EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RADIO-BASED FLOOD WARNINGS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS IN T/A NGABU,

This study evaluates the effectiveness of radio-based flood warning systems for visually impaired individuals in Traditional Authority Ngabu, Chikwawa District, Malawi. While radio is widely used for emergency communication, its design and implementation often exclude the needs of visually impaired populations. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research integrates survey data, interviews, focus groups, and social network analysis to examine radio access, message comprehension, response actions, and institutional dynamics.
Findings reveal significant disparities: only 40% of visually impaired respondents owned radios, with completely blind individuals significantly underrepresented (25%) compared to partially blind (50%). Economic status emerged as a strong predictor of ownership (OR=3.25, p=0.005). Barriers such as battery affordability (73.3%), difficulty in radio operation (91.7% among completely blind), and poor signal reception during storms were prevalent. Only 32.1% fully understood radio warnings, with comprehension highly influenced by language (p=0.022) and education level (η2=0.29). Response delays were notable, with visually impaired individuals facing an average of 2.3 additional transmission steps (p<0.001), adding 15–30 minutes of delay per step.
Social network analysis showed visually impaired individuals occupied peripheral communication roles (eigenvector centrality = 0.14 vs. 0.42, p<0.001), and institutional analysis revealed minimal integration between disaster management offices and disability organizations. Community support was largely informal and proximity-based, with social isolation correlating with significantly delayed warning reception (p<0.001).