Abstract
Technological Emergency Management (EM) systems are designed to rapidly distribute critical information during emergencies, yet they can unintentionally produce inequitable outcomes across diverse populations even when they function effectively at scale. Using the University of Virginia (UVA) as a case study, this research examines how emergency communication infrastructures, including text alerts, emails, sirens, screen takeovers, and mobile applications, interact with differences in digital access and literacy, language proficiency, cultural interpretation of risk, and disability-related accessibility. Drawing from sociotechnical systems (STS) analysis, demographic data, institutional documentation, secondary literature, and empirical insights from a related capstone project, the study evaluates UVA’s EM system through the competing ethical frameworks of Utilitarianism and Ethics of Care. The findings suggest that while UVA’s EM communication system successfully prioritizes rapid dissemination and broad population reach, it also embeds assumptions about a standardized “average” user that can disadvantage vulnerable or marginalized groups. The analysis argues that efficiency-centered emergency design alone is insufficient within diverse institutional populations and that emergency preparedness should incorporate more inclusive, user-centered approaches. Recommendations include expanding pre-emergency educational initiatives, improving multimodal accessibility, and integrating more inclusive communication practices into emergency management planning.
