Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

1. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations John Lindsay Brandon University

2. This is vulnerability… Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

3. Understanding vulnerability • What determines vulnerability? • How do we communicate to the most vulnerable? • How do the most vulnerable perceive the risks and the information we are putting out? Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

4. More than just exposure • “Vulnerable populations are those most at risk, not simply because they are exposed to hazard, but as a result of a marginality that makes of their life a ‘permanent emergency’.” • Bankoff, G. 2001. “Rendering the World Unsafe: ’Vulnerability’ as Western Discourse” Disasters 25(1) pp19-35 Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

5. Determinants of vulnerability • Vulnerability is determined by social, economic and physical characteristics. • These factors influence not only how people cope in crisis but also the resources for everyday living – sometimes called their health. • Lindsay, J. 2003 “The Determinants of Disaster Vulnerability: Achieving Sustainable Mitigation through Population Health”. Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, March 2003, Volume 28, Issue 2-3. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

6. Income and social status Social support networks Education Employment and working conditions Social environments Physical environments Biology and genetic endowment Personal health practices & coping skills Healthy child development Health services Gender Culture Health Canada 2002 Determinants of Health Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

7. How does vulnerability affect preparedness? • People who are more vulnerable to a particular hazard will require more help during an impact. • Reducing vulnerability (increasing resiliency) will help solve problems before they occur. • However, the factors that increase vulnerability also hinder traditional preparedness activities. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

8. Why does risk perception matter? • People have different views about hazards and these views affect their decisions and actions. • These views are also influenced by the same set of factors that increase vulnerability. • Haque C.E., J. Lindsay, J. Lavery and M. Olczyk. 2004 “Exploration into the Relationship of Vulnerability and Perception to Risk Communication and Behaviour: Ideas for the Development of Tools for Emergency Management Programs”. Report prepared for the Ideas Program, Directorate of Research and Development, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

9. How does it affect response? • People’s vulnerability and their risk perceptions influence their decisions during a response too. • Sometimes people can’t respond as we would like them to and sometimes they ‘choose’ not to. • Either way the same factors are at work. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

10. Canada’s Efforts • A survey in 2004 looked at how municipal and provincial emergency management programs were identifying and communicating with vulnerable populations. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

11. What can be done about this? • Increasing our resiliency will be a positive spin-off of the work done to improve communities’ overall social, economic and physical wellbeing. • Understanding the determinants and kinds of vulnerability will help communities avoid or mitigate unwanted affects. Communicating with Vulnerable Populations

12. Questions & Comments John Lindsay Assistant Professor and Chair Department of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies Brandon University (204) 571-8555 lindsayj@brandonu.ca http://www.brandonu.ca/academic/ADES/