Universal Design of Information Sharing Tools for Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

Disaster information sharing tools are an important aspect of disaster resilience, and it is of utmost importance that these tools are accessible and usable for as many potential users as possible. In this paper, we evaluate the accessibility of a selection of tools for crowdsourcing disaster situation information. As our evaluation shows that the selected tools are not fully accessible, we provide recommendations for mitigation, as well as highlight the importance of further research in this area. With today's development on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), both scientists and practitioners concur that appropriate ICT technology can improve disaster management and crisis communication in all cycles: preparedness, response and recovery in terms of the needs of PWDs [3, 4]. The accessibility of crisis communication tools intended for enhancing societal resilience has not yet been fully taken into account. These tools are particularly important for reaching out to the vulnerable groups in the societies, including PWD, especially in highly populated and dense areas such as cities. The Hyogo Framework Action (HFA) outlines the importance for building the resilience culture in all levels, and encourages pro-active community participation [5]. Resilience itself has been defined as "the capacity of a system, community or society potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure"[6]. However, HFA has little attention toward the needs of PWD although Phibbs et. al. [17], for instance, try to clarify the linkage between emergency management agencies working with PWD and the HFA. The issue of PWD are defined better in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) [7] which also addresses themes linking the PWD and universal design. First theme is related to universal design with support tools and build environment. Ramps, for instance, assists PWD in disasters, such as fastening the evacuation of people with wheelchairs. With universal design, the build environment should not put the vulnerable people in a disadvantaged group in a disaster. Second theme emphasizes inclusivity of disaster preparedness, response and mitigation activities. This approach incorporates the needs and viewpoints of other marginalized groups and potentially strengthens overall resilience. Third theme deals with accessible technology and communication during the disasters. Fourth theme highlights the importance of stakeholders such as individual person with disabilities and disability organizations to collaborate during the emergency planning and recovery. In brief, the concepts of inclusion, universal design and accessibility have been included in SFDRR to empower people with disabilities in disaster and eventually strengthen the community resilience in general. In the context of community engagement, the role of ICT tools to enable the society in general to adapt and recover from hazards and stresses is evident as reflected ...

Digital Volunteers in Disaster Response: Accessibility Challenges

“…When the digital volunteers are primarily working through digital platforms, the usability and accessibility of these platforms are very important. However, the awareness of the importance of these factors among experts in ICT for emergency management is relatively low [38,39].…”

“…Some success criteria can be automatically tested and others require human evaluation. In the previous study, automatic evaluation of a selection of typical web-based tools and platforms for crowdsourcing of information for DHVs have revealed that the tools and platforms tested are not accessible [39]. The main page as well as volunteer signup or information submission pages were tested as these typically are the first potential barriers (issues potentially blocking users from accessing some or all of the information or functionality of the web site) for new volunteers.…”

Universal Design of ICT for Emergency Management from Stakeholders’ Perspective

“…Although Information sharing and crowdsourcing tools has become a hot topic recently, the importance of these is also increasing as people are more and more using mobile tools for communication. These tools are therefore still number two on our Research Agenda increasingly important in disaster resilience, and it is essential that these tools are accessible and usable for as many potential users as possible, both from the general public and active volunteers (Radianti et al 2017;Radianti and Gjøsaeter 2019). This should have a high priority as these tools are affecting many users and their ability to report the situation in their area.…”

“…To mention two examples: A selection of web-based tools and platforms for crowdsourcing of information for enhanced public resilience were examined. The results show that none of the tested tools were universally designed and accessible to all users (Radianti et al 2017). A study of a set of emergency alert sign-up pages in the northeast of US showed that of 26 webpages that were evaluated, 21 had accessibility issues (Wentz et al 2014).…”

“…), A23(Onorati et al 2014), A24 (Easton 2014), A30(Ito et al 2013), A33(Malizia et al 2010), C1(Radianti et al 2017) and C5(Tunold et al 2019). The technologies intended for the public often typically are intended for communication, warning, evacuation and navigation.…”