Effectiveness of educational tools for hurricane resilience in homes

Abstract

Purpose -In the disaster mitigation community, one of the most important tasks is that of information transfer prior to, and following natural disasters. The purpose of this research project was to increase the understanding of key aspects (such as attractiveness and educational value) that influence the utility and effectiveness of educational media tools for home resilience during hurricanes. Design/methodology/approach -A total of three types of educational media were developed -pulp board coasters, tri-fold pamphlets, and a web hosted video. The contents of these media were developed based on data from federal agencies, as well as scholarly articles and technical reports to form an inclusive body of information. Several focus groups of homeowners and potential homeowners were held to evaluate participant's preference of these three media tools with regards to their usefulness for making homes safer during natural disasters, specifically during wind and wind-driven rain events (e.g. hurricanes). Findings -Analysis of the focus groups indicate that media use (based on disaster prevention home resilience practices) is highly dependent on the target audience or the stakeholder group (e.g. consumers look for different information content as compared to the builders). While all three media were indicated by the participants to have merit, the pamphlet was preferred aesthetically and was most likely to be used by homeowners. In addition, the study found that the usefulness of the tools depends on the ease of understanding and implementation of the best practices and ease of access to the tools (targeted location for each media).Research limitations/implications -The findings of the study have implications for the entire disaster educational community. Although the findings are mostly qualitative and the small sample used in the focus groups limits the generalize ability to the entire population of the USA, nevertheless, future educational information and tools used should follow easy to understand language, be illustrated with examples and pictures, and be placed at convenient locations for homeowners to access. Originality/value -By understanding how to better reach homeowners with information on home resilience, information can be more effectively disseminated to the public which allows for efficient use of tools as well as funds.

Crisis translation: considering language needs in multilingual disaster settings

“…We know that investment in prevention saves lives and livelihoods; it needs therefore efficient targeting to disaster risks. (EC, 2017) Evidence of failings in crisis communication is plentiful and usually categorised under 'issues of communication'; reasons for avoiding these failings are compelling (Greenwood et al, 2017), translation is considered as a 'perennial hidden issue' (Crowley and Chan, 2011, p. 24;IFRC 2018, p. 103), yet its inclusion in emergency planning (and studies thereof) remain minimal and alternatives of plain or clear language are still offered as adequate solutions, but are blind to the needs of those who have very limited or no competence in the 'language' in question in the first instance (see Strayhorn et al 2012, for example), who cannot read, see, or hear.…”