Agus Darmawan, Hasrul Hashim, Arief Djohari, E. Tulus Rega Wahyuni
Public Service Advertisement (PSA) videos are important communication tools for disseminating social messages and promoting public awareness. However, empirical evidence on how students with learning disabilities process visual information in PSA videos remains limited, particularly regarding visual sensation and visual perception. This study examined the visual effectiveness of a PSA video among students with learning disabilities by distinguishing visual sensation and visual perception as sequential dimensions of visual information processing. A quantitative descriptive design was employed involving 37 students with learning disabilities from four universities and one disability support institution in Indonesia. Participants viewed a PSA video under standardized conditions and completed a structured questionnaire measuring visual sensation and visual perception using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using mean scores, complemented by a scene-by-scene analysis to support interpretation of the findings. The results showed that both visual sensation and visual perception achieved high overall mean scores (M = 3.9). Indicators related to lighting, contrast, message comprehension, and recognition of social purpose received higher ratings, while emotional engagement and higher-order interpretation scored relatively lower. The scene-by-scene analysis indicated that organized visual structures, readable typography, colour contrast, subtitles, and multimodal visual cues enhanced accessibility and message comprehension. In contrast, excessive movement and visual complexity increased cognitive demands on viewers. This study contributes to visual communication research by providing empirical evidence on visual information processing among students with learning disabilities and offers recommendations for designing more inclusive, accessible, and cognitively sensitive PSA videos. © 2026, Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.
Centre for Research in Media & Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, UKM, Selangor, Bangi, 43600, Malaysia; Visual Communication Design Department, Faculty of Education, Art and Design, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Bandung, 40154, Indonesia; Visual Communication Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Design, Nusa Putra Universiti (NPU), Sukabumi, 43152, Indonesia
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