SMMAPS: scenario-based multimedia manual authoring and presentation system and its application to a disaster evacuation manual for special needs

Abstract

When a disaster strikes, people must make important survival decisions. They must clearly understand the situation and decide what to do immediately. A well-designed disaster preparedness manual would facilitate making the best choices. This paper begins by specifying drawbacks with currently available manuals from the standpoint of people with disabilities or the elderly; these drawbacks include communication or physical accessibility problems and content accessibility or the person's ability to comprehend the situation. We propose a system for producing a disaster evacuation manual equipped with accessible, versatile materials to address various needs and a variety of disastrous situations. We describe its prototype implementation using the preliminary results of a field test.