Role of Graphics in Disaster Communication: Practitioner Perspectives on Use, Challenges, and Inclusivity
Anuradha Madugall, Yuqing Xiao, John Grundy
TL;DR
This paper investigates how disaster information graphics are produced and used in practice, with a focus on inclusivity for vulnerable populations. It employs qualitative, semi-structured interviews with five disaster communication practitioners and researchers to reveal real-world usage, design challenges, and systemic constraints. The findings show that while graphics are essential for rapid risk communication, accessibility gaps persist for vision-impaired, cognitively challenged, elderly, and culturally diverse communities, and that inclusivity is constrained by workflow, guidance, and funding. The authors propose a pragmatic path forward including co-design with communities, evidence-based guidelines, and technological frameworks for real-time, inclusive graphic adaptation in disaster contexts.
Abstract
Information graphics, such as hazard maps, evacuation diagrams, and pictorial action guides, are widely used in disaster risk communication. These visuals are important because they convey hazard information quickly, reduce reliance on lengthy text, and support decision-making in time-critical situations. However, despite their importance, disaster information graphics do not work equally well for all audiences. In practice, many graphics remain difficult to interpret, and their accessibility for vulnerable populations is still uneven and underexplored. Despite their central role, there has been little empirical work examining how graphics shape disaster communication, what challenges practitioners face in using them, and, most importantly, how inclusive current disaster graphics are in real-world settings. To address this gap, we examine how information graphics are currently produced and used in disaster communication, what issues emerge in practice, and how inclusivity is addressed. We conducted semi-structured interviews with disaster communication practitioners and researchers to examine the role of graphics across preparedness, warning, and response contexts, as well as the barriers experienced by vulnerable communities. Our findings show that graphics are widely expected and heavily relied upon, yet significant accessibility gaps persist for groups such as people with vision impairments, older adults, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Participants also highlighted that inclusive adaptations are difficult to achieve during unfolding emergencies due to operational constraints, limited guidance, and resource barriers. Based on these findings, we outline recommendations for disaster management agencies and graphic designers and identify research directions for technological and adaptive support to make disaster graphics more inclusive at scale.