ABSTRACT
Language and literacy are important social vulnerability factors. The inability to openly communicate, to thoroughly assess a situation, and to make (often quick) informed decisions affects the capacity of individuals to mitigate, prepare for, cope with, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disasters. Literacy is not just an indicator of the cognitive skills of an individual to read and write. Literacy is also an indicator of the situated tools that allow us to engage in society, access knowledge, and form our perception. Literacy is vital during crisis events and is important to understand how we can better reach those groups that are often marginalized because of language and literacy limitations. This chapter focuses on how language and literacy informs emergency preparedness and disaster experiences. The chapter intends to provide the readers with ideas and tools that seek to enhance their capacity to reach targeted audiences.
