Abstract:

The emergence of coronavirus has been a major challenge for the global community. The danger of the virus and the rapid rate of transmission have brought humanity to the point of changing everyday life as we know it. Most people seem to limit the circle of their contacts by maintaining only the absolutely necessary physical presence with members of their family. Elimination of communication with loved ones, as well as the inability to have a variety of free time activities as we used to appear to endorse the significance of technology usage in our everyday life -especially during quarantine (March 2020).

The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the views of young adults, firstly, on the disruption of their daily lives due to the coronavirus and, secondly, on accessibility, that is, the presence of inclusive elements such as interpretation into Greek Sign Language in the program transmitted on television or online and other media. It is worth noting that this survey also asks people to respond to accessibility issues, which are equally important in order to determine the level of recognition and necessity of accessibility for all.

A quantitative research has been conducted based on a questionnaire, that has been designed by the research team. The questionnaire included 37 likert-scale, open ended, and multiple choice items. The study was conducted via internet and in total 285 young individuals participated.

The results showed that social media, phone calls and other applications (viber, skype etc.) were widely used in order to keep youth connected with their loved ones, including people of high risk - such as grandparents. Moreover, technology seemed to be a good entertainment source, as it offered a huge variety of options, while ensuring safety from coronavirus exposure. Differences in leisure activities are also discernible, comparing the time before and during the pandemic. More specifically, watching movies and series was among the most popular choices for entertainment during the quarantine time (March 2020).

The analysis of the results can lead to a discussion that will help us assess and understand the society “after the pandemic”. The present research highlights a possible relationship between everyday life and the access to information of all people, as today more than ever highlights the need for universal accessibility to information. According to the United Nations, every state should ensure the equal dissemination of information and access to art. In this research, questions are answered about "What" one chooses to do in one's everyday life in today's era, "When" and "How" one chooses to do it.

Keywords:

young adults, COVID-19, social distancing, accessibility.