The ICF: International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) – A Swiss army knife? Accessibility and disability in a Scandinavian disability magazine (SDM) – A quantitative content analysis

Abstract Background The study describes the extent to which the concept of accessibility and accessibility issues has been reported in a national Scandinavian disability magazine. In this study particular attention is paid to how the compatibility between the various domains of the international classification – International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) – has been covered in the magazine over a decade. Furthermore, other types of descriptions that the magazine has made of accessibility for people with physical disabilities are considered. Methods The study is based on a quantitative content analysis of a total of 326 articles from the Swedish disability magazine (SDM); 450 text pages published during the years 2000–2009. The magazine's coverage has been comprehensive. Results and conclusions More than half of the studied texts were news items about various accessibility issues. Every third article can be characterised as a news article or feature article. The most frequently reported of the ICF domains consist of two perspectives: environmental accessibility and civil rights. Public opinion articles in the form of letters to editors and editorials focused on accessibility have a low frequency. Likewise, research reports are few. The study has included a review of illustrations and photographs. The illustrations are generally of high quality, reinforcing the disability message of the article.