Characteristics of Hearing-Impaired Persons in Recognizing Safety Signs: Picture Signs for Public Guidance

Background Safety signs are an effective means of guiding and warning people about risky or dangerous situations using pictures. However, hearing-impaired individuals may interpret safety signs differently due to their unique cognitive characteristics, including their educational background, literacy levels, or specific pathological traits. This variance in interpretation can potentially lead to delays in their timely evacuation during safety and disaster-related situations, putting their safety at risk. to the aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of hearing-impaired individuals in recognizing safety signs. Methods To compare the recognition of safety signs, we conducted face-to-face questionnaires with deaf individuals who experience literacy problems. These inquiries sought to understand the nature of safety signs, their meanings, and how individuals should respond to them. Following the face-to-face survey, we collected responses from participants without hearing impairments and analyzed them in conjunction with those from the hearing-impaired participants. Results The results indicated that disability characteristics among the deaf study participants were not strongly correlated with their ability to recognize safety signs. Deaf individuals with higher levels of literacy and education did not significantly differ from the general population in their ability to interpret visual information. Additionally, the semiotic characteristics of the pictograms showed no significant differences in overall safety sign recognition between deaf and hearing participants. Conclusions This study holds significance in that it examines how hearing-impaired people recognize safety signs, an aspect that has been previously overlooked. The results are analyzed in comparison with those of ordinary individuals, revealing valuable insights into potential issues and solutions. As current safety signs provide limited information, further research should explore ways to enhance their effectiveness in providing safety guidance and warnings. This may involve integrating them with next-generation media and imagery to convey a wider range of information.