|
363528-191001-021000
NA17OAR4590198
N/A
9/1/2017
2020-8-31 0:0:0
Completed
$103,434.00
Improving Accessibility and Comprehension of Tornado Warnings in the Southeast for the Dead, Blind, and Deaf-Blind
Sherman-Morris
Kathleen
MSU
Coastal Hazards CH
OAR
To improve communication of tornado warnings to blind and deaf-blind people, researchers conducted surveys with this population. Results indicated that the blind would like more geographic description in tornado warnings, which would benefit not only the blind but also sighted persons in situations where vision is limited such as when driving a vehicle. The most important types of information were neighborhood specific (as defined by the participant) with details on trajectory information (where the tornado will be and when). The lack of audio for warnings that scroll at the bottom of television programs posed a barrier to some. One restraint to responding to warnings was participants not having shelter or a lack of transportation to get to a shelter since they could not drive themselves. Most participants depended on phone calls and the television for warnings and would prefer to know when the tornado was expected to be in their neighborhood as opposed to receiving a warning for their whole county. More information in a warning may not always be better for everyone, as participants typically rated the lower detail warning and the higher detail warning the same. However, when the warning was personalized, the higher level of detail was rated more helpful by some participants.
|