HCI has long engaged with designing technologies for marginalized communities, increasingly foregrounding environmental and social justice questions. This paper examines air pollution as structural violence, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. Drawing on semi-structured interviews (n=25) with daily wagers-one of the most vulnerable urban populations, we investigate how they experience, interpret, and respond to pollution-related risks amidst information gaps and misinformation. Our analysis reveals critical shortcomings in ICT-based information dissemination, which often fails to address the needs of vulnerable groups due to challenges of trust, language, and cultural alignment. In response, we identified key design requirements and examined the suitability of IVR and WhatsApp as accessible channels in this context. We developed and evaluated (n=10) prototypes that can deliver trusted, relevant, and actionable information. We contribute an understanding of how HCI can help design resilient information infrastructures that serves vulnerable voices and strengthen community preparedness in the face of environmental crises.

COPD is an incurable Chronic Respiratory Disease that results in restricted airflow and respiratory issues. India faces rising pollution and health infrastructure challenges, significantly contributing to the prevalence of respiratory diseases like COPD. Studies have reported that COPD is India’s second leading cause of death and Disability Adjusted Life Years. Our study delves into the current state of COPD care and awareness in India. Our mixed-methods research, encompassing online surveys with medical personnel (n=9) and individuals (n=141) and semi-structured interviews (n=13) with various stakeholders (patients, doctors and caregivers), revealed a noteworthy lack of COPD awareness amongst the public, consequently affecting the COPD diagnosis, treatment and management strategies. We further explored how COPD affects patients’ self-perception and quality of life while identifying the barriers to COPD care. Finally, we conclude with design recommendations for technology-based interventions which can support the management of COPD patients in the Indian context.