia), as well as from Argentina and Costa Rica. The TranspaVET project represents a creative connection between educational innovation and scientific research dissemination. It sets an example for the future of immersive, technology-driven learning through a platform that combines AR and VR.

The Paralympic Games (PG) are the biggest showcase of disability. Thanks to their growing popularity, they are gradually getting a space in television and social networks and are conquering a space in the print and digital press. Therefore, it is important to guarantee the quality of the coverage of the event and of the messages that are sent about people with disabilities. It is also important to understand what factors interfere with this coverage and these messages. In this context, we developed a study that had as a goal to understand the process of news production about the 2016 Rio PG by Brazilian journalists. We used a descriptive, exploratory, and qualitative approach based on some attributes of the newsmaking and gatekeepers’ studies. We conducted 15 interviews with journalists and editors who covered the event on site or direct from the newsroom. Our results indicate that the main factors that interfered and structured the journalists conditions of production and routines during the coverage of the 2016 Rio PG were: some business issues (prioritization of audience interests and the exclusivity of broadcasting rights); some logistical issues (limitation of coverage to contents that could be accessed from the newsroom; accessibility barriers for journalists with disabilities; transportation between arenas, and reduced teams of journalists); and journalists’ level preparedness to cover the event. The interviews also revealed that the main news criteria for content selection were expected victories and medals, proximity, and curiosity. They said they emphasized content that valued athletes’ sportsmanship and narratives of overcoming adversity.